# Norwegian: syttende mai helg



## Grefsen

When Norway's national day is celebrated during a weekend such as is the case this year, would it be appropriate to write the following *på norsk?*

*Ha en god syttende mai helg!  *


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## oskhen

Grefsen said:


> When Norway's national day is celebrated during a weekend such as is the case this year, would it be appropriate to write the following *på norsk?*
> 
> *Ha en god syttende mai helg! *


 
I've never heard the expression before. And to be honest, I think most people would find it a bit strange, although the meaning is clear.

By the way: you can't write "mai" and "helg" as two separate words. Actually I'm not completely sure how it should be written, but I think it would have been "syttende mai-helg".


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## Grefsen

oskhen said:


> I've never heard the expression before. And to be honest, I think most people would find it a bit strange, although the meaning is clear.
> 
> By the way: you can't write "mai" and "helg" as two separate words. Actually I'm not completely sure how it should be written, but I think it would have been "syttende mai-helg".



*Tusen takk oskhen! * I'll be attending a special *syttende mai *dinner shortly and will ask some of the Norwegians there about this.  

At the flag raising ceremonty this morning the greeting everyone was using was *"Gratulerer med dagen!"*  I take it that this is the most common greeting used in Norway on *syttende mai*.


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## Grefsen

oskhen said:


> I've never heard the expression before. And to be honest, I think most people would find it a bit strange, although the meaning is clear.



All of the Norwegians I spoke to during the *syttende mai* dinner agreed with you 100%.  Even though as you stated "the meaning is clear" none of them had ever heard anyone greet someone else in Norwegian by saying "*Ha en god syttende mai helg!*"



oskhen said:


> I By the way: you can't write "mai" and "helg" as two separate words. Actually I'm not completely sure how it should be written, but I think it would have been "syttende mai-helg".



After what I heard last night I think it is probably best not to even attempt to combine the two.  *Tusen takk igjen for hjelpen. *


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## oskhen

Grefsen said:


> After what I heard last night I think it is probably best not to even attempt to combine the two. *Tusen takk igjen for hjelpen. *


 
Actually, I think you're right, at least in this context. "Gratulerer med dagen" is definitely the most common greeting on this day (and I've heard it on the 8th of May also, by the way, though I'm not sure how common it is).

And you're welcome


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## Grefsen

"I'm curious to know" *hva noen* *av de andre nordmenn** som har postet her tenke om bruke uttrykket "ha en fin 17. mai-helg" på en SMS. :?:
*
(I'm curious to know what some of the other Norwegians who post here think about using the expression *"ha en fin 17. mai-helg"* in an SMS.)

I just did a "google" search and although it is doesn't seem to be used very frequently, *der var ennå *"65"* treff.* (there were still "65" results.)


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## Huffameg

oskhen said:


> Actually, I think you're right, at least in this context. "Gratulerer med dagen" is definitely the most common greeting on this day (and I've heard it on the 8th of May also, by the way, though I'm not sure how common it is).



The 1st of May and the 8th of March, as well.


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## Huffameg

Grefsen said:


> *Jeg er nysgjerrig på* *hva noen* *av de andre nordmenn**ene som har postet her tenker om bruke uttrykket "ha en fin 17. mai-helg" på en SMS. :?:
> *



I agree with the others: it sounds strange and it is not used. As opposed to the normal expressions "julehelg", "påskehelg", "nyttårshelg" etc. 17. mai is _one_ day and it is probably the fact that you generalize that day to go for the entire week end that poses problems.


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## OroRojo

I agree. For me 17. mai has nothing to do with the rest of the weekend, it just happens to fall on a Sunday this year. And 17. mai is not a typical day off, it's a day of celebration.

If you want to include the word "helg", you could just add it to the greeting, for instance "god helg og god 17. mai-feiring" or "god helg og ha ei fin feiring på søndag".


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## Grefsen

*Tusen takk for de gode forklaringene Huffameg og OroRojo.  
*


Huffameg said:


> I agree with the others: it sounds strange and it is not used. As opposed to the normal expressions "julehelg", "påskehelg", "nyttårshelg" etc. 17. mai is _one_ day and it is probably the fact that you generalize that day to go for the entire week*end* that poses problems.


Your explanation makes sense to me, but I still have my own personal bias that also makes "17. mai-helgen" continue to sound perfectly fine to me.  Here in the U.S. the holiday we celebrate that is most comparable to *17. mai* is *4. juli.*   In fact it is very common here to talk about "Fourth of July weekend" just about every year (with the possible exception of once every seven years when the holiday is mid-week on a Wednesday.) 

A google search of "4th of July weekend" got 223,000 results while googling "Fourth of July weekend" also got 242,000 results. A search of *"17. mai-helgen"* got 2,320 results and the fourth result actually came from a headline in Wednesday's *Oslo-Puls:*

*Slik blir 17. mai-helgen*

http://oslopuls.aftenposten.no/restaurant_uteliv/article196515.ece


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## Grefsen

OroRojo said:


> If you want to include the word "helg", you could just add it to the greeting, for instance "god helg og god 17. mai-feiring" or "god helg og ha ei fin feiring på søndag".


It may be a little more wordy using either of your two suggestions inan* SMS*, but I'm going to take the advice of you and Huffameg and do my best to avoid using *"ha en god 17. mai-helg"* this weekend.


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## henbjo

My opinion is that it definitely could be used if May 17 would fall on a friday or a monday, hence extending the weekend with one day. That would give it a clearer connection with the weekend by altering it.

Also, I can't but agree with you that "17. mai-helgen" / "17. mai-helga" sounds perfectly fine, and I have actually used it many times, though in a slightly different setting than you are.

For instance, if I'm talking to someone about something that's going to happen that weekend, let's say I'm going to my cabin (is that the idiomatic term?) down in Hvaler (small archipellago just south of Fredrikstad), I would say "Jeg skal en tur på hytta 17. mai-helga.", and the Aftenposten-example you gave is another good one.

So I think that "17. mai-helga" is a perfectly fine term.


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## Huffameg

henbjo said:


> My opinion is that it definitely could be used if May 17 would fall on a friday or a monday, hence extending the weekend with one day. That would give it a clearer connection with the weekend by altering it.
> 
> Also, I can't but agree with you that "17. mai-helgen" / "17. mai-helga" sounds perfectly fine, and I have actually used it many times, though in a slightly different setting than you are.
> 
> For instance, if I'm talking to someone about something that's going to happen that weekend, let's say I'm going to my cabin (is that the idiomatic term?) down in Hvaler (small archipellago just south of Fredrikstad), I would say "Jeg skal en tur på hytta 17. mai-helga.", and the Aftenposten-example you gave is another good one.
> 
> So I think that "17. mai-helga" is a perfectly fine term.



It's possible me have a small misunderstanding.. 
I don't think anyone has said that it couldn't be used. As pointed out earlier: it makes perfect sense. However, it is not used as an expression (as for instance julehelga, nyttårshelga etc.). I still think it sounds strange to use the name of one day to signify the entire week end, especially the 17th of May because it is not like anyone is going to profite from the extra long week end to go away or anything..


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## Grefsen

*Gratulerer med dagen og tusen takk for hjelpen** alle sammen!! *
*
Ha en fortsatte god helg og en kjempefin 
17. mai-feiring!!  

HEIA NORGE!!*


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## OroRojo

Grefsen said:


> *Gratulerer med dagen og tusen takk for hjelpen** alle sammen!! *
> *
> Ha en fortsatte god helg og en kjempefin
> 17. mai-feiring!!
> 
> HEIA NORGE!!*



Tusen takk! We actually won the Eurovision Song Contest tonight (the most popular non-sporting event in Europe), so there's gonna be a hell of a celebration!


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## Wilma_Sweden

OroRojo said:


> Tusen takk! We actually won the Eurovision Song Contest tonight (the most popular non-sporting event in Europe), so there's gonna be a hell of a celebration!


I know - you wiped the floor with the competition, I guess most of Norway will be swimming in champagne...! (Good day to win the ESC, huh? 

Congratulations, Norway!! 

/Wilma


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## Grefsen

OroRojo said:


> Tusen takk! We actually won the Eurovision Song Contest tonight (the most popular non-sporting event in Europe), so there's gonna be a hell of a celebration!


*Ja, skrevet jeg "Heia Norge!!" fordi av **Melodi Grand Prix.  

**Det var **første gangen j**eg sett på MGP "live" på nett og Norge har vunnet!* **
*

*


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## Huffameg

Grefsen said:


> *Ja, skrevet jeg skrev "Heia Norge!!" fordi av på grunn av **Melodi Grand Prix.
> 
> **Det var **første gangen j**eg har sett på MGP "live" på nett og Norge har vunnet!* **



Gratulerer med dagen, Grefsen!


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