As I wandered the streets of Bodø one day, I passed one family after another dressed in bunad. The dresses, elaborately embroidered with floral patterns, were lovely. In the north people from coastal areas wear blue, and those from inland farms and towns wear green.

Bonad, being expensive, are worn on special occasions, like these confirmations. Many Norwegians have festdrakt, a less elaborate but similar outfit, for less formal occasions.

These families were all downtown for a child’s confirmation. The youths, around 13 years old, each held a long stemmed rose.

On 17 May in Oslo I was happy to see many more styles of bunad. Here are a few.

Hand made bunad