Question: What do 30,000 people, horned helmets, loin cloths and lye-soaked codfish all have in common?

If you’re in Poulsbo today, the answer is as clear as the lutkesans on your face.

While the official celebration of Syttende Mai (or Norwegian Constitution Day) was Tuesday, residents and visitors to Little Norway are now working their way through the 37th Viking Fest. Many are also working their way through everything from deilig Lions’ pancakes to tradisjonell delicacies at the Sons of Norway Luncheon.

If the vær holds and the solskinn decides to make a grand appearance, the 37th annual parade should be enjoyable for all. But even the regn won’t be able to wash away the fun this year.

Although funding for the fyrverkeri fizzled and the display didn’t take place last night, tomorrow’s kajakk races on Liberty Bay will certainly bring plenty of oohs and ahhs. And the illeluktende lutefisk eating contest at Kvelstad Pavilion is always an atspredelse time for crowds, although it can be a bit of a forvikling for contestants.

If you haven’t seen these fryktløs souls in action, check ‘em out. It’s not something you’ll soon glemme.

So, welcome venner, one and all, enjoy Little Norway and have a fortreffelig time. Go ahead and be a Viking for a day. Just don’t eat too much skorsteinkake.

For the non-Norwegian: lutkesans — nose; deilig — delicious; tradisjonell — traditional; vær — weather; solskinn — sunshine; regn — rain; fyrverkeri — fireworks; kajakk — kayak; illeluktende — smelly; atspredelse — fun; forvikling — mess; fryktløs — brave; glemme — forget; venner — friends; fortreffelig — great; skorsteinkake (Just kidding, that one’s not even a word. But if it was, it would translate as funnel cake).