Why is the Norwegian flag at half mast today?
Because someone has died. In Norway the flag is lowered to half mast for a death, a funeral or a day of mourning, and the decision is usually local: a municipality, a school, a church or a company flags for its own loss, so there is often no national reason at all. National mourning is announced by the government.
Updated 27 September 2026. Every rule and date below has a source and a check date at the end of the article.
Half mast and flag days: the rules in short
| Question | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How far down is half mast? | The top edge of the flag one third of the pole length below the top of the pole | Store norske leksikon, updated 1 September 2026 |
| How is it done? | Raise the flag all the way to the top first, then lower it to the half-mast position. Before taking it down for the day, raise it to the top again | Store norske leksikon, 1 September 2026 |
| On the day of a funeral | Half mast in the morning, back to full height when the ceremony is over | Store norske leksikon, 1 September 2026 |
| When does the flag go up? | 08:00 from March to October, 09:00 from November to February | Store norske leksikon, flag rules, updated 31 August 2026 |
| When does it come down? | At sunset, and at 21:00 at the latest. In Northern Norway, Svalbard and Jan Mayen it comes down at 15:00 in winter | Store norske leksikon, 31 August 2026 |
| How many official flag days? | 13 fixed dates plus Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday and the day of a parliamentary election | Store norske leksikon, 31 August 2026 |
Checked 27 September 2026.
The Norwegian flag days: the full calendar
| Date | What it marks |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year |
| 21 January | Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born 2004 |
| 6 February | Sámi National Day |
| 21 February | King Harald V, born 1937 |
| Easter Sunday | Movable |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 8 May | Liberation Day 1945 |
| 17 May | Constitution Day |
| Whit Sunday | Movable |
| 7 June | Dissolution of the union with Sweden, 1905 |
| 4 July | Queen Sonja, born 1937 |
| 20 July | Crown Prince Haakon, born 1973 |
| 29 July | Olsok, the day of Saint Olav |
| 19 August | Crown Princess Mette-Marit, born 1973 |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Election day | The day of a parliamentary election |
Source: Store norske leksikon, Norwegian flag rules, updated 31 August 2026. Checked 27 September 2026.
Why is the flag at half mast today, and how do I find out?
Half mast marks a death. Most of the time it is a local matter and it will not be in the national news: a municipality flags for a resident, a school for a pupil or a teacher, a company for an employee, a church on the day of a funeral. If you want the reason, look at the building the flag belongs to and then at the municipality website or the local paper. When the whole country flags at half mast it is because the government has said so, and that is always announced.
How to fly at half mast, step by step
- Raise the flag all the way to the top of the pole first.
- Lower it so the top edge of the flag is one third of the pole length below the top.
- On the day of a funeral, put it at half mast in the morning and raise it to full height once the ceremony has ended.
- Before you take the flag down for the day, raise it to the top again.
When the flag goes up and comes down
From March to October the flag goes up at 08:00, from November to February at 09:00. It comes down at sunset and by 21:00 at the latest. In Northern Norway, on Svalbard and on Jan Mayen the winter rule is different: down at 15:00, because the sun is not there to see it. A flag left out in the dark is a mistake, and a pennant is the exception — a vimpel may stay up around the clock.
Who has to flag, and who may
On official flag days state and municipal buildings fly the flag. Private people, housing associations and companies are free to flag on those days and on their own occasions — a birthday, a wedding, a confirmation — but nobody is obliged to. The rule that matters for everyone is the time: up and down at the hours above, and the flag never touching the ground.
6 February: the Sámi flag
Sámi National Day on 6 February is an official flag day, and the Sámi flag is flown next to the Norwegian one on public buildings. Where both are used, the Norwegian flag keeps the place of honour, which in practice means the pole on the left seen from the front of the building.
17 May and 1 May: the two days everyone notices
Constitution Day on 17 May is the day the country is covered in flags, from the children parade to the hand-held flags. 1 May is a flag day too, and what is open, what is closed and what happens in the streets is in our guide to 1 May in Norway.
Where to buy a flag, and where to buy flowers
Flags, pennants and table flags are sold in gift and souvenir shops: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Tromsø. For a funeral or a condolence, the flower shops in Oslo and Bergen are in the catalogue with addresses and opening hours.
You may also want to read
Flag days and half mast: frequently asked questions
Because of a death or a funeral. It is usually a local decision — a municipality, a school, a church or a company — so there may be nothing about it in the national news. Nationwide half mast is announced by the government.
The top edge of the flag should be one third of the pole length below the top of the pole. Raise the flag to the top first, then lower it (Store norske leksikon, updated 1 September 2026).
Thirteen fixed dates, plus Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday and the day of a parliamentary election.
08:00 from March to October and 09:00 from November to February. It comes down at sunset, at 21:00 at the latest — and at 15:00 in winter in Northern Norway, on Svalbard and on Jan Mayen.
No. The flag comes down by sunset. A pennant, a vimpel, is the exception and may stay on the pole day and night.
No. State and municipal buildings do; everyone else may flag if they want to, on flag days or for their own celebrations.
Yes. Sámi National Day is an official flag day, and the Sámi flag is flown beside the Norwegian one on public buildings.
Yes, and it is the biggest one: Constitution Day, with parades and hand-held flags all over the country.
Sources (checked 27 September 2026)
- Store norske leksikon, flagge på halv stang — the half-mast position and the procedure, updated 1 September 2026.
- Store norske leksikon, norske flaggregler — the list of flag days and the raising and lowering times, updated 31 August 2026.
- regjeringen.no — King Harald V, whose birthday on 21 February is a flag day.
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