NationStates Jolt Archive

Gordan Brown the channclor has said there should be a national day of celebration for the UK and all its dominons. Do you agree?

POLL TO COME

Gordan Brown the channclor has said there should be a national day of celebration for the UK and all its dominons. Do you agree?

POLL TO COME
Don't be silly. What would we want one of them for? Well, unless you just want an excuse to stimulate the economy and have an extra bank holiday... :p But that apart, it would be meaningless, an empty shell of an event devoid of any emotion or depth of feeling.

I think it should. Every country should. It makes you feel proud. I feel proud on St patricks day. (as im irish) But I also think Ireland needs to celebrate its independence day aswell

The second monday in march is commonwealth day. And has been for nearly half a century.

Further proof that Messrs. Brown and Blair are idiots, with no knowledge of the UK or its history.

I think it should. Every country should. It makes you feel proud. I feel proud on St patricks day. (as im irish) But I also think Ireland needs to celebrate its independence day aswell
We're going to have to disagree on the importance of national pride. It isn't important. Not one bit. No good can come national pride.. Well maybe some but generally it's just bad..

Elgesh']Don't be silly. What would we want one of them for? Well, unless you just want an excuse to stimulate the economy and have an extra bank holiday... :p But that apart, it would be meaningless, an empty shell of an event devoid of any emotion or depth of feeling.

Are you not proud to be british? gee..sodder

I think it should. Every country should. It makes you feel proud. I feel proud on St patricks day. (as im irish) But I also think Ireland needs to celebrate its independence day aswell

We'll have a nice millitary parade down O'Connell street this year, which will remind us how weak we are and how powerful the goverment is. Sounds like fun.

The second monday in march is commonwealth day. And has been for nearly half a century.

Further proof that Messrs. Brown and Blair are idiots, with no knowledge of the UK or its history.

thats not a UK holiday. its for the whole commonwelth. and who cares about the commonwelth. The Uk needs a holiday it doesent share with 50 other nations.

Are you not proud to be british? gee..sodder

I'm proud to be british - and coming from a Scot, I'm sure you realise what a big deal that is to say up here! I just think making up some fake holiday celebration to recognise this isn't needed, and would be... well, puerile.

Uk needs a holiday. I want one to celebrate! In the summer would be best.

Elgesh']I'm proud to be british - and coming from a Scot, I'm sure you realise what a big deal that is to say up here! I just think making up some fake holiday celebration to recognise this isn't needed, and would be... well, puerile.

Culloden day sounds good....:p

Culloden day sounds good....:p

lol! Yes, thank you for that suggestion... :p

am I missing something here an independence day from what exactly? the last time we left (more along the lines of kicked out) any foreign empire was Rome.

but maybe we could have Xmas every six months that would shut me up ever that or start celebrating St Georges day

Elgesh']lol! Yes, thank you for that suggestion... :p

Quite alright.:p

Personally, in the society Labour hav engendered, the concept is somewhat contradictory, since we would need politically music, lyrics, names, foods and events... whereas a true celebration of Britishness would be something along the lines of glorious revolution day ( could irritate Ulster though), Crecy or Agincourt day (good bye anglo-French relations) or Battle of Britian day (just don't metion the war..:) )

There was some talk of a "Europe day" a while back but nothing seems to have come of it. To me it seems that Brown is trying to be popular, like Attlee's festival of Britain, to make him seem more of a statesmen rather then the overgrown council official he appears to be.

Yes we should. And it should be 11/11. Not for celebration per se but for commemoration.

start celebrating St Georges day
Yes! For fuck's sake, we have four (well...3) national days for the UK already - St. David's, St. George's and St. Andrew's (and St. Patrick's...). Just let us English (as we're probably the ones who want it most) celebrate St. George's Day, as is our right as English people.

Doesn't the Crown have a specific day it celebrates? As well as the Parliament? The Crown is the nation's symbol, and Parliament is its expression of power, so aren't these good enough?

either we should celebrate (get day off-bank holiday) st.georges day or one of our great victories (quite alot) i'd pick probably trafalger

either we should celebrate (get day off-bank holiday) st.georges day or one of our great victories (quite alot) i'd pick probably trafalger
Does Elisabeth I have a day btw? She did much of the groundwork that allowed the Empire to actually exist.

either we should celebrate (get day off-bank holiday) st.georges day or one of our great victories (quite alot) i'd pick probably trafalger
The problem with St George's Day is that he's the English patron saint, so if you have a bank holiday for him, you'd have to have a bank holiday for messrs Patrick, Andrew, and David. And that's more emphasising differences between the countries of Britain, than uniting them behind common Britishness.

You could celebrate one of the Queen's birthdays (yes, she has two, lucky woman) more, or something of that manner.

Isn't November 5th sort of a celebration of Parliament, the failure of overseas plotters to blow it up.

Why not make a bigger thing of the Queen's Official Birthday? I suppose that wouldn't be "inclusive" or "diverse" enough for New Labour though.

overseas plotter - thought guy fawkes and the crew were english and catholic/protestant and were pissed of as the king was the opposite ?

Doesn't the Crown have a specific day it celebrates? As well as the Parliament? The Crown is the nation's symbol, and Parliament is its expression of power, so aren't these good enough?
No...the Queen's birthday (her official one, at least) is celebrated, but it isn't a national holiday. The state opening of Parliament is also a big occasion, but again, there's no national holiday.

I don't really care but an extra holiday is an extra holiday. No matter how stupidly nationalistic it is. Why don't we celebrate the drawing up of the Magna Carta? One of the few events in our history that doesn't make us look like dickheads.

overseas plotter - thought guy fawkes and the crew were english and catholic/protestant and were pissed of as the king was the opposite ?
They were Catholic and James I/VI was Protestant. Also, it was half foreign, half English. Fawkes himself was Spanish.

the day battle of britain finished (if it did? on a certain date) or the official day anyway - twas a recentish battle defending our country against invaders and i'm sure any nationalities took part yanks / polish - that has got to be inclusive enough for new labour pc bullshit

No...the Queen's birthday (her official one, at least) is celebrated, but it isn't a national holiday. The state opening of Parliament is also a big occasion, but again, there's no national holiday.
It wouldn't be worth making a Monarch's birthday a holiday, unless one would accept that it would change from Monarch to Monarch. Alfred the Great essentially created Britain, and Elisabeth set the foundations of the Empire. Perhaps they should be celebrated? Perhaps the creation of Parliament should also be celebrated.

Magna Carta is a great idea by the way :)

the day battle of britain finished (if it did? on a certain date) or the official day anyway - twas a recentish battle defending our country against invaders and i'm sure any nationalities took part yanks / polish - that has got to be inclusive enough for new labour pc bullshit

i agree, september the fifteenth should be commemorated as it is the most important/glorious date in recent british history.

A few possible days we could celebrate:
Queen's (or monarch's, for the future) official birthday (although it would have to be tied down to a specific date - it's currently the second Saturday in June)
Victoria Day - copying Canada. May 24th, Queen Victoria's birthday.
Battle of Hastings - 14th October.
Magna Carta (official seal by King John) - 15th June.
Trafalgar - 21st October
Agincourt - 25th October (we seemed to like fighting in October...)
Waterloo - 18th June

That's about it. There's probably other dates that you could justify, but that's all I can think of.

A few possible days we could celebrate:
Queen's (or monarch's, for the future) official birthday (although it would have to be tied down to a specific date - it's currently the second Saturday in June)
Victoria Day - copying Canada. May 24th, Queen Victoria's birthday.
Battle of Hastings - 14th October.
Magna Carta (official seal by King John) - 15th June.
Trafalgar - 21st October
Agincourt - 25th October (we seemed to like fighting in October...)
Waterloo - 18th June

That's about it. There's probably other dates that you could justify, but that's all I can think of.
Try Elisabeth I or Alfred the Great :p

Sweden has one... No one celebrates, but still, we've got it.

Sweden has one... No one celebrates, but still, we've got it.
To be honest I find such holidays corny and a waste of time...for some reason though a lot of people get excited by them.

To be honest I find such holidays corny and a waste of time...for some reason though a lot of people get excited by them.
mm i'd rather have a bank holiday and just take the day off to relax than to "rally round and celebrate"

like the queen's jubilee a few years back: sat round and had some cake. woot. didn't really care. excuse to get pissed tho :P

mm i'd rather have a bank holiday and just take the day off to relax than to "rally round and celebrate"

like the queen's jubilee a few years back: sat round and had some cake. woot. didn't really care. excuse to get pissed tho :P
Yep, they are good for that :p Some people will celebrate, of course, so let them do just that. Let us take the time to do more errm...constructive things...like sleep :p

Heh, it's funny to see all the right wingers attack Brown for something they constantly support - how many times do you hear them lecturing people on how superiour Britain is to the rest of Europe, although below the all-perfect and inherantly superiour US, and how "fooooooooking lefties" have sapped national pride from the country?

Personally I think we should take back national pride away from the far right. Obviously we shouldn't do it do it in a meat headed flag worshipping way like the US, but still...Britain does have a lot to be proud of, and since the British committed themselves so fully to WW2, remeberance day is an appropriate day for a national holiday.

To be honest I find such holidays corny and a waste of time...for some reason though a lot of people get excited by them.
It still feels kinda odd... Norways 17th of May (their liberation from the union with Sweden) is a huge celebration over there, but we celebrate 6th of June (king Gustav Vasa was crowned) in no way at all. I think the king holds a speech, but that's pretty much it.

It still feels kinda odd... Norways 17th of May (their liberation from the union with Sweden) is a huge celebration over there
:eek: thats my birthday! :fluffle:

ergo Norweigans are obviously celebrating the day of my glorious brith too ;)

Try Elisabeth I or Alfred the Great :p
Well, if you can come up with an exact date for Alfred the Great...
Elizabeth would be easier, I guess. Accession, death, birthday. Maybe even the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

It still feels kinda odd... Norways 17th of May (their liberation from the union with Sweden) is a huge celebration over there, but we celebrate 6th of June (king Gustav Vasa was crowned) in no way at all. I think the king holds a speech, but that's pretty much it.
Well he hasn't got much of a role to play, besides acting as the nation's symbol, has he? Not that I am against constitutional monarchies, quite the opposite...I just don't see why he would be celebrated though.

I am not quite sure why the Crown is still so celebrated in Britain. Maybe because of its influence on Britain's history?

Well, if you can come up with an exact date for Alfred the Great...
Elizabeth would be easier, I guess. Accession, death, birthday. Maybe even the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Damn...I read about him a long long time ago...I think he liberated Britain sometime in 836 AD, but I am completely unsure of this. He united it apparently in a fashion similar to how Bismarck created Germany.

britain should have a "yay empire" day where we go on and on about how great the empire was and will be when we get it back

Well he hasn't got much of a role to play, besides acting as the nation's symbol, has he? Not that I am against constitutional monarchies, quite the opposite...I just don't see why he would be celebrated though.

I am not quite sure why the Crown is still so celebrated in Britain. Maybe because of its influence on Britain's history?

cos the monarchy is great duh!

cos the monarchy is great duh!
Absolutely...though other countries don't seem too enthusiastic about their Monarchs, nowhere near as much as the British anyway. I mean, they desire that they remain there as a symbol of the nation, but don't care much about their Crown either way. Britain still seems somewhat fascinated by it though. I love the fact that you still have titles in Britain ^^ Makes it so...quaint :p

Damn...I read about him a long long time ago...I think he liberated Britain sometime in 836 AD, but I am completely unsure of this. He united it apparently in a fashion similar to how Bismarck created Germany.
"England" was previously a bunch of separate kingdoms, generally at conflict with each other. But the Vikings conquered all of them bar Wessex and parts of Mercia. Alfred was King of Wessex, married into the Mercian succession, defeated Guthrun the Dane and confirmed Wessex' independence and drove Guthrun back. Alfred was left with a kingdom where the border ran from roughly Liverpool to London (the old Watling St) and the Danes had everything north of that. Alfred's sons, Edward the Elder and Athelstan, drove the Danes out practically entirely. Between them they effectively created England.

But for a British national day a commemoration of Alfed (or Elizabeth I, come to that) would not be suitable. There were separate Scottish, Welsh and Irish kingdoms at the time (with such Tolkienesque names as Dalriada, Deheubarth, Connacht and so on), ruled by Danes, Picts, Welsh &c.

First of all, from the perspective of an American who lived in Cambridge for two years, you HAVE a holiday like that - Guy Fawkes Day.

OK, so you don't get school off that day. AND it is in November.

How about August 7 - when the British defeated the Spanish Armada?

Though if you do that, anniversary of the Battle of Britain is about as good.

In the meantime, look around for any Americans living in the area, and join them on the Fourth of July.

Actually, how about celebrating "Thank G-d we got rid of them" Day on the Fourth of July?

cos the monarchy is great duh!
:rolleyes:

"England" was previously a bunch of separate kingdoms, generally at conflict with each other. But the Vikings conquered all of them bar Wessex and parts of Mercia. Alfred was King of Wessex, married into the Mercian succession, defeated Guthrun the Dane and confirmed Wessex' independence and drove Guthrun back. Alfred was left with a kingdom where the border ran from roughly Liverpool to London (the old Watling St) and the Danes had everything north of that. Alfred's sons, Edward the Elder and Athelstan, drove the Danes out practically entirely. Between them they effectively created England.

But for a British national day a commemoration of Alfed (or Elizabeth I, come to that) would not be suitable. There were separate Scottish, Welsh and Irish kingdoms at the time (with such Tolkienesque names as Dalriada, Deheubarth, Connacht and so on), ruled by Danes, Picts, Welsh &c.
Why not simply create a "Britain Day" then?

Why not simply create a "Britain Day" then?
Because the Scottish and Welsh would be pissed off with that. A large number of them don't want to be associated with England, or with being only a small part of a great empire.

First of all, from the perspective of an American who lived in Cambridge for two years, you HAVE a holiday like that - Guy Fawkes Day.

OK, so you don't get school off that day. AND it is in November.

How about August 7 - when the British defeated the Spanish Armada?

Though if you do that, anniversary of the Battle of Britain is about as good.

In the meantime, look around for any Americans living in the area, and join them on the Fourth of July.

Actually, how about celebrating "Thank G-d we got rid of them" Day on the Fourth of July?

im not joining 4th july celebrations and pure metal dont you :rolleyes: me

Well he hasn't got much of a role to play, besides acting as the nation's symbol, has he? Not that I am against constitutional monarchies, quite the opposite...I just don't see why he would be celebrated though.
Actually, Vasa was crowned in the 16th century, he's seen as the founder of modern Sweden (kinda early for 'modern', but fine) and the liberator of Sweden because he got rid of a dane who was the previous king (meaning that Sweden was pretty much a Danish colony, I guess). He also turned Sweden protestant.

But he doesn't have anything at all to do with the current royal family (which is, uh, french originally).

I'd rather see a holiday in remembrance of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (who was from my town! Woo!), who started the rebellion which got the very first Riksdag in Sweden going.

Because the Scottish and Welsh would be pissed off with that. A large number of them don't want to be associated with England, or with being only a small part of a great empire.
:rolleyes: Some people can never be satisfied...the day would celebrate Britain as it is now...there is no Empire now, so why be pissed?

Actually, Vasa was crowned in the 16th century, he's seen as the founder of modern Sweden (kinda early for 'modern', but fine) and the liberator of Sweden because he got rid of a dane who was the previous king (meaning that Sweden was pretty much a Danish colony, I guess). He also turned Sweden protestant.

But he doesn't have anything at all to do with the current royal family (which is, uh, french originally).
People now don't realise what he did I guess...and in a constitutional monarchy, more absolute Monarchs are even less a symbol of power. Sort of sad. They say when you don't have to fight for your freedom, you forget its significance.

why do we have to celebrate "Britain" anyway? why can't it just be 'freedom' day (well, freedom is subjective) or some other facet of our western country which makes it better than 3rd world nations?
like 'plentiful food day' or 'loadsamoney day'... 'democracy day' (again, subjective... if we had a republic that would be different though....*cough*)

As long as we can keep it from the hands of the likes of the BNP. It's changed in the last few years, but it used to be that flying the Union Flag/St George's cross in any manner, outside of actually attending an international sports match (and even then maybe) or in the hands of a kid at an event the Queen was attending, was sign of being a xenophoic nationalist of some kind.

If you can't be resolutely British without thinking of the bigger picture, you don't deserve to mark the day as special but, as long as you can, I can see no problem celebrating the fact. It's all a matter of degrees.

Barnsley Born and Bred.
Yorkshireman Through and Through.
English and Proud Of It.
British and Cannot Think Of A Good Tagline, But You Get The Idea.

It then gets a bit fuzzy around the area of whether I consider myself European (yes, but mostly in tectonic-plate thing, not good enough at languages to be consider myself 'mainland European' or even particularly keen to give up the pound) or more allied to Anglophones across the relevant oceans, but if anything in a poxy flying saucer tried to land on my planet and take it over/blow it up/eat ou brains, I'd hope I could do my bit to repel boarders andeven take the battle to their homeworld...

(If the local aliens aren't feeling invasive, however, let me just say "A big Up to the Milky Way Massive" and I'd support our galactic local group in a cricket-match against any team visiting from further afield...)

We're going to have to disagree on the importance of national pride. It isn't important. Not one bit. No good can come national pride.. Well maybe some but generally it's just bad..

LAAAAAME...move to the mountains.....

Well, if you can come up with an exact date for Alfred the Great...
Elizabeth would be easier, I guess. Accession, death, birthday. Maybe even the defeat of the Spanish Armada.Shakespeare was born and died on the same day (diferent years, of course... ;)) so using April 23rd can be a celebration for those who both love and hate his works... ;)

Gordan Brown the channclor has said there should be a national day of celebration for the UK and all its dominons. Do you agree?

POLL TO COME
I disagree. National pride is lame IMHO. You can't choose the country you're born in, so why be proud of it? Be proud of yourself!

I disagree. National pride is lame IMHO. You can't choose the country you're born in, so why be proud of it? Be proud of yourself!
The country you are born in plays a very important part. It is the environment you live in.

How about March 26th? The day the Act of Union came into force in 1707. Seems to be a good one to celebrate 'Britishness'.

The country you are born in plays a very important part. It is the environment you live in.
Not only the country, but also the neighbourhood, the city, the region, and even the continent or the world. These are all part of my environment. So why be proud of the country specifically??

First of all, from the perspective of an American who lived in Cambridge for two years, you HAVE a holiday like that - Guy Fawkes Day.

OK, so you don't get school off that day. AND it is in November.
OTOH, you might get the day off (and maybe more) if the school was burnt down the on Mischievous night (November 4th, a traditional 'high jinks' event... ;)

Not only the country, but also the neighbourhood, the city, the region, and even the continent or the world. These are all part of my environment. So why be proud of the country specifically??
Because those are part of the country, are they not? They would not exist were the country not a unified entity. Borders have a remarkable effect in that within them completely distinct societies form. So its not that simple.

Ja! I think they should. Every one should. It makes you feel proud

Because those are part of the country, are they not? They would not exist were the country not a unified entity.
Why wouldn't they exist? I think they would.

Borders have a remarkable effect in that within them completely distinct societies form. So its not that simple.
Two words: Belgium and Switzerland ;) . Borders don't necessarily create a distinct society, AND a distinct society can exist without being protected by a border. It's not that simple ;)

Why wouldn't they exist? I think they would.


Two words: Belgium and Switzerland ;) . Borders don't necessarily create a distinct society, AND a distinct society can exist without being protected by a border. It's not that simple ;)
Switzerland is a confederation, so it has internal borders of a sort, and Belgian provinces are very distinct. They are almost a form of smaller countries. Thus they have a form of internal borders. Many Flemish want the Flanders to secede to create their own nation.

yay nationalism, ie patriotism
the best way forward

Switzerland is a confederation, so it has internal borders of a sort, and Belgian provinces are very distinct. They are almost a form of smaller countries. Thus they have a form of internal borders. Many Flemish want the Flanders to secede to create their own nation.
Belgium and Switzerland don't have internal borders, not more than Germany or the USA. Those "small countries" are often more cultural than political, and yet I don't understand why should I have any kind of pride for my country (either politically or culturally...).

I like my country and I like many other countries as well, but I don't believe that Portugal is special or whatsoever.

I should add that Portugal has its own national holiday and it didn't make me like Portugal more.

Actually, how about celebrating "Thank G-d we got rid of them" Day on the Fourth of July?

hmmm good plan hehe

britain should have a "yay empire" day where we go on and on about how great the empire was and will be when we get it back

lol you got plans?

I think we already have days, i say make one a bank holiday and it'll work, i say commonwealth day, coz its nice and multicultural for blair and co and we seem to have forgotten them with all the yey Europe-ness going on atm.

Belgium and Switzerland don't have internal borders, not more than Germany or the USA. Those "small countries" are often more cultural than political, and yet I don't understand why should I have any kind of pride for my country (either politically or culturally...).
Switzerland is a confederation, I think the only one in the world. A confederation is a looser form of federation, where the central government has less power and the federal ones more. So yes, it does have internal borders of a form. Belgium is also divided culturarly, and as I said many would like to see a Flemish secession.

As for why one could have pride in a country, like Portugal, is because it alone is Portugal...its culture is distinct and unique. That is what makes it special.

It still feels kinda odd... Norways 17th of May (their liberation from the union with Sweden) is a huge celebration over there, but we celebrate 6th of June (king Gustav Vasa was crowned) in no way at all. I think the king holds a speech, but that's pretty much it.

No, we're celebrating getting a constitution on the 17th of May. This happened a short time after the union with the Danes ended in 1814. The day of the dissolution of the union with Sweden is pretty much just an ordinary day. Even last year, when it was the hundred-year anniversary.

:eek: thats my birthday! :fluffle:

ergo Norweigans are obviously celebrating the day of my glorious brith too ;)

Pfff... My birthday, 9th of May, is called "Victory Day" in Russia. They celebrate it with a big military parade and a speech from the president.

Switzerland is a confederation, I think the only one in the world. A confederation is a looser form of federation, where the central government has less power and the federal ones more. So yes, it does have internal borders of a form. Belgium is also divided culturarly, and as I said many would like to see a Flemish secession.
You should know that the Swiss canton borders don't even match the German/French/Italian cultural divide.
As for why one could have pride in a country, like Portugal, is because it alone is Portugal...its culture is distinct and unique. That is what makes it special.
Well, that's your opinion. I think that each place is unique, whether it is a country or not. And I don't see why should I feel proud for its uniqueness.

Pfff... My birthday, 9th of May, is called "Victory Day" in Russia. They celebrate it with a big military parade and a speech from the president.
At least you get a celebration :p

Which victory of all do they celebrate by the way?

How about March 26th? The day the Act of Union came into force in 1707. Seems to be a good one to celebrate 'Britishness'.
Ireland was a separate kingdom until 1801...and the Scots still regret the Act of Union, which came when the Scottish kingdom was bankrupt.

In truth we need a bank holiday circa October to break up the gap between August and Christmas. There was a suggestion of "Trafalgar Day" but Bliar nixed it because he did not want to offend our European enemies, er, allies.

You should know that the Swiss canton borders don't even match the German/French/Italian cultural divide.
Perhaps not, but the divide is still there nevertheless.

Well, that's your opinion. I think that each place is unique, whether it is a country or not. And I don't see why should I feel proud for its uniqueness.
I agree with you personally, yet I am trying to show you how one could be a nationalist. Its not very difficult.

hmmm good plan hehe



lol you got plans?

I think we already have days, i say make one a bank holiday and it'll work, i say commonwealth day, coz its nice and multicultural for blair and co and we seem to have forgotten them with all the yey Europe-ness going on atm.
They had Commonwealth day in the '50s, no-one was interested in it.

They had Commonwealth day in the '50s, no-one was interested in it.

oh right, fair enough. hmmm, i'll just shut up then.

Ireland was a separate kingdom until 1801
Yes, but Ireland isn't part of Great Britain.
...and the Scots still regret the Act of Union, which came when the Scottish kingdom was bankrupt.
True. But that was their fault for thinking they could start their own empire. Fools. :p

In truth we need a bank holiday circa October to break up the gap between August and Christmas. There was a suggestion of "Trafalgar Day" but Bliar nixed it because he did not want to offend our European enemies, er, allies.
We should have a referendum on it. Trafalgar, Hastings, Agincourt - plenty of battles we could celebrate in October.

Yes, but Ireland isn't part of Great Britain.
Northern Ireland?


We should have a referendum on it. Trafalgar, Hastings, Agincourt - plenty of battles we could celebrate in October.
They're more likely to vote for the day England won the football world cup.

Gordan Brown the channclor has said there should be a national day of celebration for the UK and all its dominons. Do you agree?

POLL TO COME


stupid idea, why should we celebrate being British if rising number of people dont want to be /feel British

it just annoys me because why do we want to emulate the americans??? i like remembrance day as it is, when we're just remembering the soldiers who died in the war.

we could August 1(The day that the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect ) as the National Day should please some folks

Northern Ireland?
It's part of the UK but not Great Britain.

They're more likely to vote for the day England won the football world cup.
Sadly you're right.

It's part of the UK but not Great Britain.


Sadly you're right.
Maybe they'll replace the Monarch with David Beckham even, and "elect" him as King...all is possible :p

it just annoys me because why do we want to emulate the americans??? i like remembrance day as it is, when we're just remembering the soldiers who died in the war.
We're not emulating the Americans really.

There's been a call for a day to celebrate Britishness, as a lot of countries have (usually under the title of an Independance day), by the Chancellor, but it's just this poster who's compared it to the 4th of July (though a lot of commentators are since that's a comparable holiday.). And even the Americans get something right occasionally.:p

Maybe they'll replace the Monarch with David Beckham even, and "elect" him as King...all is possible :p
Maybe I'll go on an armed rampage and kill as many people as possible on the streets of London. It's unlikely, but if what you say happens, it's far more likely.

Maybe I'll go on an armed rampage and kill as many people as possible on the streets of London. It's unlikely, but if what you say happens, it's far more likely.
I'll join you :p

I'll join you :p
Excellent...you will be doing it because you'll have lost all faith in humanity, not because you just feel like going along for the ride?

stupid idea, why should we celebrate being British if rising number of people dont want to be /feel BritishIf that's the case, then something needs to be done.


If increasing numbers of people feel that they are more European than British (which, I have to say straight out, is not my experience...) then joining the EU might be the solution.

If you're talking about regional feeling being "I'm Scottish" or "I'm Cornish" or "I'm a Yorkshireman" above "I'm British" (even "I'm English", but us English tend to make the same mistake the Americans do, and who knows who actually started that mistake, but I suspect it's us locals who just happen to 'have' Westminster in their territory...) then maybe increased devolution is the answer (strangely enough, feeling in Northern Ireland apepars to be anti-devolution, compared with the vocal Scottish voice on the issue, probably for the reasons historically passed down since they originally decided not to be partof the Republic, but that's getting too political for this post, I feel).


If you're talking about ethnic minorities (whether 1st or uncountable-generation immigrants to our fair land, after all, we are a nation of immigrants) who feel more loyalty to their culture/religion than Britain, then there's tricky questions to answer...

I feel that we British (with the odd hiccup) have been far better at accepting minorities than (as a quick comparison) say the US... Yes, the US attracted a whole lot of Old World groups of people, but quite a lot of these were ones dissatisfied with their positions in Old World and the end result was whole areas of Germanics, or Scandinavians, or whatever. Not forgetting the original Puritans (were they pushed, or did they more decide to go... I actually dont know, please don't hurt me!) and of course the ethnic minorities that came from the abolition of slavery and the hispanic migrations/integration-of-states...

TV and Film images (which I don't wish to rely upon, but are the most prolific source of information, this side of the Pond) suggest that ghetto-like suburbs are much more intense in the States than here. Yes, entire areas of (say) Bradford) are 'ethnic', and there have been 'troubles' arising from these things, but I (a WASP, give or take the Protestant bit given I'm not religious and might also that I have celtic roots, but calling myself a WC gives the wrong impression ;)) live in an area diverse and full of white people of many trans-european origins, asians of many of the hues we might want, african-origin peoples and other ethnicities... (Can't think of anyone round here who is oriental, outside of restaurants/fast-food outlets, so maybe that's a gaping hole in the diversity I mention.)


Given I was brought up in a very-much caucasian-dominated area, I still feel quite comfortable here. I might get a little worried when (a couple of years ago) there was a shooting death nearby, but I never found out (indeed, even felt the need to find out) what colour the skins were of the 'participants', nor their ideological stances w.r.t. religion or society as a whole (save that at least one party was obviously criminally inclined to be possessing a gun at all, and the other sounded like he might have been so as to have needed shooting at).


But what that ultimately comes down to is that within my experience of British culture, random person (of fairly random ethnicity and origin) chosen from the area round here would almost certainly (unless 1st-gen)consdier themselves British. They might not think about it in daily life, and they might have a 'racial-memory' of bad-nationalism of some sort that the original 1st-gens might have encountered and passed attitudes to to their current descendants, but hardly a separatist issue.

And even the 7/7 bombers (and I've written that in UK date format... ;)) were from communities who were not separatist, nowhere near that of the Branch Davidian degree and not even Harlem-like, but had merely had the right (or wrong) buttons pressed by people who knew how to draw people into actiosn they would not otherwise consider undertaking (anyone else in the UK saw the "Heist" thing the other week, C4? And that was with just a few weeks of psyhological preparation "for fun").


I've waffled a bit, and I think you probably ought to ignore the ramblings for the most part, but one of Britain's 'Britishness' attributes is that we do like diversity. Not always unflinchingly, and there's notable examples of 'elements' disturbing that air of acceptance (from all sides involved) but if some people do not feel that they are British, then that is an issue to be resolved.

While I think that Brown's "Let's Have a Britain Day" thing is really more "look, I can think up something Big (TM), can't you wait for me to be Prime Minister", and I'm not entirely sure about having a day (outside it being a public holiday, which can't be bad ;)) I like being British and (with the minor caveat that "belonging" has as many layers as an onion, just different sizes encompassing different volumes of "us") think that (without forcing thngs on people) there should be a raised level of national identity made available to the people of this land who (by birth, choice, accident or circumstance) live here...

***the strains of Land Of Hope and Glory, which started off playing subliminally near the begininning of the last paragraph and then rose rose into full audibility during it now, at its end, creschendo into one enormous patriotic wall of sound that travels the land and stirs the hearts of all its peoples, commanding them to rise and say with one voice, but many accents, "Yes, Bakamongue is right!" and as Bakamongue steps down from his soapbox the applauding begins and the all the wrongs across the countries and principalities of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle Of Man, overseas territories (yes! even the Falklands!) fade away into nothingness and the spirit of harmony envelops the world and even those darned leftpondians wonder whether a couple of centuries of overdue tax on tea might be worth paying to be part once more (regardless of personal origin) to the Greatest Britain There Ever Was!!!***

(Ok, so forget that last bit... ;) Otheriwse, you get the idea... I must get my Last Night Of The Proms CD out and play it, I'm feeling so... so... BRITISH right now.... :fluffle:)

I originally thought you meant should we habve a 04/07 selebration to celebrate getting rid of a traitorous colony,

Why not have it on commonwealth day(Empire Day, It is what it is for is it not), besides we can't even celebrate St.Georges Day here in England without being called a Racist or Fascist,

If they can get St Georges Day running, Where I can wear a red rose without being spat on, or even better designate it as a public holiday then they can have a look at setting up a Great Britain and Domion Day.

(While they are there they can change Englands anthem to Jerusalem, for sporting events so we don't have to sing the UK National Anthem, it is just so fekking Dull and Dreary)

(While they are there they can change Englands anthem to Jerusalem, for sporting events so we don't have to sing the UK National Anthem, it is just so fekking Dull and Dreary)Or take Billy Connoloy's suggestion. The Theme to the Archers... I even have some words for it...

# Here we are, the British Isles,
# On the edge of Europe.
# Happy faces, happy smiles,
# A nice place to moor up.

# When you visit us...
# If you visit us...
# Treat it as your home.
# When your visa has expired
# You're welcome to stay on!


(Ok, so the last few lines might not be to everyone's taste, and there's a more xenophobic version I accidentally penned imploring them to go away again, but the above is the version [within the limit of my personal lyric-writing ability] that I most agree with..!)

Here in New Zealand we have Waitangi Day, which I can't be bothered explaning.
We also share ANZAC day with Australia. They're good. I feel proud on ANZAC day, hearing the stories of Gallipoli from WW1.

Gordan Brown the channclor has said there should be a national day of celebration for the UK and all its dominons. Do you agree?

POLL TO COME
Do we count?

If they can get St Georges Day running, Where I can wear a red rose without being spat on, or even better designate it as a public holiday then they can have a look at setting up a Great Britain and Domion Day.
Then you run into the problem of the other patron saints days, will they be public holidays too? Everywhere, or just in their native countries?


(While they are there they can change Englands anthem to Jerusalem, for sporting events so we don't have to sing the UK National Anthem, it is just so fekking Dull and Dreary)
Absolutely, plus it'll stop annoying the Celts:)

Then you run into the problem of the other patron saints days, will they be public holidays too? Everywhere, or just in their native countries?


Absolutely, plus it'll stop annoying the Celts:)

Normally it is just within the National countries, as official holidays, but you get to celebrate it as an ex-pat. How come I get told to wear Green on St Guiness day at work but am instructed not to wear objectionable symbols (cross of St George Pin) on any day and even St Georges day, this also goes for quite a few local pubs.

not only will it stop annoying the Sweaty Socks, It will give us Roast Beefs something to sing back at them when they hit us with Flower of Scotland, at the start of the Calcutta cup, or Land of my Fathers/Men of Harlech for the Taffs, and I can't remember what the micks sing :p

Also as previously asked by Harlesburg, shouldn't we ask the Colonials (couldn't resist sorry) if they want us to have a day, and shouldn't it be one of the few occaisions when her Maj. steps in, you know as Titular Head of State and Dominions, Head of Religion and Overall C-in-C
(Even if the RF is a Money Grubbing Tourist attraction anachronism. Power to People as Wolfie used to shout I might start doing that again, for a giggle and a laugh, the revolution starts here people, Long live the Darlington and Richmond Popular Front)

Normally it is just within the National countries, as official holidays, but you get to celebrate it as an ex-pat. How come I get told to wear Green on St Guiness day at work but am instructed not to wear objectionable symbols (cross of St George Pin) on any day and even St Georges day, this also goes for quite a few local pubs.
Whereabouts? Ireland?


not only will it stop annoying the Sweaty Socks, It will give us Roast Beefs something to sing back at them when they hit us with Flower of Scotland, at the start of the Calcutta cup, or Land of my Fathers/Men of Harlech for the Taffs, and I can't remember what the micks sing :p
Better still, you keep GSTQ, and give GB a new album, that way we won't have to sing that dirge England is inflicting on the other GB countries.

Yes we should. And it should be 11/11.


I agree, we should all celebrate my birthday :p

They were Catholic and James I/VI was Protestant. Also, it was half foreign, half English. Fawkes himself was Spanish.

Fawkes was English (from York I believe), He Spanishised* his name when serving in the Spanish army.


*I know it's not a word, but I'm gonna run with it.