Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien
The problem with St George's Day isn't that it offends people, it barely offends anyone other a small minority of offence-takers, it's that few care. Although it's changing slightly the British nationality has been stronger than the English nationality. The day itself has little historical importance in our history, it's not remembering any (real) historical event. We don't have a tradition of celebrating it. Some people have tried to make it a bigger thing but the public don't bite.
You need a proper event and it's hard to make one up from nothing. The Americans have independence day, the French have Bastille Day. We don't have a day we celebrate winning/fighting for our independence from our colonial oppressors or the ancien regime.
I suppose we could mark a military victory but it's a bit lame to start doing so now after decades of not doing so. Waterloo or maybe Victory in Europe Day for example.
I think Guy Fawkes night is a good candidate but it might bring religion into it which is complicated. Still it has benefits: It's already a sorta celebration with fireworks, it's based on a real and important part of our history and it might force people to learn that history so we don't have IDIOTS swarming the Internet with those poxy V for Vendetta masks thinking the day is about commentating the death of a freedom fighter.
|
Damien I think you are right, St George is nothing to do with English history or being English. I have always thought it strange that we have a "patron saint" who was a Roman soldier, a Christian martyr apparently from Cappadocia although nobody really knows, but a legend brought back by the "crusaders" of that dark period in English history! Then there's the obscure myths on dragon slaying! Amusing fact is that St George is also the patron saint of Romania (and several other countries)
