To non-Americans - do you have a national holiday?

13

Replies

  • CharleePear
    CharleePear Posts: 1,948 Member
    In New Zealand its Waitangi Day on the 6th February.

    There is a list of them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day#N

    Yeah we have Waitangi Day, that's really quite a politically loaded day, and I am not sure many people in NZ knows why we 'celebrate' it.
  • therealblackdahlia
    therealblackdahlia Posts: 3,110 Member
    We just had Canada Day, July 1st.
  • Gawanne
    Gawanne Posts: 105 Member
    Just wanted to say Neandermagnon how much I love your posts and hope you continue them. I'm the elderly displaced Brit who set the St George and the dragon discussion off. I believe they still fly the English flag from church towers though, if nothing else.
  • Nige_Gsy
    Nige_Gsy Posts: 163 Member
    England has St Georges day 23rd April as its national day but it is not a public holiday boo Many people do celebrate it though. We do have 8 public holidays a year though when a lot of workers are off work and these include May day (yes I day to celebrate May!) Spring bank hol (no idea why) Last Monday in Aug (again no idea why) Good FRiday and EAster Monday plus boxing day at Christmas as well as Christmas day and new years day so we get plenty

    Spring Bank Holiday is what used to be the religious celebration related to Whitsun/ Whit Sunday :)
  • Sbrn_
    Sbrn_ Posts: 351 Member
    Here in Ireland we have St. Patrick's day - but you probably already knew that, lol. We also have Easter Sunday as well to an extent (in commemoration of the rising). Things get SUPER patriotic on both those days. Of course there's the obligatory bountiful amounts of alcohol on St. Patrick's. Easter is a lot more solemn.

    I would say St.Patricks Day, because its a national holiday, and it does celebrate being Irish rather than anything religious.

    I must say I've never noticed any increase in patriotism around Easter. The only time I've ever noticed anything for the Easter Rising is on a big anniversary - probably because we actually lost, so not much to celebrate!

    I live in Belfast, if that's at all relevant. I know there's parades down south, but I'm not sure how the average person responds. But it's taken veeeery seriously in some parts here, if you know what I mean... haha :glasses:
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    England doesn't need a day, they're the reason so many other countries have one.

    :laugh:
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Just wanted to say Neandermagnon how much I love your posts and hope you continue them. I'm the elderly displaced Brit who set the St George and the dragon discussion off. I believe they still fly the English flag from church towers though, if nothing else.

    Thanks :smile: I'm glad you like my posts :flowerforyou:
  • 303enfield
    303enfield Posts: 239 Member
    nope we don't do the 4th of july here in Ireland but only 8 days to the 12th of July and that will be mad fun :bigsmile:
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    One day we will reclaim the rebellious colonies.
  • Saxonvoter
    Saxonvoter Posts: 34 Member
    In Finland, our Independence Day is December 6th. Not a lot of barbequeing going on because it's usually pretty cold, but it is a national holiday and many people eat a nice big dinner with family, I believe.

    I believe most Finns also watch a movie called "The Unknown Soldier" (an old black and white movie about the Continuation War against Russia during WW2) and those who drink, get drunk. Like on every holiday here. :"D
  • robert65ferguson
    robert65ferguson Posts: 390 Member
    we know what you mean so we do.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    One day we will reclaim the rebellious colonies.

    Only if you're wiling to extend better healthcare and a living wage. Then you can have us back.

    Edit: I forgot the most important condition. You have to make us part of the EU so I can come live in Ireland, Norway, or Iceland! Do it now!
  • radioactiveskullgirl
    radioactiveskullgirl Posts: 11
    Back here In Jordan ( Yes am a creature who lives in the middle east :P ) we have our Day at 25th of May :D
    happy 4th of July folks ! ????
  • savannahribeiro
    savannahribeiro Posts: 194 Member
    Canada Day, here! July 1st! Fireworks, beer, partying, and more beer.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    One day we will reclaim the rebellious colonies.
    I suspect that if you put it to a vote, America would approve it and England would reject us.
  • bkthandler
    bkthandler Posts: 247 Member
    Was discussing with my daughter about tomorrow being the Fourth of July, Independence Day here in the USA, and we figured that our British friends wouldn't be having the holiday with fireworks like we do. So, we wondered, what is the national holiday in other countries?

    A British friend calls July 4 Thanksgiving Day.
  • db34fit69
    db34fit69 Posts: 189 Member
    One day we will reclaim the rebellious colonies.

    Only if you're wiling to extend better healthcare and a living wage. Then you can have us back.

    Edit: I forgot the most important condition. You have to make us part of the EU so I can come live in Ireland, Norway, or Iceland! Do it now!

    Well, just hope they also make Norway and Iceland part of the EU...
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    One day we will reclaim the rebellious colonies.

    Only if you're wiling to extend better healthcare and a living wage. Then you can have us back.

    Edit: I forgot the most important condition. You have to make us part of the EU so I can come live in Ireland, Norway, or Iceland! Do it now!

    Well, just hope they also make Norway and Iceland part of the EU...

    Haha. I win the ignorant American prize for the day. Damn, I thought they were!
  • splashtree2
    splashtree2 Posts: 277
    june 2th Republi was born in Italy.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    Waitangi Day is February 6th in NZ.

    A bit of a controversial day, as it was the day the English signed a treaty with the indigenous people, only to start breaking it a few decades later.
  • myfuture_22
    myfuture_22 Posts: 7
    we have australia day in australia. also wa day, which is celebrating this specific part of australia. lol.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    A bit of a controversial day, as it was the day the English signed a treaty with the indigenous people, only to start breaking it a few decades later.

    Those sneaky English *kitten*.

    Definately sounds like something they would do...
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    yeah those nasty English *kitten* invaded Australia 26th Januray, 1788. and the day celebrate it's colonisation ignoring the natives

    Anzac Day April 25th (which is the equivalent of memorial day) Celebrating the battle of Gallipoli the first military action by an Australian Army and our New Zealand counterparts
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
    England has St Georges day 23rd April as its national day but it is not a public holiday boo Many people do celebrate it though. We do have 8 public holidays a year though when a lot of workers are off work and these include May day (yes I day to celebrate May!) Spring bank hol (no idea why) Last Monday in Aug (again no idea why) Good FRiday and EAster Monday plus boxing day at Christmas as well as Christmas day and new years day so we get plenty

    Spring Bank Holiday replaces Whit Monday which was a 'religious' holiday (Monday after Pentecost Sunday). Hence the school half term around that time was always called 'Whit week'

    We don't really have a National Holiday - as someone said - we don't need them - we caused most of them!
  • BelliDancer
    BelliDancer Posts: 25 Member
    I think the closest one in South Africa would be Heritage Day, September 24. Wiki: "On this day, South Africans across the spectrum are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people."
  • EmmaEVille13
    EmmaEVille13 Posts: 69 Member
    As a German - we have something called "Tag der deutschen Einheit" which just means you have the day off from work but no one does anything as fancy as they do in the US for the 4th of July

    I now live in the UK and my favourite national holiday is the 5th of November / Bonfire Night - massive bonfires and fireworks while you celebrate Guy Fawks who tried to blow up Parliament. Can't get any better in my opinion ;)
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    We don't have any patriotic holidays here in England (which is fine by me lol) mostly just 8 public holidays, and 4 weeks holiday if you work full time, so 28 days statutory minimum time off.

    Actually we have you Americans to thank for Mayday, although the day does have pagan routes we have it as a public holiday because it was fought for as an international workers holiday as part of the 8 hour day and safe working conditions movement. To me it represents a win for class struggle and human rights.

    I am gutted that the US who instigated this movement are now being systematically stripped of work and holiday entitlements that your working class fought for in the late 19th century. xx A strategy our elite classes would desperately love to imitate.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    Pretty sure most countries have a day.

    A good lesson for your daughter, and you, would be to google and find the names of all the national holidays for all the countries.

    Ignorance is bliss and it shows by the question.

    I am with you on googling and educating oneself about the rest of the world.
  • paperalien
    paperalien Posts: 167 Member
    In New Zealand its Waitangi Day on the 6th February.

    There is a list of them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day#N

    I thought Labour day was our national birthday.
    Waitangi Day is the celebration of the cultures "merging" not the nations birthday..

    Even Anzac day is more of a national day than Waitangi day.

    Waitangi day is far too full of politics and hatred to be called a national holiday......

    Personally I classify each cities anniversary as more of a nations holiday than Waitangi day, would be best if they were all the same date though lol
  • dancing_shoes_
    dancing_shoes_ Posts: 2
    We have Waitangi Day here in New Zealand on the 6th of February which is usually a time for people to take a holiday and relax. We also have fireworks on 5th of November every year to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day =)

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