How Do You Celebrate: Your Country's Birthday

Hello! This upcoming week is the 4th of July and for America that is the country's celebrated birthday party! This weekend will be for fireworks, grilling out, and generally trying not to think about having to work and enjoying a bit of freedom.

How are you all planning on celebrating your country's birthday? Is there a celebration? Is there something unique to your country not done elsewhere?

I know for my weekend I'm grilling out, maybe having a beer for the first time in a six months-ish, and overall trying not to think about mounting homework and work duties! Sleeping in might be in order if I can swing it.

My country (the UK) doesn't really have one.

We have a national day for each of the constituent nations, St George's Day (for England) is usually celebrated with a large amount of cheap beer and a fight in a pub carpark. Or, for the rest of us, a distinct lack of attention.

Enjoy 4th July!

We have Canada day coming up tomorrow. *OH CANADA INTENSIFIES*

We have fireworks, unhealthy amounts of Timmies and TimBits, paint the town red with Canadian Flags, and usually have lots of music! Uber excited to be celebrating it! :silly: :blink: :woohoo: :silly:

Happy Canada Day, eh? :dry:

EDIT: This is also a big one! Canada turns 150 Years Old tomorrow! Beyond that, it's my second favourite day of the year behind Rememberance Day (November 11th at 11:11 am.

I am an American: But I do not really celibate the fourth of july as any kind of.....Birthday In fact that's kind of a new way of looking at it for me haha

Where I grew up (Utah) The 24th was far more exciting as my hometown + five or so neighboring towns went nuts over re- enactment camps to rodeos and all day games at the park from egg toss, Dung Cake toss, cake walks, and greased pigs and poles afterwards we would drive up to the mountains and watch all the fireworks from all five towns in one sitting. The entire valley lights up!

Michigan is not as fun though I don't even think we have anything planned this year....A grill....maybe.....

The jury is still out on whether to call 26th of January "Australia Day" or "Invasion Day"


So mostly I spend it with the radio and TV off minding my own damn business.

Given the time of year it occurs, it usually involves standing on the edge of our country and throwing ourselves into predator infested liquid.

Occasionally at the same time as filling ourselves with poison.

It's a hoot.

I work retail so I'll be working all weekend but FOR ONCE I will be off the 4th of July. Like usual, we will be watching Independence Day like we do every year and have a nice little BBQ with the family. If my brother brings fireworks, we probably will end up lighting them. My neighborhood is really boring and only like 3 of us light anything, lol.

USUALLY, Canada Day (tomorrow, July 1) is a time for BBQs and fireworks...

BUT

I have the misfortune of having a lot of SJW friends, and because of them, this Canada Day is depressing.

It would seem that, as a movement, they have latched onto "colonial guilt" like a pitbull, and so, instead of celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary, they are vocally boycotting it. This year isn't about celebrating 150 years of Canadian history, but about making an outcry about 150 years of colonization and repression of First Nation cultures.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that we have a major infestation of skeletons in our historical closet (look up Canadian "residential schools" if you want to be completely horrified), and we continue to fail many First Nation reservations as far as basic needs go, but I don't think that boycotting our national holiday is the way to fix those things.

I have a lot of feelings about this right now. But tomorrow will still be BBQs and fireworks for me...

I am working sadly such is retail life lol... but, when I do it usually is eating bbq, spending time with family, ect. Nothing too exciting lol

JamesSand wrote: The jury is still out on whether to call 26th of January "Australia Day" or "Invasion Day"

Yea, as the beginning of the path toward nationhood in the wider global society. What are the alternatives.... in regards to the "federation of the Australian colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia";

"The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp) became law on 9 July 1900, and entered into force on 1 January 1901."

July is too cold, and 1 January we all have hangovers from New Years Eve....

What are the alternatives.... in regards to the "federation of the Australian colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia";

"The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp) became law on 9 July 1900, and entered into force on 1 January 1901."

July is too cold, and 1 January we all have hangovers from New Years Eve....

Oy, putting a holiday on 1st Jan is a waste of a perfectly good holiday.

I'm not entirely sure the Federation is a thing - Aside from that eyesore of a plaza in Melbourne, and Canberra (which is always too cold. I've got a brilliant Idea - Let's find somewhere on a tropical island that is colder than Russia, and build our capital there! - That's what happens when you put the English in charge of anything....)

I still have to keep track of rules in 4 states (I really couldn't care less about WA or Tas) to keep my life all legal and above board.




On another note - July 1st is "Territory Day" - Where the folk of the Northern Territory celebrate their...uhh, unique lack of laws and regulations :laugh: (Apparently called "Self Governance" )

The best part is reading the headlines the following day.

Here's some tidbits from the NT News (not known for its journalistic integrity, but usually good for cheap thrills at someone else's expense, if you're into that sort of schadenfreude)

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/more-injuries-than-average-reported-for-territory-day/news-story/bc28b61beb45a9348b5393949f08fcf5