Time for a rant!
I’ve been told this morning that I’m a miserable old git because I don’t like Haloween. This is true. However, I have my reasons.
Haloween is American! And that’s where it should stay. I am sick and tired of English people celebrating other people’s events. OK, we celebrate Bonfire Night. I’m still not sure what we’re celebrating. Is it because our government of the day was saved (can’t believe for one minute the average person celebrating that).
Or are we celebrating some loser? A gallant trier. More than likely it’s so that we can buy some fireworks! Nice marketing shops!
I’m proud that we as a nation support Armistice Day, It is only right that we should.
But my biggest gripe as a proud Englishman is that we don’t celebrate our day, St George’s Day the 23rd of April. It’s not even a National Holiday here. It’s like we’re not proud to be English. Welsh people celebrate St David’s Day, The Scots celebrate St Andrew’s Day, and boy, do the Irish celebrate St Patrick’s Day. But not the English!
Bastille Day. July 14th, the French celebrate. America celebrates Independence Day on the 4th July. And good for any country that does.
But in England, we celebrate anything but our day. Haloween is so that shops can make more money. That’s why they make a fuss of it. Just like Christmas, The World Cup and Wimbledon. It’s all about bringing money into shops!
I was watching ‘Homeland’ last night, and I love that Americans hang their national flag from the front of their house. In England, we only show a flag during a sporting tournament and as soon as it’s over, we hide them away in case we upset anyone.
I know I’ve gone away from the reason I’m ranting, but it’s the reason why I couldn’t care less about Haloween. Prom Nights – they’re American too!
If you’re American, don’t think I’m against you, because I’m not. I love Americans. I love their up and at ‘em philosophy. I love the attitude of Americans, but I want my country to be proud of itself and celebrate our National Day.
When it starts to be as proud of my country as I am, when shops start doing things to promote our day, then I’ll get in the spirit of things.
Till then, I’m happy to be a miserable old git!
I’m proud to be English but not particularly enamoured by some English people. Indépendance day for Britain isn’t really celebrated, for one reason it would signify loss as most other counties’ i celebrations are marking indépendance from the British. Anything to do with national pride is now hi-jacked by Nationalists in order to pedal their own brand of fascism. Also the English -and this in my opinion is in their favour- aren’t as much bound by to religion ... which is a type of nationalism in itself. However this may not always be the case as many nationalist will turn to religion when they run out of rational arguments to further their cause. Jacob Reece-Mogg is one particular example. He will advocate cruelty because he iThe Bible says so or at least his interpretation of it does.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot you're saying Andy. I personally don't want to be classed as European or British.
DeleteI'm English, and I'm proud of my country (not so much these last few years) but I don't recall us ever really celebrating it.
I, like you, have an aversion to Halloween. It used to be fun for the kids but now it is nothing but candy, candy and more candy. In some neighbourhoods, kids are ferried by carpools in order to trick or treat and when this happens, all sense of community and neighbourhood is lost. A friend of mine had over 400 at the door last year. As he said, there aren't 40 kids living in this area. And obviously adults are complicit, filling their mini-vans with eager trick or treaters. I have a good excuse this year - we will go dark at 6 and stay dark until just after 8. I am not overly Covid fearful but will use it as an excuse to keep my front door closed. No sense taking a chance on someone I do not know. And you forgot CANADA Day, July 1, where our Prime Minister commissions a huge floating yellow duck! I kid you not! I love traveling in the US - always lots of flags flying. I have one that I put up on the RV depending on where I am. A Canadian flag for travel in Canada, a US flag for travel in the states. I'm rambling, I know, but us grumpy old men have trouble focusing on any one issue. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThis year, as with the last 5 years, we didn't have one caller. Our road seems to miss out - perhaps people just think we're a bunch of miserable odl sods...they may be right!
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