The Friday Five

[jack]

https://thefridayfive.dreamwidth.org/88856.html

1. What is one of your favorite things about your country?

Oh! Um. Temperate weather. NHS, obviously. Countryside. Never being more than a few hours drive from the sea. Vegetarian food (it seems strange to praise British cuisine, but you should see everywhere else). A nation heavy with people who also find socialising just a little embarrassing :)

2. What is your favorite thing to do on your country's national holiday?

Ooh. No. No, no, no. No-one sensible wants to see British patriotism again. We don't have a holiday, the closest in England is St George's day (which is still pretty suspicious). Or "whenever England are playing in the [soccer] world cup".

3. What do you usually do for your country's national holiday?

See above. But if there were one, it would probably be mostly like another bank holiday, so, enjoy sunshine if appropriate, have an extra day of weekend, maybe have some beer?

4. What is your favorite national/regional ethnic dish?

Probably fish and chips. Or "chip shop chips", since I don't eat fish. I know that's not exclusive to this country, but it still seems quite quintessential, and is one I really appreciate.

5. Who is your favorite national hero and why?

Oh gosh, there are so many favourite Britons, but how many could I still bear to be associated with. Maybe Newton, because how many countries have a maths-themed hero?

And I have a soft spot for the retro personification of Britain (or varyingly, England), John Bull, mostly just because hes's a bit less well known now. But I find it sort of endearing that people saw themselves represented by someone bluff, strong, stubborn, maybe a bit bull-headed, down-to-earth, maybe a bit stupid. It's like, "What do you want to be seen as? Well, ok, I'll accept stupid but never let it be said I listen to reason,"

Which, well, may cause as many problems. But is very far from the dainty, effete stereotype I periodically see applied to this country. Apparently he's shown up in some "each nation characterised by a giant fighting robot" anime.

Comments

[edrith.co.uk]

If we were to have a National Day then Guy Fawkes Day would be my choice. It has the advantages of being:
- Unique and specific to Britain.
- About something relevant today (defence of Parliamentary democracy against terrorists) but where the actual cause/grievance (persecution of Catholics) is not a current live issue.
- Not divisive on a right/left or conservative/progressive axis.
- Genuinely fun.
- A day with actual existing festive activities associated with it that normal people actually do and we don't do on other holidays.
- At a time of year when we have a dearth of Bank Holidays.

Also it could help diminish the US influence of Halloween.

I'm kind of surprised you like John Bull given those characteristics could be seen as the presiding genius of populism, Brexit, Churchill, etc but I'm pleased that you do. :-)

[katzenfabrik]

Chip-shop chips are the food I miss the most from Britain, and you're right about vegetarian food. It's got better in the last couple of years in Switzerland, but, strangely, mostly because veganism has become more widely known. It's as if they skipped a stage.

[ilanin]

At various points in this history of England/Great Britain/the United Kingdom we've used November 5th and October 21st (that's Trafalgar Day, still quite reasonably celebrated by the Royal Navy but otherwise mostly forgotten) as national days. The Major government briefly looked at moving the May Day bank holiday to Trafalgar Day, I think, mostly on grounds of "it's silly that all the bank holidays are in late spring, why don't we have one on autumn?" but nothing came of it.

Comments that chip shop chips get better the closer you are to the coast. Cambridge is terrible at it.

[ghoti_mhic_uait]

Vegetarian food - Germany was much better for vegetarian food, in all the parts I've been in recently.