What happend to St George's Day?

[oumahexi]

I think I can be forgiven for not realising that yesterday was, in fact, St George's day. However, it appears that most of England didn't realise either. What's going on? Why are the British so reluctant to celebrate being British? Maybe, just maybe, if we put a little more effort into valuing our land and nation(s) we might find that our children will learn the meaning of values and morality.

A belated Happy St George's Day anyway to all our English members.

 

[Rich]

I What's going on? Why are the British so reluctant to celebrate being British?

We're not allowed to be British any more by order of the EU
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1317286/Union-Flag-banned-on-car-number-plates.html

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Conspicuous patriotism in England isn't really very popular, With notable exceptions where it often goes hand in hand with extreme nationalism, racism, etc.

That's not to say it's absent, or that people are ashamed to be English, or anything like that - it's just that we generally just don't go in for all the flag-waving and national pride as perhaps some other countries do.

I personally don't really get patriotism -I'm proud of things I've done well - I'm proud of things achieved by my family, my social groups, my team at work, and by other groups in my nation, but I'm not proud of the nation itself, as an abstract thing. It's a place - I live here - It's OK, but that's about it - it's probably not the best place of all in the whole world, and certainly not just because I'm here to be able to shout about it.

 

[chergh]

The only patron saints day that I can think of being celebrated is St Patricks today and I suspect that has more to do with Guiness than anything else. I don't recall ever celebrating St Andrews when growing up.

Oh and Rich do keep up with the times: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/3331127/National-flags-to-be-allowed-on-number-plates.html

 

[Rich]

Oh and Rich do keep up with the times: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/3331127/National-flags-to-be-allowed-on-number-plates.html

He said that the Government planned to allow the voluntary display of national symbols and would bring forward new rules making this possible shortly.

Do come back and tell us when it's done, perhaps you'd care to explain why the pricks in office introduced it in the first place

 

[RCheesley]

Certainly knew it was in Ipswich - one of the pubs had an event evening where everyone was wearing red carnations, lots of others had various things going on. Nowhere near the scale of Patrick's day but still, it's something

Ruth

 

[chergh]

Couldn't really give a damn to be honest when it is done also the goverment didn't introduce it, I don't recall UK flags being allowed on numberplates before 2001. In 2001 they introduced laws which allowed an optional 'euro plate' which introudced a country identifier and the EU symbol which would means you had an alternative to putting a 'GB' sticker on your car.

So let me make this easy for you Rich:

Pre 2001: UK national flags banned from number plates
Post 2001: UK national flags banned from number plates

And yet somehow you equate this to the EU saying we're not allowed to be British anymore??? Your logic is astounding Rich you really are a genuis... oh sorry did I say genuis I meant idiot.

 

[SQL_Hell]

lol, I didn't know it was st George's day either.
Happy belated St George's day

We really should have a public holiday for St George's day imo. That would help drum up some awareness and patriotic beer consumption...hell it works for the Irish

 

[Rich]

So let me make this easy for you Rich:

Pre 2001: UK national flags banned from number plates
Post 2001: UK national flags banned from number plates

And yet somehow you equate this to the EU saying we're not allowed to be British anymore??? Your logic is astounding Rich you really are a genuis... oh sorry did I say genuis I meant idiot.

Ah let me see how this genius decides what the law was pre20001

I don't recall UK flags being allowed on numberplates before 2001.

What proof, I do

Post 2001: UK national flags banned from number plates

In accordance with EU laws, who's the idiot?

 

[chergh]

Who's the idiot? That would still be you, hell even if I am wrong on this you'd still be an idiot your reactionary tabloid views devoid of anything remotley intelligent demonstrate this quite clearly.

From a bit of research the changes in 2001 introduced were:

A new format of number plates for newly registered cars comprised of a:

Local memory tag
Age Identified
Random Element

Also:

A standard typeface, making it easier for number plates to be read

End the use of italic, multiple stroke and other difficult to read lettering on number plates.

introduction of a 'euro plate'.

It was also upto the UK goverment to decide how to implement the EU directive on harmonizing number plate styles across europe and it was westminster that drew up and implemented the laws governing it and that they are now able to change the rules on allowing national flags would clearly indicate this was never forbidden by the EU in the first place.

So Rich please show some proof that national flags were permitted on number plates.

 

[oumahexi]

Conspicuous patriotism in England isn't really very popular, With notable exceptions where it often goes hand in hand with extreme nationalism, racism, etc.

At the risk of stirring up yet another hornets nest, I think you'll find that most patrons of the NFA in the states fly their flag with pride. This does not deter other citizens from flying their flags. My point is, why do we consistently allow the few to intimidate us in this way?

I also find it extremely annoying that the word "nationalism" has become something to be ashamed of and is almost always associated with racism. Surely it is possible to want the best for your country? Nationalism should not be exclusively for whites but rather an option for all who live and work in a country. My opinion, I stress, does not, in any way, relate to the politics of the British National Party.

I personally don't really get patriotism -I'm proud of things I've done well - I'm proud of things achieved by my family, my social groups, my team at work, and by other groups in my nation, but I'm not proud of the nation itself, as an abstract thing. It's a place - I live here - It's OK, but that's about it - it's probably not the best place of all in the whole world, and certainly not just because I'm here to be able to shout about it.

Again, I don't think it's about shouting about it because you're here, but because of the achievements your country have made. The British have contributed vastly to the society we now live in. In the past the citizens of our country have pulled resources to help us through the worst of times - such as two world wars (and dare I say a world cup ). That is something to take pride in.

 

[Rabbie]

Again, I don't think it's about shouting about it because you're here, but because of the achievements your country have made. The British have contributed vastly to the society we now live in. In the past the citizens of our country have pulled resources to help us through the worst of times - such as two world wars (and dare I say a world cup ). That is something to take pride in.

Many of my English friends regard the 1966 World Cup win as an exclusively English triumph and only stop going on about it when reminded of what happened at England's next home game at Wembley

 

[Banana]

You know, you could at least celebrate the day when good old Bill croaked. (Some say it's his birthday but we don't know that for a fact, only that he was baptized on 26th and died on 23rd.) He sure knew how to write some mean plays.

 

[Alc]

I think it's idiots like this that have led to nationalism being seen as a dirty word.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/04_april/22/bnp.shtml

Taking his points to their logical conclusion, there can't be too many people in Britain who can claim to be British, given the various invasions and intermingling of the past few thousand years.

Happy belated St George's day to my former neighbours.

 

[oumahexi]

I think it's idiots like this that have led to nationalism being seen as a dirty word.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/04_april/22/bnp.shtml

Taking his points to their logical conclusion, there can't be too many people in Britain who can claim to be British, given the various invasions and intermingling of the past few thousand years.

Happy belated St George's day to my former neighbours.

That appears to be the view of the BNP. My point is that, surely, if other countries can be nationist without being racist, England can too? Why is it when it comes to England everyone sees nationalism only through the eyse of the BNP? There are many non white English people who are proud to say they belong to that unique union of people known as the British, or English. We really need to get away from the association between the British National Party and British Nationalism.

Many of those who sit in judgement on Nationalism as a Racist term would frown on anyone who might judge an Islamic or a Catholic as a terrorist, yet is that not the same?

 

[oumahexi]

You know, you could at least celebrate the day when good old Bill croaked. (Some say it's his birthday but we don't know that for a fact, only that he was baptized on 26th and died on 23rd.) He sure knew how to write some mean plays.

Great idea Banana, in Scotland we tend to celebrate the birth of Burns much more than St Andrews Day, although we do have our local celbrations in November.

 

[Alc]

That appears to be the view of the BNP. My point is that, surely, if other countries can be nationist without being racist, England can too? Why is it when it comes to England everyone sees nationalism only through the eyse of the BNP? There are many non white English people who are proud to say they belong to that unique union of people known as the British, or English. We really need to get away from the association between the British National Party and British Nationalism.

Many of those who sit in judgement on Nationalism as a Racist term would frown on anyone who might judge an Islamic or a Catholic as a terrorist, yet is that not the same?

Agreed. My point was that since these cretins have become associated with the word, it has taken on negative connotations. Because of this, many people avoid using it. I wasn't saying it's right, just offering a possible explanation for the statement "I also find it extremely annoying that the word "nationalism" has become something to be ashamed of and is almost always associated with racism."

Personally, I don't care about the whole notion of nationlism and certainly don't understand the idea of taking pride from having been born in a particular place. If I've achieved something, I'll be proud of it, but where I was born took no real decision or effort on my part, so taking credit for it seems a bit strange.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

At the risk of stirring up yet another hornets nest, I think you'll find that most patrons of the NFA in the states fly their flag with pride. This does not deter other citizens from flying their flags. My point is, why do we consistently allow the few to intimidate us in this way?

What I meant is that, with the exception of extremists, most people just don't feel the need to wave flags - it's not something we are consciously holding back from doing - it's just not something we do all that much.

 

[Alc]

What I meant is that, with the exception of extremists, most people just don't feel the need to wave flags - it's not something we are consciously holding back from doing - it's just not something we do all that much.

In many cases, this seems to be a result of not having to fight for independence, of being an 'older' country (not compared to somewhere like Iran, but old compared to most Western countries, whose borders have shifted around a lot over the years - not easy when you're an island) and of living in a democracy.

Are there many countries where waving the national flag is seen as a absolute prequisite for patriotism where
a) the country didn't come into existence fairly recently
b) the country didn't gain independence from another country
and
c) the flag waving isn't specifically mandated by the ruling powers?

 

[JamesLast99]

Does the US has a saints day? Is it a big deal?