There seems to be a whole forced thing about why we should celebrate St George's day. Now I say we, but with a name like Hennegan, guess where I hail from!
It could be argued it's a xenophobic backlash! Ooo the Scottish can do their thing, the noo, and the Welsh and the Irish are all so... identifiable. But not we, the English. We mustn't upset anyone. National days are not for us. Surely, though, England to the other home nations is like a big and more successful elder brother. The bastard's always beating you, but you're stuck with him. Part of the family though, and so you're not going to give him an easy ride. We English, like a big and more successful elder brother, might not like the crap we take, but we still appreciate our siblings.
And while the Tories and right wing papers get hysterical about any perceived (and usually misreported) slight to our national identity - "they're not teaching about W.W. 2 anymore" (Wrong) "We can't mention the holocaust because it upsets the Muslims" (Wrong again) I actually find this kind of attitude sloppy and lazy.
Surely England stands for things greater than national costumes and food? Democracy, for instance. Magna Carta was a moment in the world, was it not? Is that arrogant? Possibly, but that's what I think being English is about. Not arrogance, but one of the reasons I've not yet applied for my Irish passport is that to my mind the quintessential thing about being English is that we shouldn't have to worry about visible markers in the sand (or the tabloid newspapers). Being English to me is being proud of my Bangladeshi neighbours who work all the hours God sends and have introduced my Birmingham neighbourhood to a new style of food. I don't mind St George's day, whoever he was! Its an excuse to say Happy National Day. But to my mind Being English should be about being passionate, but sensitive and most importantly comfortable with being English! Not getting arsey if other nations have better dances, or flags, or attitudes to national days. Being English should be about saying, yep, we are English, but you are your nationality, and as an Englishman, I embrace that. Not patronising, but happy in our English skins. And seeing other nations having a good time. I suppose the only other Big Good Reason for St George's day is commercial exploitation. But that's another story.
And if not, feck ya all ya English gits - me Dad's from Co Mayo!
Heh!
x
