Holidays and reasons to celebrate

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]This is probably the stupidest thread in here in a while, but I've been dying to make this thread for a long time. I never seem to remember to make it. but now I have. (either that, or I made it and don't remember making it. in which case ya'll can close this).

The thought occured to me a long time ago that America wasn't the only country in the world (*gasp!* I'm still trying to overcome my egotism [/sarcasm]). Actually, I wanted to know what sorts of holidays other countries celebrated. In fact, AJeh told me a few weeks ago about an English Bank Holiday Monday (er... is that it?), where you get a few mondays off every month, which is cool.

And there's a Thai New Year in April called Sonkrahn, where you basically shoot everyone with water guns and smear their faces with talcom power for three days.

So would anyone be kind enough to enlighten me on different holidays, other than American? ^^;;;;;;;;;;[/color]

[Yumi]

Ummm English bank holidays don't work like that it's more like a few mondays off a year. It's very tradtional though we all pile into are cars and spend several hours on the main roads in traffic jams. Then mid afternoon we arrive at our destination (usually a beach) and come rain or shine we are determined to swim. Then we pile back into our car and spend yet again several hours in a traffic jam. It's family fun.

We also have bonfire night where we put a fake person on a bonfire and burn it!!!! They also let off fireworks to rubbish songs and we stand there gaping like stoned fish. Even so it's still my favourtie (i am a pyromanic)

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Ooo. Sounds like fun. Bank Holiday sounds like things like Memorial day weekend if you ask me. Memorial day is to commemorate those who've fought in wars (even those who've died). We get the last monday in May off. Not all but some families go down to the shore on Saturday, here in Jersey, and swim and then drive back on Monday.

We never get cool fireworks except *sometimes* on Memorial Day and of course, the 4th of July, which is when we sing patriotic songs and have a barbecue at someone's house, and go swimming if they have a pool. Then after the fireworks, you say "God Bless America" and go home.

English people have so many chances to look at fireworks and fire. You even get Guy Fawkes night. -.-; We can't even set off fireworks in New Jersey. Against the stupid law.

Woo for holidays where you don't have to go to school! =)[/color]

[Solo Tremaine]

[COLOR=#503F86]Bank Holidays really aren't that honourable ^_^; They're just times when banks are closed, and there are about... eight every year, I think. Two are in May, one's in August and the rest are in December/January and over Easter, I think. They're basically holidays that aren't religious in any way, but give people a chance to have a day off anyway.

That's about as cultural as national British holidays get. But even, they apply more to England than Scotland and Ireland- they have their own Bank Holiday days, as well as Saint Whatever-their-patron-saints-are's day. We don't even get St George's day off >.>

Bonfire Night is pretty cool, though, if you can find a decent fireworks display. Our house is in the middle of several small villages with a big city to the South-West- coming up to November there are fireworks displays wherever you look in the evening. At least, you'd be able to se them if there weren't so many bloody trees surrounding our house >.> And they get noisy, too.Thankfully we have triple-glazing, but you can still hear all the bangs. It's alright unless you're trying to get to sleep, really.[/COLOR]

[bimbo69]

I love bonfire night.
The fireworks are amazing especially the one from the organised shows.
But november can get annoying when gangs of kids set fireworks off them throughout the day, even when its light and you cant see them. How pointless!!
I think i like bonfire night the best is because of the smell, i know im strange but the smell of firework and sparklers is really nice.

[Guest Spike88]

In most majority catholic countries like france and spain they don't celebrate their birthdays. They celebrate on the day of their chosen saint. It's kind of neat because there would be like a a couple million people who celebrate there birthday on the same day by doing it that way.

[Japan]

[QUOTE=Solo Tremaine][COLOR=#503F86]Bank Holidays really aren't that honourable ^_^; They're just times when banks are closed, and there are about... eight every year, I think. Two are in May, one's in August and the rest are in December/January and over Easter, I think. They're basically holidays that aren't religious in any way, but give people a chance to have a day off anyway.

That's about as cultural as national British holidays get. But even, they apply more to England than Scotland and Ireland- they have their own Bank Holiday days, as well as Saint Whatever-their-patron-saints-are's day. We don't even get St George's day off >.>

Bonfire Night is pretty cool, though, if you can find a decent fireworks display. Our house is in the middle of several small villages with a big city to the South-West- coming up to November there are fireworks displays wherever you look in the evening. At least, you'd be able to se them if there weren't so many bloody trees surrounding our house >.> And they get noisy, too.Thankfully we have triple-glazing, but you can still hear all the bangs. It's alright unless you're trying to get to sleep, really.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

I used to like Bank holidays, when I lived in the UK of course. Also, I loved that Bonfire night once a year as well. Like, this one time I was invited to go to this one church's bonfire. The bonfire was huge. We played capture the flag, and we had glowing sticks to play with. The fireworks were also really great as well. Fun, fun.

[Doukeshi]

[QUOTE=SpaceCowboy156]the holiday i giit off every week in the us(its just now getting out) is skip school day.
pretty much i tell my mom i go to school anddony,(relly exciting i know) i hang with my friends who selibrate and we might go to the park and light a trashcan on fire :flaming: and we dont do much harm :rolleyes: and we :babble: & :laugh:
its a fun holiday :devil:[/QUOTE]

Yeah dude, that's real entertaining ¬_¬.

Anyway, on the idea of birthdays and celebrating it on a saints day or whatever. I think that we should do like the hobbits do, on your birthday, you give everyone else presents. It saves a lot of hassle all year round, kinda like christmas only less expensive ^_^.

We have rememberance sunday...I guess that's kinda the same as Veterans day in the US. Lots of poppies and sermons and stuff. When I was in scouts I used to have to go to the sermons and hold a really big flag. How fun.

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]I didn't meant that Bank Holiday was the same as memorial day, but just the event that people do sound the same. heh.

I also kind of like the idea of a saints day, instead of a birthday. It reminds me of all souls and all saints day. We had to do a really big thing about [i]El dia de los muertos[/i] (I think that's what it's called) back in October. It actually sounds pretty cool, to honor the dead of your family. I don't really remember too much about it, but I think you make bread for the dead, and you also make a three tiered altar for the desceased.

I made one for a Spanish project, but the ones people make for real are amazing. I've seen picture of them, and they're so ornate. You decorated the tiers with three colors of tissue paper- white, purple, and pink (I forget why), and a cross of ashes, and there are four purple candles on the top tier, three little skulls on the middle tier, and a big skull on the bottom tier. You place fruits and flowers, alcohol if the deceased person liked it, etc. on the tiers of the alter (or on the top one), and a picture of the person goes at the top. It's really quite amazing. If you know anything about this day, I'd be delighted if you'd share. =)[/color]