Oh no, 150 years definitely qualifies as old! Alas I’ve seen no mention of music and fireworks here but who knows what the planned re-enactment of a Pagan Germanic Burial Ceremony might involve?

We don’t have a regular birth-of-Britain celebration (lost in the mists of time) but every 5 November we celebrate the failure of Guy Fawkes and his cronies to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. It’s a good excuse for fireworks and bonfires, although it doesn’t do to dwell on the tale of religious hatred, betrayal and torture that lies behind it. I see there’s a http://www.gunpowder-plot.org for those who want every last detail. Amazing. (Of course there are always some folk who are sorry he didn’t succeed.)

Cheers,

Ruth

I just love your last line, “….it’s reassuring to know that even in the eighth century, things just weren’t what they used to be.” Certainly pertinent to our last little discussion regarding the past v. the present. I remember reading about how in fifth century BC Athens there was the observation by the older generation that things just weren’t what they used to be and the younger generation was rushing head on to ruin. It seems that here in 2010 the lyrics to the age old song have hardly changed; “Ain’t it awful, it ain’t like it used to be”. Well, whether they were right about things in fifth century BC Athens or eighth century AD Anglo-Saxon Britain it must be that we have been on a downhill slide for a very long time. Or not.

By the way, here in America the anniversary celebrations don’t go back quite so far as 1600 years. Last year in 2009, where I live, we celebrated the 150th anniversary (1859) of the territory of Oregon being granted statehood and entering the union. It would almost qualify as current events by your standards.

The USA celebrates its birthday with music and fireworks every year on the fourth of July. I am unaware if Britain has a parallel for celebrating its birth on a specific day? So would you all be considering music and fireworks to celebrate the departure of the Romans?

Phil Hall