Yes, I grant you that it’s odd to rail against holidays in a Travel blog, but there you are, we lead rather than follow.
Bank holidays aren’t worth getting out of bed for which is why I’m not.
Besides, nothing is open. And why do bankers need extra days off anyway?
Do they not get enough already and did they not take enough off us anyway?
You might say that we all get the bank holidays off.
Well, no. When I was a wage slave I had to work them and I got them back in lieu but never when I wanted them.
I’m not against holidays (as if) and national days are a focal point for people to reflect on their shared identity.
I’ve had the good fortune to be in many a country when they’ve been celebrating their national day and it is is a joy.
Last month it was German Unity Day when I was in Garmisch in Bavaria.
And, of course, the Bavarians need little excuse to slip on the lederhosen.
Either there or in Oberammergau where they are getting ready for the renewal of the Passion Play http://www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de/de/startseite next year.
Next month it’s St Andrew’s Day in Scotland and I know you’re all wanting to know why St Andrew is our patron saint.
Flying the flag
Well, we have to go back to 832 AD and a village in the east of the country which was still to be formed into Scotland.
King Angus of the Picts (basically the Highlanders) and a contingent of Scots (Lowlanders) was invading the Lothians.
They were run by the Northumbrians who were helped by Saxons, led by Athelstan.
Keeping up?
Angus, fearing he would be overrun said his prayers (you would, wouldn’t you) and it seems that St Andrew was the saint who was up.
A white diagonal cross, that being the shape St Andrew was crucified on, appeared against the blue sky.
Angus was suitably inspired to vanquish his enemy and repaid St Andrew by making him the patron saint of the soon forming Scotland.
There’s the quaintest St Andrew’s Flag centre in a doocot (where pigeons live) in Atheltstaneford which is 15km south-east of Edinburgh… http://www.scottishflagtrust.com. It is open from April to October.
Wrapping myself up in the flag
St Andrew’s Day is November 30.
I like to wrap myself up in the Saltire as much as the next Jock.
And next to the St Andrew’s flag there is probably nothing more Scottish than bagpipes.
Except they’re Persian but let’s gloss over that.
Here’s what happened when I went to the World Bagpipes Championships a few years ago… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/04/15/sportstraveltraveltravel/
It is Europe’s oldest flag and has inspired even the Tinerfinos, the Tenerife natives, who have the very same flag as us.
You want to know why? Here’s a couple of explanations…. https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/09/02/tenerife-and-scotland-wave-the-same-flag/
There’s not much else that we share but we do love to visit… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/tenerife-walk/
And you know how the French love avoir le denier mot. Well, they did when they won the World Cup two years ago.
And I was there at the French Embassy in Dublin which is technically France, and it was Bastille Weekend. Bravo! http://www.france.fr/fr.
And as a French Travel Writer of the Year winner you know Je t’aims La France…. https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/the-boat-dazur/. And https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/the-lourdes-prayer-pyrenees/
