Message #78546

[Jackie G]

I probably did mean holiday/day off.  There is a move in Scotland to have St Andrew's Day (30 November) made a public holiday.  Interestingly the civil service (government officials) take it, as the nearest Monday to the date, so it's not always the date itself that's the holiday.  If it ever becomes a public holiday (I think if Scotland gets independence it will!) I should think it will be the actual date - no point otherwise, I guess.

But throughout the UK, there is no public holiday on St David's Day (1 March), St George's Day (23 April) and St Patrick's Day (17 March) - not sure why.  But interestingly, of all of these, St Pat's is the best known holiday both here and in the US!  I just don't get that how that happened but all of a sudden we had shamrocks and everything green, especially this year!

OK I admit I checked one of the dates - I had the date right, but not the month!

I loved the story of Yankee Doodle Dandy and it rings a faint bell somewhere in my memory so I'd maybe heard that before, but it's always good to hear how things started and why they become the traditions that we just do /say without maybe realising what the significance is.

As for fireworks, it seems nowadays people just let off fireworks any old time.  There is now a law that if they go off at 11 pm (without a licence) then it's illegal but I think a lot of folk ignore that.  As for Hogmanay (31 December / New Year's eve), there are fireworks all over the place and Edinburgh's street party is now world famous for its fireworks.  Never mind the cold! Cutbacks this year meant there were no fireworks on the hill where I live (Edinburgh's built on 7 hills like Rome) - I always told folk I had my own firework display - the house actually shook when they went off as they were so big and loud!