American musings on the Jubilee

[Ponderingwindow]

I’ve been watching the threads on the Jubilee with a bit of mild interest. Mostly that some people are a annoyed at celebrating the monarchy and this royal family in particular. I do understand that perspective.

As an outsider, I don’t quite understand the fixation on the actual stated purpose of the celebration though. Perhaps it’s because I’m American and we turn everything into an excuse for a bit of patriotism. From the outside, it just seems like the Jubilee is really just a celebration of the UK and the whole Queen part is just the excuse for the party. Especially with Covid and Brexit and all the other badness, it seems like a bit of community building would be welcomed by everyone. Does it not work that way there? Do people maintain focus on the stated meaning and not the greater symbolism?

First rule of being British is hate Britain.
We don't like paying for stuff we can't use either 😁

😂

it just seems like the Jubilee is really just a celebration of the UK and the whole Queen part is just the excuse for the party. Especially with Covid and Brexit and all the other badness, it seems like a bit of community building would be welcomed by everyone.

Our cul de sac is having a street party, that's certainly the way I see it. The suggestion appeared on the neighbourhood WhatsApp just after the usual Xmas get-together had been cancelled for the second year running and it just seemed like a nice cheerful idea.

I think 70 years of being Queen is very impressive. I watched the first season of The Crown and the world was such a different place back then. We will hang some bunting and have afternoon tea.

I don't think the views expressed on other MN threads really represent most people in the UK, at least not here in my bit of the home counties. Here, we are all looking forward to street parties, an extra day off for most of us and a general air of gentle festivity. Lots of fetes and events going on too. 🙂

“I’d be very worried if I saw a man singing the national anthem and waving the flag, sir. It’s really a thing foreigners do.”
― Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

I think there's a bit of this attitude - bit of a cultral difference - we obviously do come out with national anthem and flag waving but tends to be royal weddings and football matches or winning wars which there haven't been much of in past few decades- and a good % of population gets snooty about that.

I think a most are happy with a party - some like us are just doing the trifle and relevant food as a family and most are just ignoring it all and enjoying the extra bank holiday.

“I’d be very worried if I saw a man singing the national anthem and waving the flag, sir. It’s really a thing foreigners do.”

Quite right, I'm not wasting time and resources on bunting etc. Finding a excuse for convivial tea and cake (or bbq) is another matter entirely though.

America and the UK have very different cultures as regards patriotism. The USA sees it as a) obvious and b) self-evidently a good thing to be proud of your country. The UK does not. Also, the US is historically a very "young" country and therefore has something to prove in that regard.

Mumsnet is a parallel universe. People are enjoying having something nice to celebrate. And wether you like the monarchy or not, 70 years in public service is a remarkable achievement.

I don’t quite understand the fixation on the actual stated purpose of the celebration though

It's a good excuse for a piss-up

I don't think we have as much 'organised' patriotism in the UK as there is in the US; there isn't a particular reverence for our flag, for example - people do display them but they aren't treated as a sacred object.

OP, the British are rather embarrassed about their history and there is pressure to be down on our heritage and pageantry (reminds us of the empire which we’d rather forget).

Yes we are awesome and have contributed a lot to the world given our small size (science, culture blah blah blah). But we are very modest and don’t like to shout about it.

Being openly patriotic in England is seen as either a) a rah-rah Tory pursuit b) very working class and not something educated people stoop to. The only people on my street with bunting are WC families. It’s ok to be patriotic if you’re Welsh/ Scottish /Irish (ps they won’t have bunting for the Queen).

Im middle class, well educated. I’m the only one out of my friends who will be celebrating. But I won’t go as far as bunting, although I’m popping out to buy the contents for a trifle. I love the Queen but keep it to myself mostly!

We are a strange isle!

Nothing beats a bit of pageantry and colour, and nobody in the world does it like us. Why do you think so many foreign tourists want to come here?
The UK is one of the most tolerant nations on the planet although reading MN any outsider would probably think the opposite

OP, the British are rather embarrassed about their history and there is pressure to be down on our heritage and pageantry (reminds us of the empire which we’d rather forget).

We absolutely should be, with a history of genocide, slave trafficking to America, and white supremacy.

I'm embarrassed by any celebration of the RF or our history tbh.

Nothing beats a bit of pageantry and colour, and nobody in the world does it like us.

Expect for Spain, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, and many other countries.

In the uk pageantry seems to go hand in hand with being a white gammon BNP facist.

ODFOD!

Perhaps it’s because I’m American and we turn everything into an excuse for a bit of patriotism.

How's that working out for you? I mean in terms of your international relations over the last, I don't know, 60 years. Patriotism and xenophobia are just two sides of the same coin.

I think the Jubilee is quite specific to the Queen as she is an inspiration to many. But most people I know are also using this as an opportunity to have a party and there are a ton of community events planned in my area. I have only ever seen negativity about the Jubilee on mumsnet which can be a parallel universe.

But the culture in the US is completely different and the Jubilee is not like the 4th of July. I actually feel quite sick about American culture at the moment as it seems to be exporting hatred and division around the world. I know this is an unreasonable reaction but I am so angry about yet another school shooting and the fact that nothing will change. I just don’t want to hear about anything in US culture right now.

Do American children swear some kind of allegiance to the USA every day at school, or am I wrong thinking that they do?

Imagine a UK equivalent of this

Absolutely nobody I know gives a shit about the monarchy aside from the day off work.

@MrsTerryPratchett

"Patriotism and xenophobia are just two sides of the same coin."

Well, as complete bollocks goes, this is a pretty good example.

Hard of thinking are you?

We absolutely should be, with a history of genocide, slave trafficking to America, and white supremacy.

Pretty much every country in the world has some kind of horrific history though.

Perhaps it’s because I’m American and we turn everything into an excuse for a bit of patriotism

Speak for yourself

Plenty of us Americans hate all the flag waving bullshit. can't say I've ever done anything remotely patriotic in my life, and I'd say that's normal where I'm from

I'm not "ashamed of our history". Not because some awful things didn't happen (because they did) but because those things and the people who did them are nothing to do with me. Just like the actions of my ancestors or members of my current family (unless I am directly responsible for them) are nothing to do with me.

However I am not patriotic. I don't "love my country" or feel any duty towards it just because I happen to have been born here and live here. It's very familiar. And returning back from abroad always feels like "coming home" but I have no desire to stand up and wave a flag and celebrate how fantastic it is being British and living in Britain.

Patriotism always fills me with bemusement tbh. I don't really get it. It feels like a tool of governments to get you all to behave and keep in line but maybe I'm just a cynic.

Having said all that I quite fancy a street party this weekend but unfortunately I am going to visit my Nan tomorrow instead. Hope everyone who is street partying has fun. Happy jubilee!