(Belated) Happy Bermuda Day/Victoria Day!

Sorry, tried to post this before, but was stymied by technical issues and then a series of local tornadoes and their aftermath... But yes, Commonwealth types worldwide have been celebrating this day with mildly enthusiastic and stiff-upper-lipped tea-fueled huzzahs!

Of course, it was on this day in 1889 that Queen Victoria scandalized London society by appearing for Croquet wearing a pair of the newly-discovered, just-in-from-The-Colonies Bermuda Shorts. This being The Victorian Era (the very era for which the Queen herself had been named), her bare legs were so outrageous that few even noticed her accompanying tube-top that revealed, among other things, her lurid flaming-skull tattoos. "Fuck 'em", she was noted as saying to an astonished William Gladstone while cracking open another beer.

And this policy continues to reverberate through many current and former colonies even today.

Anyway, it's a great opportunity for strong drink, so we's for it. I hope you all enjoy a tasty bit of Spotted Dick, or being spanked with canes, or endless hours of your mind-numbing and inexplicable indigenous sporting events, or whatever it is you Poms like to do on such occasions.

Thanks for the excellent history lesson on Victoria Day.  I'll wager the history books only contain some boring items that cover up those really interesting incidents like the one above.

Bermuda has a day?

In Canada, Victoria Day has been shifted to the third Monday in May. It is now just considered a useless holiday (for some employers) and the unofficial start of heavy beer drinking summer

 

and the unofficial start of heavy beer drinking summer

Ahh, yes. That time of year when we indulge those sacred national pastimes that do not involve ice:
Road work, road work, and more road work
Driving through road work, road work and more road work to the cottage only to find we forgot something
beer drinking. beer drinking btw is akin to track and field, there are different styles and events. As a former marathon runner, I go for the LSD (Long Slow Drinking) myself, but in Canada there's something for everyone.
boating, kayaking, fishing and synchronised making-a-fool-of-ourselves
flirting with fireworks and people who are not our spouses
sitting on a deck chair with the express intent of watching the sun set on a beautiful evening, and staying there for 3 minutes tops before going to get a drink and find a card game
driving home through roadwork, roadwork and more roadwork
persuading ourselves that it really was good to get away, and then spending the next week at work unable to concentrate because we're busy dreaming up ways to do it better next year.

It all begins on the two-four weekend, so we owe the grand lady a big vote of thanks.

Bermuda has a day?

Yep...BDA has a day  

It is our "official" First Day of Summer.  We celebrate by entering/watching our Marathon Derby (foot) Race and the subsequent Parade - complete with floats, gombeys, majorettes and marching bands and drumline teams - and then we go swimming!

It is our "official" First Day of Summer.  We celebrate by entering/watching our Marathon Derby (foot) Race and the subsequent Parade - complete with floats, gombeys, majorettes and marching bands and drumline teams - and then we go swimming!

Not trying to sound condescending, but a marathon on the island? What, once around in 4 and a half minutes or 27 times around?

And isn't it usually either warm or hot? I know you are further north than the Carabbean islands and have cooling breezes, but you don't come out of a winter like we do

Quote from: Escaped Lunatic on May 27, 2011, 02:34:23 PM

Bermuda has a day?

Yep...BDA has a day  

It is our "official" First Day of Summer.  We celebrate by entering/watching our Marathon Derby (foot) Race and the subsequent Parade - complete with floats, gombeys, majorettes and marching bands and drumline teams - and then we go swimming!

Man, sounds like they'll let any country have a day.

a marathon on the island? What, once around in 4 and a half minutes or 27 times around?

These days, neither. They've had enormous offshore treadmills installed.
Amazing what tourist dollars can do.