Okay, I have no idea how this thought came into my head, but it's been there for a while, and since this forum has a fairly large sampling from a number of countries around the world, I thought I would ask this of you all:
Other than your country's national holiday, which holiday that your country celebrates widely best defines or is most emblematic of your country and why?
It could be any holiday at all, whether religious or secular, whether celebrated in many places around the world or if it's really meaningful only to your country, but what holiday is most essentially unique or uniquely celebrated by your country?
Why, yes, of course I'll go first.
I'm Canadian, and I think the most uniquely Canadian holiday would be Victoria Day, celebrated on the Monday of or before May 24th. Originally, it was celebrated to commemorate the birthday of the British monarch that granted Canada its independence (after we asked politely). Since then, however, it is celebrated as a turning point in the year. It's seen as the unofficial start of Summer in Canada, a long weekend of first barbecues, first camping trips and other outdoor activities to mark the end of another seemingly endless and harsh Canadian winter.
So, how about everyone else?