Abstract

The ‘national day’ is one of many collective ceremonies by which nations and states project and advertise themselves to members as well as to non-members. Though public festivals have always existed, the embrace between the nation and the state produced a novel and unique kind of ceremony in honour of the perceived birth of the national community. National days have therefore come to constitute containers of institutionalized practices engaging national communities in reviving their mythology and golden ages. The link between collective identities and collective ceremonies is central in this context, as the study of national ceremonies provides us with insight into the construction and re-construction of nationhood. This article will explore the diversity of national expressions and the appeal of belonging to national communities.