Actually I thought this day was on the 27th (I have no idea why). Well between Thanksgivings and the Mid-Autumn Festival I totally forgot. Its hard being a Chinese-German-Canadian….
Tag der Deutche Einheit
Germany looked out the window at the empty streets of Munich. Unlike most countries he did not take too much pride in himself or his birthday. No god-red-black tricolour flags hung out of windows, no one paraded through the streets, nobody held backyard barbecues, no fireworks would light up the skies at night.
It had been this way ever since World War II, nobody was proud to be German anymore. Just someone from Germany but not many are German.
He would not throw a giant party like America, no one would throw him a surprise party like Canada either (honestly the only ones who would are Prussia and Italy), he wouldn't hold a garden party at a grand castle like France.
Just a small ceremony and dinner with some of his citizens. Nobody went out of the way for him.
The bus stopped.
"Oi! West! We're here!" Prussia's grinning face, that said I'm awesome and you are not, loomed over Germany's "Stop looming! You should be celebrating the reunification with the awesome me! Oh and its your birthday."
"Fine Bruder. Let's go. It's just going to be another dinner like all the other years"
"Kesesesesese. Let's go have a beer!"
Germany smiled. "Yeah let's"
They stepped out of the bus and an amazing sight greeted Germany's eyes.
More people than ever had turned out. Everyone was shouting and waving German flags.
"See everyone remembers this day. After all they have a day off work." Prussia said "Now lets go! Boss is giving a speech!"
Germany smiled. Perhaps just this year he would be a little more patriotic. Perhaps in the future too.
Alright I know this is kind of exaggerated there are plenty of people who consider themselves German and proud of it. However it is true that national pride is very low in Germany (when there is no soccer/football/whatever they call it now going on). All they do have is a ceremonial act and a citizens' festival, usually at the capital of the German state presiding over the Bundesrat in the respective year. (I used to live there and I didn't even know that)
However lately Germany has been becoming more and more proud. Go Germany! You are better than you think!
