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In a bid to better understand our overseas cousins, I was wonderin if some of you blokes could enlighten me (us) about Trafalgar Day. I've noticed Wikipedia seems to have a lot of stories on their front page centered around Britain and the Commonwealth nations, and it made me curious if you guys treated the holiday as something special, or was it just another day?

its ignored largely.

It after all has nothing to do with football or the X factor.

Does it normally fall on a Sunday? Observed on a Monday or something so you guys get a day off?

Its a big deal in the Navy, and the Royal Marines Association always have a big piss up and a meal, where different guys from the group read a different page from the account of the battle, get fething leathered and spin dits.

I think its less so in the rest of the services, but still acknowledged, and then yeah as Orlanth said, largely ignored by the masses.

You cant hold a grudge though, why should the youth of today care? All we have ever had is privilege, big screen TVs and Ice cream.. I didn't even know about Trafalgar until I decided I wanted to join the corps as a teenager, and even then I didn't really know much about it till I joined up and they used to make us do press ups and double around the parade ground if we didn't get any answers right about corps history as a recruit.

So yeah, cant really blame them, when you're armed forces has kicked ass for as long as ours, no wonder they become apathetic, it doesn't affect their lives in any noticeable way!

Trafalga day
A great naval battle, Napoleon's Imperial Navy VS British Navy (Led by Horatio Nelson ), Bris won but not without the sacrifice. Horatio Nelson died in the battle. but that's enough to keep 'Revolutionary thinking' in check for 4 decades

Supposed that Nelson survived the battle (and Brits still won), He will lead his fleet against the US Navy and the War of 1812 will end in British favor. Boston may fall during the war.

If French won (??) Bourbons will be finished off for good.

Trafalgar Day is not a recognised holiday or celebration day in the UK, for the general public.

Never heard of it pure and simple and I don't doubt most other Brits are the same.

I know plenty about the battle but had no idea that there was a "day" associated with it.

If we had a special day for every time we gave Johnny Foreigner a thrashing we'd never get out the fething pub.....why have I never heard of this again?

 mattyrm wrote:
Its a big deal in the Navy, and the Royal Marines Association always have a big piss up and a meal, where different guys from the group read a different page from the account of the battle, get fething leathered and spin dits.

I think its less so in the rest of the services, but still acknowledged, and then yeah as Orlanth said, largely ignored by the masses.

You cant hold a grudge though, why should the youth of today care? All we have ever had is privilege, big screen TVs and Ice cream.. I didn't even know about Trafalgar until I decided I wanted to join the corps as a teenager, and even then I didn't really know much about it till I joined up and they used to make us do press ups and double around the parade ground if we didn't get any answers right about corps history as a recruit.

So yeah, cant really blame them, when you're armed forces has kicked ass for as long as ours, no wonder they become apathetic, it doesn't affect their lives in any noticeable way!

Glad to know the RMs and the Marine Corps have some similarities, not knowing one's history is a good way to get a boot up yer tail at San Diego or Parris Island.

I'd think Admiral Nelson would be properly pleased to have the Royal Navy and Royal Marines celebrate with some serious drinking, grog is called Nelson's Blood for a reason you know

That historical reason actually has nothing to do with the Admiral getting sauced, but we'll ignore that as a matter of convenience