inventing tradition

[primadonna]

Are there any examples of modern nations inventing traditions/history in order to create feelings of unity and nationalism?

[Ewood27]

In Hitler's Germany the Nazis tried to promote the idea of being direct successors to the medieval Teutonic knights and linking further back into myths and fables to give them extra credence. I don't think it made much difference to most Germans. It just gave the higher-ranking Nazis a chance to dress up in medieval robes. Is that the sort of thing you mean?

[Drewhound]

The Scottish tartan is a fairly modern example, the Cornish kilt is a very modern example

[bernardo]

the Welsh National Eisteddfod was invented/ developed/ evolved in the 19th century but in the style of "as if" it were an ancient mediaeval thing which goes back to the dark ages.

[bernardo]

The Notting Hill Carnival
The Annual Gay Pride March/ Festival
some things evolve fairly rapidly and get well-established within a few years. All traditions start somewhere, so it just depends how far you go back.

[woofgang]

Kwanzaa is a conparatively recent festival I think...

[woofgang]

yup, it dates from 1966 http://melanet.com/kwanzaa/whatis.html#history

[primadonna]

thank you all! i've been doing some research on scottish nationalism and was interested to learn about the history of,for example,kilts(thanks drewhound). The fact that they are a scottish icon said to represent the various celtic tribes of the highlands, when they were in fact a 'modern' invention by an english quaker,was interesting. I was curious to know what other nations have used icons/myths to construct similar feelings of nationalism.

[linseli]

St patrick's day parades in the US? The first one was in Boston in 1737 (so fairly ancient in US terms) but they're now in 100 US cities including ones that have never had much of an Irish population. Plus back in 461AD when Patrick died I don't think anyone coloured the rivers green!