In my final few weeks her in London I would say that I have learned about the British culture and history. What I have learned about the holidays that I had little knowledge on and how I feel as though I have become a part of the culture.
Prior to coming to England, I had little knowledge of what holidays were celebrated here. Sure, there are worldwide holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, both of which I have seen a great deal of decorations in anticipation of the holiday. For instance, since Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States, then there is a break between Halloween to Christmas. Christmas decorations go up in early November and you instantly get into the Christmas spirit. One holiday in particular that I wanted to take note of is Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is a day I which one remembers and pays tribute to those that have fallen in the line of duty in the armed forces during WWI. Throughout the month citizens wear a red poppy pinned to their attire to show their support. I found myself seeing so many people wearing poppies that it was amazing to see the amount of support for those that have fallen in the armed services.
In celebration of Reembrace Day I decided to attend the parade which was the commencement of the holiday. During the parade all of the royals were in attendance and standing among the crowd I could get a pretty good view of the Queen of England, The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles, and The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the other members of the royal family very well, but to be on the same street as them was great as well.
At first, I was in disbelief that I was seeing them in person, but after seeing the glances from others around me and them saying oh look there is the Queen, I was amazed. It is one thing to see them on the cover of magazines, on the front of memorabilia, and even portrayed in television and film, in such shows as The Crown, but to see them in person is another type of experience. An experience that I will truly treasure.
