Trafalgar Day
Trafalgar Day | |
---|---|
21 October | |
Next time | 21 October 2024 |
Frequency | annual |
Trafalgar Day is the celebration of the victory won by the
on 21 October 1805.History
The formation of the
The year 2005 was the bicentennial of the Battle of Trafalgar, and the
Trafalgar Night
On 21 October each year the commissioned officers of the Royal Navy celebrate the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar by holding a Trafalgar Night dinner in the Officer's Mess.[4]
At a Trafalgar Night banquet or dinner, a speech is usually made by a guest of honour who ends it with a toast to "The Immortal Memory ..." (The rest of the wording of the toast varies depending on what is said in the speech).[a] On 21 October 2005 (the 200th anniversary), at such a dinner the traditional toast was given by Queen Elizabeth II:[4]
- "The Immortal Memory of Lord Nelson and those who fell with him"
Such dinners also occur each year on or around 21 October in locations other than Royal Navy ships.[4]
The
The British ambassador in Washington hosts such a dinner at which the guest of honour may be a senior officer in the United States Navy.[6][5]
British celebrations
Another aspect of the Birmingham celebration is that the statue is regaled with swags of laurel and flowers, possibly[original research?] due to its location by the wholesale flower markets of the city. This tradition, marked through most of the nineteenth century, was revived in 2004.[citation needed]
In Edinburgh, citizens commissioned the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill in memory of Admiral Lord Nelson. Weather permitting, the Trafalgar flag signal "England expects that every man will do his duty" is flown on Trafalgar Day. Looking like a tall stone telescope, the Nelson Monument contains a time ball which drops at 1 o'clock daily.[8]
The village of
In Gibraltar, the Trafalgar Day service takes place at the Trafalgar Cemetery, where the senior Naval Commander reads an extract from the Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper, the first periodical to report on the battle. Some sailors died in Gibraltar of wounds received at Trafalgar; they are buried in Gibraltar. HMS Victory, with Nelson's body on board, underwent repairs in Gibraltar prior to sailing for Britain.
In the Isle of Man, John Quilliam, 1st Lieutenant of HMS Victory in 1805, is buried in the graveyard of Kirk Arbory, Ballabeg. An annual parade and church service takes place on Trafalgar Day.[9]
International celebrations
The victory is celebrated in Nelson, New Zealand (named after Horatio Nelson), usually in Trafalgar Square and sometimes involves pupils from the local Victory Primary School. Many streets in Nelson are named after Trafalgar and crew members of Victory.
The victory is celebrated each year in the Australian town of Trafalgar, Victoria, in which the small town of 2,200 holds an annual Battle of Trafalgar Festival with the Trafalgar Day Ball held on the Friday or Saturday closest to 21 October each year.
Notes
- ^ The precise wording varies depending on what is said in the speech. For example, in 1997, Admiral Jerome L. Johnson (USN) ended his Trafalgar Night speech in Washington with:
"To the immortal memory of Admiral Lord Nelson"[5]
while in 2016, at the end of his Trafalgar Night speech in Washington, Admiral Sir Philip Jones (
First Sea Lord) said:To the immortal memory of Horatio, Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte and Vice Admiral of the White, and to those who fell with him.
"The immortal memory"[6]
References
- ^ Walsh, William Shephard (1897). Curiosities of popular customs and of rites, ceremonies, observances, and miscellaneous antiquities. J.B. Lippincott Co. p. 940.
- ^ Bannister, Sam (21 October 2013). "Royal Navy marks Trafalgar Day with ceremony on board HMS Victory". The News.
- ^ "May Day bank holiday plans unveiled". BBC News. 4 March 2011.
- ^ a b Admiral J.L. Johnson (15 October 1997). "Trafalgar Night speech". navy.mil. Washington Navy Yard. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ a b First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones (24 October 2016). "Trafalgar Night speech in Washington DC". gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ "Trafalgar Night". National Museum of the Royal Navy. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ "Nelson Monument". Edinburgh Museums & Galleries. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- ^ "Hero to be remembered on Trafalgar Day". Isle of Man Newspapers. Retrieved 22 October 2019.