August 1 is National Day in Switzerland. The day, a national holiday since 1994, the holiday marks the anniversary of the signing of the Federal Charter of 1291, an act that created the present-day Switzerland.

Swiss National Day is celebrated with displays of paper lanterns, bonfires, parades, and the flying of the Swiss Flag.

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Swiss National Day

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Bastille Day

Monday, July 14, is Bastille Day, the French national holiday that commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, an act that led to the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy in France.

In honor of the occasion, the people that make Pernod, the tasty French anise-flavored liqueur, have shared with us their recipe for Poussin (that's French for Cornish game hen) with Pernod. It's a nice recipe for any festive occasion.

Poussin Pernodine
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 oz (25g) butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
2 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon chopped parsley salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons oil
4 poussin (Cornish game hens)
1/2 pint (300ml) chicken stock
1 tablespoon Pernod
2 egg yolks
1/4 pint (150ml) single cream

Directions:

1. Mix together the fennel seeds, mixed herbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the inside and outside of the poussin.

2. Heat the oil in a large casserole, add the poussin and fry on all sides until golden brown. Add the stock and Pernod and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 40-45 minutes until the poussin are tender.

3. Remove the poussin from the stock and keep warm while preparing the sauce. Blend together the egg yolks and cream, add to the stock and cook gently, stirring, until the sauce is thickened. Do not allow to boil. Add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

4. Mix the parsley and lemon rind. Place each poussin on a plate, pour the sauce around it and sprinkle with parsley and lemon.

Serves four.

^{(photo © peng/wikipedia commons)}

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Chicken with Pernod for Bastille Day

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Midsummer’s Day

June 17 is Independence Day in the small island nation of Iceland. The holiday commemorates Iceland’s independence from Denmark in 1944. It also marks the birthday of 19th century leader and supporter of independence, Jon Sigurosson.

Independence Day in Iceland is celebrated with parades, usually led by brass bands, patriotic speeches, and a poem read by the Fjallkonan (woman of the mountain), a symbol of Iceland’s fierce national spirit. After the official proceedings, the celebration takes the form of a street party in most urban areas, with food, drink, national costumes, and live music.

^{(flag image © CIA World Fact Book)}

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Iceland Independence Day

Author James Joyce is something of a national treasure in Ireland and each June 16th, the nation celebrates the events depicted in his greatest work, “Ulysses.” The book follows Leopold Bloom and his wife, Nora on June 16, 1901 and the holiday, aptly named “Bloomsday,” recreates these scenes with pub crawls, street parties, dinners, and other events throughout Ireland and abroad.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

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It’s Bloomsday!

We’ve been talking a lot lately about July 4th, but (of course) the United States holiday isn’t the only Independence Day that we’ve written about here at All Holiday Cafe…and we’ll be covering more (Bastille Day is coming July 14th). Below are just a few of our Independence Day posts:

Philippines Independence Day (June 12)

Italian Republic Day (June 2)

Texas Independence Day (March 2)

Lithuanian Independence Day (February 16)

Sri Lankan Independence Day (February 4)

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Independence Days around the World

June 10 is Portugal Day. It is the Portuguese national holiday and commemorates the day the poet, Luís de Camões died in 1580. Camões penned “Lusiads,” an epic poem telling the history of Portugal.

The day is marked by music, parades, and other festivities. The celebration is not limited to Portugal. Countries with sizeable Portuguese populations, including Brazil, Macau, India, Canada, and the US also celebrate Portgual Day.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

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Portugal Day

June 2 is National Republic Day (”Festa della Repubblica”) in Italy. The day marks the anniversary of the referrendum in 1946 that created the Republic of Italy. Prior to 1946, Italy had been a monarchy.

The day is similar to July 4th in the United States and July 14 (Bastille Day) in France. It is a public holiday in Italy and commemorated with a large military parade in Rome, fireworks, concerts, and other patriotic events.

^{(photo © Trifi/cc license)}

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Italian Republic Day

May 21 is a popular festival day in Greece. Not only is today the feast day for Greece’s patron saint (and mother of Emperor Constantine I), Helen. It’s also the date of five regional festivals. Being celebrated in Greece today are:

May 21st – Throughout Greece – Feast of Saints Constantine and Helen
May 21st – Corfu – Unification of the Ionian Islands
May 21st – Rethymnon – Battle of Crete
May 21st – Kassos – Vrisi – festival with songs and dancing.
May 21-23rd – Agia Elleni near Serres – Anasternaria fire walking.
May 21-23rd – Langada near Thessaloniki – Anasternaria fire walking.

^{(photo of Sts. Constantine and Helen © G. Stworzt/cc license)}

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A Sextet of Greek Festivals