A recent poll published in the Daily Mail has branded the English the least patriotic nation in Europe.
Almost half of those surveyed said they thought that their country had lost its identity in the face of European interference and political correctness. Only a third were aware that 23rd April is St George's Day and four out of 10 have no idea why he is England's patron saint.
Just one in 10 of the English would be happy to fly the national flag, compared with one in three Dutch people willing to fly their own tricolor.
The survey showed that on average, English people rate their patriotism at slightly below six on a scale of ten, behind the Scots, Welsh and Irish and far in the wake of the Dutch, the most patriotic people on the continent.
Somewhat disturbingly, the report also highlights the fact that people are actually more patriotic than they appear to be … but in today's society, they are forced to hide their true feelings. More than one in four people said they were afraid of being branded as racist if they were to show their patriotism in public, but four out of ten said they would happily express their national pride behind closed doors.
Despite calls from public figures ranging from the Archbishop of York to Gordon Brown for more celebrations of the English national day, there has been clear disapproval from many public authorities. In 2008 St George's Day parades were banned by local authorities in Bradford and Sandwell in the West Midlands on the grounds they could cause trouble or were unhealthy and tribal.
Data from the survey showed that 6% of English people are scared to show the English flag and around 18% are worried that if they do they will be instructed by officialdom to take it down.
Most Patriotic Countries in Europe (level of patriotism out of 10)
Netherlands - 7.20
Scotland - 7.11
Wales - 7.06
Italy - 7.01
Ireland - 6.72
Spain - 6.57
France - 6.44
Germany - 5.81
England - 5.80
The Dutch were rated as the most patriotic European country at 7.18, while the French scored 6.44 and the Germans' love of country was ranked just ahead of the English at 5.81. While the patriotism of the English was rated the lowest in Europe, Scots ranked their patriotism at 7.11, the Welsh at 7.06 and the Irish at 6.72.
So, what this survey is saying is that in the Netherlands only 72 people in every 100 actually demonstrate their patriotism - and this qualifies them as Europe's most patriotic nation. But where does Bulgaria fit into this? Why were no Bulgarians included in the survey? Could it be that the Bulgarian level of patriotism is actually much higher? Let's find out …
Check out our website at: www.movetobg.com to let us know how you really feel about Bulgaria. Let's see if we can knock the Dutch off the top spot …
Almost half of those surveyed said they thought that their country had lost its identity in the face of European interference and political correctness. Only a third were aware that 23rd April is St George's Day and four out of 10 have no idea why he is England's patron saint.
Just one in 10 of the English would be happy to fly the national flag, compared with one in three Dutch people willing to fly their own tricolor.
The survey showed that on average, English people rate their patriotism at slightly below six on a scale of ten, behind the Scots, Welsh and Irish and far in the wake of the Dutch, the most patriotic people on the continent.
Somewhat disturbingly, the report also highlights the fact that people are actually more patriotic than they appear to be … but in today's society, they are forced to hide their true feelings. More than one in four people said they were afraid of being branded as racist if they were to show their patriotism in public, but four out of ten said they would happily express their national pride behind closed doors.
Despite calls from public figures ranging from the Archbishop of York to Gordon Brown for more celebrations of the English national day, there has been clear disapproval from many public authorities. In 2008 St George's Day parades were banned by local authorities in Bradford and Sandwell in the West Midlands on the grounds they could cause trouble or were unhealthy and tribal.
Data from the survey showed that 6% of English people are scared to show the English flag and around 18% are worried that if they do they will be instructed by officialdom to take it down.
Most Patriotic Countries in Europe (level of patriotism out of 10)
Netherlands - 7.20
Scotland - 7.11
Wales - 7.06
Italy - 7.01
Ireland - 6.72
Spain - 6.57
France - 6.44
Germany - 5.81
England - 5.80
The Dutch were rated as the most patriotic European country at 7.18, while the French scored 6.44 and the Germans' love of country was ranked just ahead of the English at 5.81. While the patriotism of the English was rated the lowest in Europe, Scots ranked their patriotism at 7.11, the Welsh at 7.06 and the Irish at 6.72.
So, what this survey is saying is that in the Netherlands only 72 people in every 100 actually demonstrate their patriotism - and this qualifies them as Europe's most patriotic nation. But where does Bulgaria fit into this? Why were no Bulgarians included in the survey? Could it be that the Bulgarian level of patriotism is actually much higher? Let's find out …
Check out our website at: www.movetobg.com to let us know how you really feel about Bulgaria. Let's see if we can knock the Dutch off the top spot …
For advice, assistance and information about Moving to Bulgaria, we recommend that you visit our website at MovetoBG.com - and for accommodation options, resources and services, we suggest Bulgaria Gateway
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