Israel's Big Day Out
Mention the 4th of July to someone on the street,
and most people know you’re talking about Independence Day in the USA. Mention the 5th of Iyar and you
will probably have people scratching their heads. Ask about Iyar 5th in Israel however, and
they will gladly tell you all about Israel’s Independence Day - a modern national
holiday unlike any other!
This year, the celebration falls on 6th of May,
and as each day in the Hebrew calendar starts at sunset the evening before, it
is the night of the 5th that the party gets started. Crowds hit the streets - young, old, middle
aged and children, all ready to greet you and spray total strangers with shaving
foam and silly string! Cities host open
air concerts that are free to all with music and dance. Flags are the order of the day and people
walk around, proudly bearing their national symbol emblazoned on hats, blow up
hammers and flags draped around their shoulders as a sign of solidarity and
survival. The party goes on late into
the night, with fireworks and general fun-loving revelry, long after the
concerts have finished and the shaving foam canisters have run out!
The next day, the city wakes up a little later than usual,
but it is not too long before everyone is out once more to enjoy the fine day
and grab their favourite picnic spot on the beach or in the park. Fly-overs and sail-bys, BBQs and
beaches, family and fun are the order of the day, and unlike many some
countries, beautiful, sunny weather is all but guaranteed! Smoke rises from parks and picnic sites
around the country as families and friends lay out rugs, food and fan their
BBQs into flame. It is impossible
to walk around without salivating with the smell of cooked delicacies all
around you. And then the entertainment
starts. Aircraft of various
kinds begin
to fly over in formation, some performing manoeuvres of speed and agility like
the jets, and others lumbering by more slowly like the huge cargo carriers and refuelling
planes. Then, before the noise of the
engines has died away, fleets of military vessels begin to appear on the
horizon of the Mediterranean and chug past, glowing with different coloured
smoke flares and sounding their horns. And somewhere in the middle of this, you
suddenly see parachutists begin to drop in from the sky, landing on the beach
with coloured smoke flares firing from their ankles.
By now the food is ready and the enjoyable feasting begins and
lasts throughout the day. Children play,
adults sit relaxed and chatting away, the energetic play ball games and the not
so energetic sunbathe or snooze in the afternoon heat. There is work and school tomorrow, but nobody
is in a hurry to pack up and go home.
Today is a good day to be thankful for a nation, and be thankful to be
alive.
For more information about the history of Israel's Independence Day click here