# Happy Commonwealth Day ! (a/k/a throwing off the bonds of Empire in a polite, legalistic way) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031 "2011-12-13T14:07:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/1 "2011-12-13T14:07:04Z")
The Statute of Westminster, 1931, is 80 years old this week!\* It marked the formal, legal acknowledgement by Britain of the independence and equal status of the then-Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Irish Free State, and Newfoundland). Done without bloodshed, in a nice, legalistic and generally polite way.\*\* So, how should we celebrate, Commonwealthers? should I send some poutine and Saskatchewan wild rice to Her Majesty? a case of Molson’s Canadian? - Yeah, it passed on December 11, and I’m a few days late. I’ve been busy. \*\* except in Ireland, of course ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/2 "2011-12-13T14:18:52Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > So, how should we celebrate, Commonwealthers? should I send some poutine and Saskatchewan wild rice to Her Majesty? a case of Molson’s Canadian? I’m having a nice cup of tea. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/3 "2011-12-13T17:57:39Z")
Why on Earth would you inflict Molson’s Canadian on anyone? You are so cruel! I might just have a nice cup of tea…seems like a good day for it (I love tea, but I don’t drink it regularly). Now the choice: Ceylon, English Breakfast, or one of the Greys? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/4 "2011-12-13T19:59:46Z")
Green? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/5 "2011-12-13T20:04:13Z")
Well, Mum and Dad just got a nice letter from Lizzie’s rep, the Governor General (have I mentioned that they’re having their golden wedding this Friday? Have I mentioned it _today_?) so I’ll raise a nice G&T in the direction of London this evening and say it’s nice to share in the wealth, even if we’re the ‘common’ part of it! ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/6 "2011-12-13T20:41:34Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Green? 🙂 The colour is most certainly NOT green! :mad: 😉 I actually settled for a Coke Zero… which tastes slightly different in the UK than it does here. I might still have tea later, though. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/7 "2011-12-14T01:16:10Z")
We used to celebrate Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) on 24th May. I’d like to see a revival of that custom. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/8 "2011-12-14T01:26:05Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > We used to celebrate Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) on 24th May. I’d like to see a revival of that custom. Here, 24 May is the traditional date for Victoria Day, aka The Queen’s Birthday, aka May Two-Four. It’s called May Two-Four because it’s the unofficial start of summer cottaging season, when you take multiple two-fours (24-can packages) of beer up to the cottage and go out in the canoe and get drunk and drop hot dogs and marshmallows in the fire and get lost on the way to the outhouse and sing and chase women or men (depending on preference) and generally have a good time). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-commonwealth-day-a-k-a-throwing-off-the-bonds-of-empire-in-a-polite-legalistic-way/606031/9 "2011-12-14T02:10:19Z")
:eek: 24-_can_ packages of beer? Heathen. Bottles are the only way to go. Just not Molson Canadian.