There’s a famous Crosby, Stills & Nash song that has the lyrics, “…And if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.” Substitute the word “one” with the word “country,” and my sentiments regarding celebrating Independence Day as an expatriate would be accurate.  

It’s true. I haven’t celebrated Independence Day on American soil in seven years. I still celebrate the Fourth of July no matter where I am, even allowing my children to miss school so we can barbecue and enjoy the day together. But I’ve learned to adapt to local celebrations in both France (Fête Nationale or Bastille Day on 14 July) and now this year in Switzerland (Fête Nationale Suisse on 1 August).

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be like Bastille Day with large military parades, jets flying overhead, memorials at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, outdoor parties and fireworks, or would it be closer to the American Fourth of July with flags flying, hot dogs grilling, marching bands, parades and fireworks? It turns out that Fête Nationale Suisse is a bit of both with a little something new thrown in. For one, it turns out that there is no unified celebration as there are 26 Swiss cantons, each one free to celebrate the day any way they think their citizens would enjoy. 

I ventured out early Saturday morning to see if there would be any celebrations in Lausanne but oddly enough the streets were empty. Later in the afternoon, I viewed a lot of celebrations across Switzerland on TSR1, including a couple of historical re-enactments. When the sun set here in Lausanne, I headed down toward Ouchy where the entire city’s residents seemed to be. Along the way, I could see Swiss flags flying proudly from balconies. Yes, there was a military band playing the Swiss National Anthem after all, along with greetings from the Mayor of Lausanne. Like in America, some people knew the national anthem by heart, while others needed the words supplied to them on paper as a reference. 

When dusk turned into night, the fireworks began and I realised had I been in Chicago in July, my celebration would have been a lot like this one; a comforting thought. There would have been lots of food by the lakefront (Lake Michigan this time), and of course fireworks at sunset.  

Since I am living abroad, I do miss out on national holidays back in the United States. While I enjoy celebrations here in Switzerland, I sometimes feel as if I'm betraying my home country. It's like the lyrics to another famous song by Mary MacGregor, “Torn between two lovers, feelin' like a fool." This time, substitute the word "lovers" with "countries" and you get the idea.

But I’ve learned some important lessons. First, if you spend too much time focused on the glories of your home country, not only will you miss out on the attributes that make your host country equally special, you’ll also miss an opportunity to reach common ground. For example, I now know that America doesn’t have a monopoly on national pride, freedom or democracy.

Second, if we are indeed comparing “countries” to “lovers”, then it’s the only time when you can love more than one at the same time without feeling the least bit guilty. I can celebrate three Independence Days per year – one for the United States (my home country), one for France (my adopted country), and now Switzerland (my host country).

Observing host country celebrations like Nationale Suisse doesn’t take anything away from me. Instead it offers a new global perspective and enriches my life experiences.

Text: Carolyn Moncel / Expatica 2009

Photo credits: Balloons on Swiss National Day by maggiew (Flickr.com, Creative Commons license; Fireworks on Swiss National Day by Alfo23 (Flickr.com, Creative Commons license)