What is a nation? Is it just an abstract idea, something people imagine they are part of, without really being able to explain it? In the last few months, our columnist Čarna Jovanović has been on a mission to find out how each European nation tries to turn an abstract idea into something concrete - with the help of fireworks, music, weapons - and, yes, bread rolls.

When I started this article I was in the South of France, on a language séjour, surrounded by many people of different nationalities. After one day at the language school and after saying "Bonjour! Salut! Ça va? Ça va" many times, I realised that I just couldn't be in a more perfect place for writing this article. Just the evening before, I had been chatting with a group of people from Germany, Finland, Spain, India, France and Switzerland. So I decided that from now on, they would all be my precious walking sources in my investigation of national holidays.

Photo: Rama

Paris, 14th of July: Republican Guards in the military parade

Let's start with France. Their national day is the 14th of July, the day of the fall of the Bastille in 1789. But that day also symbolises the French revolution and the values which were then proclaimed. Those values are written on every public institution and every Frenchman knows the words Liberté, égalité, fraternité ("Liberty, equality, fraternity"). As I was in France on the 14th of July, I experienced the day first-hand, and I was surprised by the passionate excitement with which the French celebrate. All night I was listening to the horns of cars beeping and in the morning I saw many flags hanging from people's windows. During the day, the live broadcast of the ceremony in Paris and the military parade was extremely popular and a lot of French people from all over the country went to Paris just to be part of it.

That evening, many people went to the highest hill in Montpellier to watch a big firework display with the theme of Fraternité. The whole event started, of course, with the hymn Marseillaise and then a lot of different music followed. It's a really special date for the French, and they celebrate it in a way that respects traditions (with the Marseillaise, flags and an emphasis on history) but also following some modern trends with techno music, DJ parties and bowling.

Not all French people are enthusiastic about Bastille Day. My French professor said that for her, the day isn't a big deal; she doesn't even go every year to see the fireworks, and the military parade in Paris isn't one of her favourite things. However, it would be unthinkable for the 14th July celebration not to take place, because this day isn't just proof of nationalism but a symbol of the Republic.

Photo: Čarna Jovanović

Fireworks in Montpellier on Bastille Day

Shortly after the French national holiday comes the Swiss National Day on the 1st of August. On that day in 1291 Switzerland was born. This is the party of the year for the Swiss, but without military parades or grand speeches. But since the Swiss are really hardworking (it seems this isn't just a stereotype!), they don't get the whole day off work in order to party all day. The celebration begins at noon and continues till evening, with fireworks and music. The fireworks are let off from mountains and hills as a reminder of the expulsion of the foreign bailiffs in the 14th century. The children march through the streets at dusk with candles. And everywhere, the flags of Switzerland and of the individual cantons are flying. Even the bakers get involved, decorating their rolls with little Swiss flags. (The rolls are known as 1.Augustweggen, "1st of August rolls.")

Photo: David Edgar

A Swiss 1.Augustweggen

The main message of this year's celebration was the unity of the whole Swiss nation. But does the official "meaning" of the day filter through to ordinary people? I asked one of my Swiss friends what this day represented for him. He said that its historical background isn't really important to him - though he then added, "but there are a lot of people - patriots - for whom this day has a great value." Nevertheless, he thinks it's good to have a day like that to spend with family, have a barbecue and in the evening drink a few beers and let off fireworks.

National day in Serbia is celebrated a little bit differently. During the last twenty years, the country has changed a few of its important dates as the name of the country and the regime changed. Today the national day is celebrated on the 15th of February, which is not only the day when the first Serbian uprising began in 1804 for autonomy, but also the day on which the first Serbian constitution was written in 1835. The ceremonies take place on the same spots where these historical events happened. The president, prime minister and large numbers of politicians always lay laurel wreaths there with all state and military honours. And since the 15th of February is a religious holiday, liturgy is an important part of the ceremony. It's a more traditional and serious way of celebrating, without music or real partying. But why do we Serbs celebrate differently? Maybe it's because we have other holidays which we consider to be more important, or perhaps we are just not used to this being our national day, because it was only established recently and still isn't a real tradition.

These three different ways of celebrating shows three important aspects for each of these countries. These are the aspects of which the country is proud or which played an important role in its history. For some countries, it's revolution; for others it's unity or religion. By looking at the ways in which a country celebrates important days, it is possible to see the image that country has of itself, and how it wants others to see it.

Photo: Ovidio Calvo

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

Which historical events do other European countries celebrate on their national days? Sweden began celebrating the 6th of June as a national day in 1983. But the tradition of celebrating this day began earlier, at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in 1916, in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523: that event was considered to be the foundation of modern Sweden. Germany celebrates the day of its formal reunification on the 3rd of October 1990. The other choice was the 9th of November, when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. But as Nazi-led pogroms against Jews took place on the same day in 1938, it wasn't really an option. Like the national day in Serbia, the 3rd of October is a young tradition in Germany, and hasn't really established itself yet.

The National Day of Spain, or Hispanic Day, is the 12th October, which commemorates the date in 1492 when Christopher Columbus first set foot in America, as well as being the feast day of Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora del Pilar), patron virgin of the Hispanic peoples. The day is also known as Columbus Day, and the USA and many South American countries observe it - but not all South Americans are happy about that. To find out what the artist Jota Castro had to say about it, turn to our interview with him. In Spain there is always a parade led by the military, with aerobatics performed by the Spanish Armed Forces.

Each country celebrates the day which marked its past but also traced the country's path into the future. The results of my investigation were mixed: it seems that these celebrations are not necessarily so important for individual people, but perhaps their importance is much greater if we consider the whole nation. Although they may not always succeed in doing so, national holidays have the potential to affirm our national identity and draw us together as members of one nation.