Britain’s final days of European Union membership have mirrored much of the divisiveness and rancor that dominated the Brexit saga. Throughout that ordeal, Britons sparred over what to do, how to do it, and whether it was the right course of action at all. While Brexiteers have lobbied (unsuccessfully) for Big Ben to “bong for Brexit,” those opposed to Britain’s departure have called for protests and vigils to mark the occasion.
Now that the day has arrived, though, these arguments have largely subsided. For those who would have preferred that Britain remain in the EU, today is a day of national mourning that marks the official defeat of their years-long struggle. For fervent supporters of Brexit, it’s a day of celebration—the culmination of years of waiting for Britain’s “independence day.”
But it’s not entirely clear if January 31 will be remembered as such a year from now, a decade from now, or even at all. Besides the British government’s decision to immortalize Britain’s departure with a commemorative 50-pence coin and a Downing Street light display, little effort has been made to formalize Brexit Day as anything resembling a national holiday. After all, how can a country create a new nationalist tradition around an event that has divide d the nation?
