National Holidays and patriotism

Today is France’s Bastille Day and that country’s national holiday. The US had its own event ten days ago and this gets me thinking about the relation that could exist between these events and the sense of “patriotism” the general population can have in various countries. 

If there’s one measure that hard to quantify, it’s got to be Patriotism. In fact, it’s a blend of pride, loyalty, and willingness to defend one’s country, and it varies depending on how it’s measured. Several global surveys have tried to rank countries based on different indicators like national pride, belief in national superiority, and willingness to fight to defend it. 

Here’s a quick summary of what I found by looking at a variety of sources and surveys like YouGov, WIN/Gallup and ISSP among others... 

These rankings reflect more than just flag-waving—they’re shaped by history, conflict, national narratives, and even how comfortable people feel expressing pride. 

For instance, countries with recent wars or strong independence movements often show higher patriotism, while some developed nations may express pride more subtly or critically.
And you, how intense is your own patriotism?