JEDDAH — Older generations might not grasp the idea of what the National Day means but the young Saudis have gotten used to it and now find it as an important day to celebrate. “As children we noticed every country in the world celebrating a specific day, parading on the streets of their cities, celebrating where they come from and how it was formed and we wished we had that as well but we were taught to conceal our love.” said Lama Sobahy, a mother of three who is happy that her children get to experience the true meaning of patriotism. “I'm glad my children don't have to conceal their love and can openly express it to their country so they can feel true patriotism and belonging to where they came from and who they are,” she said. Nationalism is a phenomenon through which individuals develop attitudes about their own and other nations. Such attitudes reflect the feelings that people have toward these objects and their sense of loyalty to them. These feelings of attachment are at the heart of nationalism and according to Dr. Khalid Al-Ogaily such a day of celebration might seem like just another vacation. Al-Ogaily, a socio-psychologist who has been working on research regarding human development in Saudi Arabia and the effects of patriotism on future societies, said: “Sense of belonging is very important for the development of individuals; one day means more than one can imagine.” The overall atmosphere on the National Day this year has helped individuals to celebrate freely and educate their children about its importance. “Selling of green items all over the major cities has caught my attention as buying a flag back when I was a child was so much of a hassle. Now it's at every corner,” said Hamza Mutabagani, a father of two. A flag might seem an ordinary piece of material but the meaning it conveys is priceless. Some department stores were offering discounts on every green item; others were selling custom-made National Day items. “People will always enjoy the idea of having a piece of item displaying where they came from; it just brings a sense of pride and joy,” said Al-Ogaily. Schools have prepared dances, plays and entire production for the National Day to be played out on Monday due to the long weekend. “We used to have similar productions but they never took to a specific date as it was not well known. But nowadays students know that after the National Day break there will be a full event at school,” said Najat Refae, a school owner. Refae's school is graduating its fourth generation this year celebrating over 40 years of education. “I wished a long time ago such a day was celebrated because it is a huge part of the education process,” Refae said. “This day might be celebrated once a year but it helps children gain confidence giving them a sense of pride, she added. Some children actually don't like that they get the day off. “We were supposed to celebrate at school; staying home kills the fun,” said Erum Shayif, an 11-year-old who was hoping to get to dance and enjoy the production at her school on Saturday instead of Monday.
