> On a less flippant note. My school celebrated 150 years when I was there and I remember it was called the "150th
Anniversary", no frills. I don't remember any clever words being used for any anniversaries. I don't even remember any
"bicentennials" of anything British.

Unusual, Jo. I thought you would have remembered that this year is the bicentennial of the British Act of Union which dissolved the Scottish and Irish parliaments and incorporated the two countries into the United Kingdom. Thanks, in great measure, to the 1798 rebellion in Ireland (another bicentennial).

The Australian bicentennial was a celebration of the 'discovery' of Australia by Captain Cook in 1788 and, as far as I remember, highly controversial.

As far as centenaries and bicentennials go we tend to celebrate institutions rather than events. A day of commemoration for a battle or historical event is commemorated only as long as there are survivors from that period. Otherwise the general day of commemoration is used.

The most recent event I can think of here was the 125th anniversary of the Irish Rugby Football Union which was celebrated with a match between the Barbarians FC and Ireland. Certain other events such as the 1916 rising are celebrated each year only by the government and die-hard republicans (although separately and for different reasons). To everybody else it is just an insignificant historical event.