It is virtually inarguable that Cup Match is the Bermuda holiday, not just because it is unique to the Island, but because it celebrates the Bermudian identity most fully.

That's no surprise; the match was begun by the lodges as part of Emancipation Day celebrations and also coincided with Somers Day to make for a joint celebration of Bermuda's heritage.

This year's events were especially significant because they marked the 400th anniversary of the wreck of the Sea Venture and the 175th anniversary of Emancipation.

And 50 years ago, the Progressive Group staged the Theatre Boycott which brought the curtain down on segregation in public places and led inexorably to universal adult suffrage.

For all of that, it is difficult to escape the sense that this anniversary year is not being celebrated with much enthusiasm.

That's no fault of the organisers, who, along with former Culture Minister Dale Butler, have worked diligently to put together events to celebrate the year. They have had to grapple with a massive cut in their budget as a result of the economic downturn as well.

But one has the distinct sense that Government as a whole has not been that enthusiastic about this event, and that was especially brought home when the Premier missed last week's events because he was on holiday.

This was brushed off by the Cabinet Office as a "coincidence" and perhaps it was. But it seems to demonstrate how little importance is attached to the anniversaries.

That's too bad, because this could have been an opportunity to bring the community together to create a collective vision of where Bermuda should go over the next few decades.

That indeed was the idea behind Imagine Bermuda 2009, which was put together by private individuals several years ago to come up with a vision of a better Bermuda.

That has met with some success, not least by honouring the Progressive Group of 1959 and others including Nelson Mandela, who have done so much to end racism and segregation and to build a more tolerant society in Bermuda and around the world.

But without a push from the leaders of society, these kinds of efforts will always be more obscure than they should be.

It may be that a primarily black Government will look at 1609 with ambivalence. After all, there were no black people on the Sea Venture, and when people of African descent did come to Bermuda, they came in chains. So it is understandable that the settlement of Bermuda is not entirely a moment for celebration, any more than the Columbus Quincentennial in 1992 was overwhelmingly welcomed in the Americas.

But Bermuda needs to get to the point where it can look at the Island's history as a whole, and celebrate the achievements while remembering the failures and abuses. There is much to celebrate, and there are lessons to be learned as well.

That is true of all eras, our own no less than others. Indeed, the Cup Match holiday was marred by a serious altercation at the match itself and a road death, all against the background of continued political uncertainty and a sombre economic picture. These are just some of the problems we face today.

When people in 100 years look back at 2009, they will see both remarkable achievements and a sense of anxiety in these so-called isles of rest. And they will judge how we handled the challenges we now face, just as we judge our predecessors.