In 1727, the great composer George Handel was given his trickiest assignment yet: to write a piece that was literally fit for a king. George II had come to the throne and he wanted a new anthem for his coronation.

The result of his labours, Zadok the Priest, has been used at every coronation since, and will be sung again at the coronation of Charles III in Westminster AbbeyA large church in London. Many British kings and queens are buried there. on Saturday. It is a soaring, triumphant piece, fitting the grandeur and solemnity of a once-in-a-generation occasion.

But outside the pomp and circumstanceThe ceremonial formality surrounding a big public event. due to unfold in the Abbey, the British people are celebrating in a different way: with outright silliness.

Argos has released a lifesize cutout of the new king. HeinzAn American food company known for its tomato ketchup. has released a commemorative "tomato kingchup" for people to put on their Bank Holiday weekend breakfasts. Celebrations has produced a 23kg bust of Charles made entirely of chocolate. It took 17 litres of the sugary stuff and four full weeks to sculpt.

Some have got sniffy about this outbreak of silliness. They say the coronation is a dignified occasion and we should treat it with respect.

Others, however, say we should embrace the nonsensical side of the coronation. As an occasion, they say, it is hard to take it seriously. An old man will ride through London in a golden cart. Another old man will use a special 700-year-old spoon to put oil on his hands, chest and head. A new official quiche has been released for the occasion. None of it makes sense.

What is more, they suggest, that sense of silliness has the power to bring the British people together like nothing else.

British humour has always had a taste for the absurd. This goes as far back as ShakespeareAn English playwright and poet who is often called the greatest writer in the English language. , who made farceAn absurd situation, or an absurd and comic play. , satire and mistaken identity a mainstay of his comedies. One of his most popular characters, John Falstaff, is a buffoonish drunk who captivates the young prince Henry V with his irreverenceLacking respect for things which are normally taken seriously. towards stuffy court life.

Some even think this sense of joy in the absurdity of life is what has kept this country going. Britain is, in one form or another, one of the world's oldest continually-existing states.

In the 1,200 years of its history, it has suffered invasions, civil war, plague and famine. The best way of coping with all these blights has been to find humour in the absurdity of it all.

For example, during the BlitzA German bombing campaign against the UK between 1940 and 1941, during World War Two. , a hairdresser in London narrowly escaped being hit by a bomb. The owner responded by putting up a sign inviting customers to come in for "a close shave".

Psychologists say humour comes with a number of benefits. It can reduce feelings of anger, anxiety and depression.¹ And it can create a sense of cohesion. People who work in difficult, traumatic jobs, like paramedics, often use gallows humourIronic humour in a hopeless situation, such as jokes about death. to process their feelings about their work and create a sense of solidarity.

At a time when people are struggling with the cost of living and anxious about the future, some say, having a good laugh might be the best thing for us.

Yes: Even the palace seems to have noticed people cannot take the ceremony entirely seriously, otherwise it would not have released a commemorative emoji for the occasion.

No: For some, the coronation is no laughing matter. Some think we should take our national traditions much more seriously. Others say it is obscene to spend so much on a single event when people are struggling financially.

Or... Britain is a country that is increasingly uncertain about its identity. The problem is that no-one is quite sure what they are celebrating on Saturday - or if we are all celebrating the same thing.