Day 143

Sunday 26 Jan 2014

Happy Australia Day!

So many of my friends from the States have asked – what is Australia Day?  Well…

“Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, and raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip. In contemporary Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community.”  Thank you Wikipedia.

So, in a way, it’s almost the reverse of our July 4th / Independence Day.  It’s the day that Britain claimed the land as July 4th is the day we declared our freedom from England.

But, being here, it is so much more than that.  It is truly about celebrating the essence of Australia, the people, the land and all that Australia has day in and day out.

Today, the 26th, is the celebrated day every year but because it falls on a Sunday, the national holiday falls on the Monday.

BBQ coming up!