Australia Day
The Australia Day is Australia's official national holiday and on January 26 celebrated. It commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on January 26, 1788.
Celebrations
Australia Day is a public holiday. For a few years it was celebrated on the nearest Monday to make a long weekend possible. Today it is celebrated on the actual anniversary; however, if it falls on a weekend, the following Monday is also free.
A variety of events are traditionally held on Australia Day. These include being awarded the titles of the Order of Australia and Australian of the Year, as well as addresses by the Governor General and the Prime Minister. Cities and municipalities often celebrate this day with fireworks . The largest Australia Day event takes place every year in Perth , where more than a third of the population line the banks of the Swan River .
criticism
For the vast majority of Australians, Australia Day is just an ordinary holiday and they are therefore neutral about the celebrations. A minority of the population, especially the native Australians, the Aborigines , view the holiday with great skepticism: They complain that the arrival of the British had a considerable influence on the lives of the Aborigines. The day is referred to by those as Invasion Day or Survival Day and in this context it is criticized that the day ultimately celebrates the submission of the Aborigines.
Suggestions for changing the date
It has already been proposed to make ANZAC Day the Australian national holiday or, alternatively, to postpone it to January 1, in commemoration of January 1, 1901, when the six independent Australian colonies merged to form the Commonwealth of Australia . Proponents of the current situation argue that January 26th is a historic date, comparable to the French national holiday or the United States' independence day .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Patrick Zoll: Australia's national holiday is also a day of mourning In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung of January 27, 2018