Quick Australia Day quiz
Belinda Humphries
Why do we observe Australia Day?
Anyone who said it was when Australia was discovered, go and sit in the corner and think about what you just said. Anyone who said it was when Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet arrived in 1788, high-fives. OK I’m done with the history lesson.
Someone once said you can judge a country by how its people celebrate their national day.
The Swiss celebrate with lightshows as a reminder of how the people were told of the foreign bailiffs’ expulsion in the 14th century. Belizeans hold a beauty pageant called Miss Queen of the Bay, for she’s a symbol of freedom. Gibraltarians release 30,000 balloons into the air to represent the people. While the Germans take a little longer they do it properly with the month-long beer festival, Oktoberfest.
If we were to take a step back and look at how we celebrate our day, what does it say about us?
We go to street festivals, outdoor concerts, backyard BBQs with the cricket on the television and go to the beach. So we love our music and arts as much as we adore our sports and outdoors. We’re also a country whose national song is about a sheep thief, so we clearly have a sense of humour too.
What are your plans for Wednesday? Are you hitting our beautiful coastline, heading to a community event or relishing in Aussie freedom and using it to mooch on the couch?
It is going to be a very hot day on Wednesday, so Im thinking of sleeping in, enjoying some air-con and maybe cleaning my house. I don’t really get into the aussie day festivities, especially on a Wednesday. Does that make me? unaustralian
nick of St Peters
So, I’m making sausage rolls & firing up the BBQ with friends in Clovelly. Hopefully this good weather holds & I’ll get in some beach action. We’re so lucky to have so many great outdoor places in Sydney.
Brad of Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW
Brilliant Blog Post, Love it.
We’ll be having a family bbq and hopefully watching on telly the aussie’s win the one-day series in Adelaide.
Peltroniks of Baulkham Hills, NSW.
@Nick - Not at all. What would make you unAustralian is if you drank Heineken or New Zealand Sauv Blanc while cleaning your house. Make it a VB or a wine from the Margaret River. Enjoy your relaxing day.
@Brad - Sounds like bliss! Have fun. Just don’t forget the 30+. As Nick said above, it’s going to be a really hot one.
@Peltroniks - Thank you, glad you like it. Some good quality family time is great on Australia Day.
Here’s hoping the Aussies can bring it home for us. I wonder if Michael Clarke will take the advice of the teenager last week?
Belinda of TrueLocal.com.au
This Australia day I will be picking up bits of foam from a futon mattress that my dogs dragged around the backyard. I think there are about 10,000 little specks around the place. I suppose the fact I will curse them makes me Australian? Or does the cous cous lamb say it better? lol
GetYouOrganised of Ryde
