A Quick Guide to Australia Day for International Students
One of the first public holidays on Australian calendar in the new year is Australia Day public holiday.
In this blog, we are giving you a quick guide about Australia Day in Australia.
What is Australia Day?
Australia Day is celebrated on 26th January each year.
Its historical background dates back to 1788 as a commemoration of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 British convict ships at Port Jackson NSW.
Now a days, it is celebrated as a day where we reflect on the history, its highs and its lows.
There are many ceremonies, parades, cultural events, citizenship ceremonies takes place on this day.
Why is Australia Day also called “Invasion Day”?
Many international students wonder why Australia Day is also called as an “Invasion Day”.
Australia’s indigenous people also known as First Nations People consider Australia Day celebrations as a celebration of Invasion, genocide of aboriginal people.
They consider it as a day of mourning as it marks the beginning of colonisation of their country and the loss of their land and culture.
There is a campaign to change the date to another day in the year as it is marked as an Invasion Day for the aboriginal culture in Australia.
You can learn more about this perspective by seeking out and attending events that acknowledge the history and celebrate Indigenous culture.
Many universities and other workplaces in Australia have started giving an option to their employees to work on 26th January instead of taking a day off. They are offering alternative day off to those staff members who decide to work on 26th January.
Few activities you can do on Australia Day public holiday
Many Australians these days consider Australia Day as just another public holiday. Here are some of the activities, students can do on their day off on this public holiday.
1. Attend marches and local activities
You can attend marches and events that explain about the pain and hurt of the aboriginal culture for this day. Some local governments organise activities like morning breakfast, concert, local tour and parties. Check the local council website to see what’s happening in your local area.
2. Go to beach
Australians love going to the beach and one of the favourite activity for many Australians is heading toward the beach to catch some cool waves and enjoy with friends.
3. Have a Barbie
Invite some friends over and organise a typical Australian style BBQ or barbecue. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can also enjoy a meat-free BBQ as well. You can head to a local park or do it in your own backyard. Want to know some BBQ etiquette? Check our popular article on that here.
4. Play cricket
Summer means Cricket in Australia. Even if you are not familiar with this sport, you can join to play it with locals and they will be happy to explain the rules. Don’t be shy in asking to join if you see locals playing it. Common places to play includes beach, backyard & local parks on the day.
5. Try Aussie treats
Have you heard about Pavalova, Lamingtons, Vanilla slice, Tim Tams? No! Try them out. Treat yourself to some Aussie deserts. And if you are person, who like to stay indoors, then catching up on some Aussie flicks like The Castle, Mad Mex, Crocodile Dundee and Muriel’s Wedding is a must.
6. Buy the merchandise
You can buy plenty of True Blue merchandise from local businesses. You can even head to local supermarket to pick some merchandise as well. Want to go extreme with it? Get your face tattooed.
7. See fireworks
Local governments also organise fireworks for the residents during the evening on Australia Day. Check your local state or territories planned fireworks and make bookings, if required. Keep in mind, there are different restrictions at the moment in many states and territories.
Whatever you plan to do this Australia Day, we suggest that you to understand and be respectful about the cultural significance of this day.
