Australia Day in Australia

Australia Day is the Australia’s official national day celebrated every year on the 26th of January. It used to be called “Anniversary Day” and today it is also called “invasion Day” or ANA day. Australia Day is observed to mark the docking of the First Fleet at Sydney harbor in 1788. The British claimed the area of eastern sea coast of Australia and this is the day that Australia is believed to have been officially formed.

Celebration of Australia Day

Although this holiday was observed since the early days, it was not until 1988 that there was a boost in the way this day was celebrated and from 1994 it began to be celebrated as a national holiday by all the States and Territories. Australia day is considered to be one of the most popular national events in Australia today.

On this day, there are concerts, fireworks, community barbecues, sports events and other public and private events held all over the nation. The committee which coordinates these activities is the National Australia Day Council which has local committees in each State and Territory.The festivities in Sydney harbor are particularly interesting with the highlight being boat races using ferries and ships. Also very popularis the Voyages Concert and the People’s March. In Melbourne, there is alot of focus on multi-culture and the festivities highlight the different aspect of the people who come from different cultural backgrounds but contribute to the creation of the colorful mosaic of Australian society. The Perth Skyworks are also a great crowd-puller and considered to be the largest event held on Australia Day.

Another important feature of this day is the numerous citizenship ceremonies which are held at different locations all over the country. These ceremonies are conducted in honor of citizens who have newly acquired Australian citizenship. They take an oath and affirm their allegiance to their newly adopted country.

National awards are also presented on this day, one of the best-known ones being the Order of Australia Awards and the Australian of the Year award which is presented to an Australian who has significantly contributed to Australia and its community.

Music and entertainment programs are held such as the Big Day Out, The Triple J Hottest 100 and the Australia Day Live Concert which is broadcast on national television channels.

Australia Day is a day which makes most nationals proud to be Australians. It gives them an opportunity to renounce their commitment to their country and reinforce their allegiance to the country by acknowledging and thanking the country for what it has given them and continues to do so. All in all, Australia Day is a day when Australians can really celebrate their citizenship