Australia Day 2021: What is Australia Day, why is it celebrated?
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Australia Day 2021 will be unlike any other as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact everyday life for billions of people around the world. Australia Day will take place on Tuesday, January 26 and is an official national holiday in Australia. Express.co.uk has compiled a guide to explain what Australia is and how it works.
What is Australia Day?
Australia Day is commemorated each year on January 26, marking the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in New South Wales.
The national day also celebrates the raising of the British flag at Sydney Cove by Arthur Philip in 1988.
The First Fleet included 11 ships which set sail from Portsmouth to Australia, carrying the first prisoners which became the first European settlement in Australia.
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There are records which date back to 1808, which show celebrations of Australia Day taking place, however, it was not known as Australia Day at that time.
Since 1994, all of Australia has celebrated the day together.
Australia Day is a public holiday, which means many people are given the day off work.
Many Australians associate Australia Day with national pride and celebrate by flying the country’s flag from their homes, cars, businesses or any other place they can think of.
Why is the day considered to be controversial?
Some Australians see Australia Day as a symbol of British colonialism, particularly in light of the impact it had on Australia’s indigenous population.
Members of Australia’s indigenous population, the day is known as “Invasion Day” or “Survival Day”.
In January 2019, the country’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that starting from Australia Day 2020, all local councils would only be allowed to hold celebrations on January 26.
This decision caused widespread anger, with an estimated 80,000 people showing up to protest in Melbourne, with further rallies across the country.
How to wish someone a Happy Australia Day
There are no official greetings, but it is very common to wish people ‘Happy Australia Day’.
In addition, other positive messages such as the following may be shared:
“Wishing a very Happy Australia Day to everyone. Today is a significant day for every Australian and we must make the most of it.”
“Warm wishes on Australia Day to you. Let us celebrate this special day with special people to create some special memories for life.”
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