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Australian Festivals
Here you can find a short list of Australian festivals. The majority of these events are celebrated in other countries as well. There are nonetheless some uniquely Australian festivals.
1st January: New Year's Day
It is celebrated in the whole country, especially in the capital city. The celebration begins the evening before, when there are usually fireworks on the ocean and a large number of people waiting in the biggest squares for midnight to come.
26th January: Australia Day
This national festival is a commemoration of the first British settlement in New South Wales in 1788. The Prime Minister writes a letter to the nation and it is broadcast in every state and territory. People can also win prestigious prizes, such as the "Order of Australia" or "Australian of the Year" if they have achieved important goals.
March/April: Easter [E1]
The celebration begins on Good Friday and goes on until Easter Monday. Easter is celebrated in the whole continent as an important event, both for its religious meaning and for the strong traditions associated. Children are given chocolate eggs and bunnies, but in Australia the Easter bunny has been lately replaced by the bilby, which is a native endangered animal species. The rabbit is an imported animal in Australia and it is associated with damaging the fields. Aussies are trying to replace the traditional symbol with this native animal also to make people more aware of the importance to preserve it from extinction. Easter is also the occasion for family gatherings having lunch with roasted vegetables and meat (potatoes, pumpkins, beef, chicken or lamb). In the country there are several shows on Easter day, the most famous is the Sidney Royal Easter Show, where people celebrate both the Australian bush heritage and the modern city life.
25th April: ANZAC Day
ANZAC is the acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. This day is, in fact, celebrated both in Australia and in New Zealand and it is the commemoration for all the troops who have fought in the wars. This particualr day has been chosen because it reminds the battle of Gelibolu (Turkey) [I1] in World War I.
Second Monday of June: Queen's Birthday
This celebration always occurs on a Monday, so Australian have a three-days holiday with the weekend. In Western Australia this celebration occurs intead in late September or early October. On this occasion there used to be a strong tradition of fireworks but it has been now replaced by New Year's Eve, so there no important shows anymore. However, in Australian Capital Territory the sale of firework is legal only durind this holiday. In Australia this holiday is also the opening of the winter ski season.
Labour Day
The date varies by states and territories. This holiday commemorates the first eight-hours work day established in 1871.
25th December: Christmas
Christmas in Australia is in early summer, so the traditions of this holiday are different from the ones of other countries. In Australia there are flowers and plants that have become common in this period and have taken the name of Christmas plants (Christmas bush, Christams orchid etc.). Families gather together at home, but recently it has also become usual to spend the day on the beach. The common Christmas dishes are seafood, ham, turkey, salads, fresh fruit, Pavlova cake and ice cream puddings. In Australia there are famous Christmas carols and some of them are authentic Australian, such as The Three Drovers, by John Wheeler:
Across the plains one Christmas night
Three drovers riding blithe and gay,
Looked up and saw a starry light
More radiant than the Milky Way;
And on their hearts such wonder fell,
They sang with joy. 'Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!' |
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The air was dry with summer heat,
And smoke was on the yellow moon;
But from the heavens, faint and sweet,
Came floating down a wond'rous turn;
And as they heard, they sang full well
Those drovers three. 'Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!' |
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The black swans flew across the sky,
The wild dog called across the plain,
The starry lustre blazed on high,
Still echoed on the heavenly strain;
And still they sang, 'Noel! Noel!'
Those drovers three. 'Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!' |
There are also plenty of other festivals in Australia, especially music festivals (jazz in particular). Every state and territory sets up many performances and shows during the whole year: the most famous are set in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
