Happy Australia Day!

[icyfroth]

All very low-key this year, and who knows if it will be celebrated at all in the years ahead, the way efforts are being ramped up to bring it down.

Still, it's a typical blazing hot blue sky like nowhere else in the world, the crickets are chirping and someone even had their  mowers going this morning.

The radio is playing traditionally Aussie songs, like "True Blue" by John Williamson, and "I still call Australia Home" , by Peter Allan. "I Come From a Land Down Under", by Men at Work.

My favourite has always been "I am Australian", by the Seekers.

[icyfroth]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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It's unifying. Or it was. Until the activists decided to use the Aboriginal cause to piggyback their agenda on.

[imastawka]

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@lyhargr_0 wrote:

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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But. but. but can we still have a holiday????? 

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UnAustralian not to, really

[joztamps]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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It's unifying. Or it was. Until the activists decided to use the Aboriginal cause to piggyback their agenda on.

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It ceased to be unifying when Howard started using it as a divisive weapon in his Culture Wars

[the_great_she_elephant]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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It's unifying. Or it was. Until the activists decided to use the Aboriginal cause to piggyback their agenda on.

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Which 'agenda' are you referring to?

[myoclon1cjerk]

Unifying? Balderdash.

[the_great_she_elephant]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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It's unifying. Or it was. Until the activists decided to use the Aboriginal cause to piggyback their agenda on.

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Which 'agenda' are you referring to?

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Could it possiby have been this? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-27/far-right-proud-boys-symbols-in-melbourne-frightening-frydenb...

[springyzone]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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But do you really think that is how it is celebrated in Australia?

In our country, I see very little flag waving. Some, but not overly much.

I'd say most aussies just look on it as a holiday, a time to maybe have a BBQ with family or friends around. 

Historically (or over the last few years anyway) it has been used as a day when people obtain their citizenship papers, which makes sense as it is a holiday for most, so they would be free that day.

Do we need almost anything we have? Do we need fireworks on NY eve, do we need Christmas, do we need weddings or birthday parties? The answer is probably no in the literal sense, but I think a lot of these occasions give us time for reflection. A pause for thought.

You could say we can reflect on things anytime but what I have found is anytime often ends up being no time.

A national day doesn't have to be a day where we're up screaming that we're better than everyone else etc. What I would like it to be would be a chance to look at our history and some of the things that have shaped our nation (I know this is my achilles heel as I am interested in history) and perhaps as I said earlier, it could be a chance to change focus into some sort of fund raiser towards improving our future.

[springyzone]

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@lyhargr_0 wrote:

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

I've never really understod why any country needs a National Day anyway. i mean, if you know in your own heart  that your country is so great   why do you need a special day of  flag waving and  speechifying  to announce the fact  to the rest of the world.. 

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But. but. but can we still have a holiday????? 

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Absolutely!

Maybe we could have it in July, which is when the 'first' Australia Day was held.

There's not much in the way of holidays around July, whereas we already have a lot f time off in Dec/Jan.

I can see a nice little break mid year being very welcome.

[myoclon1cjerk]

That's what my family and friends do on Australia Day. We gather together and we ponder,we pause and we reflect. Then we all head off down to Woolies and buy up all the hand sanitiser and toilet paper, because if Australia day does something, it unites us all.

[katistrophik]

I am still pondring the necessity for all that toilet paper, should you take it with meals or without?