What’s The 'Right' Way To Celebrate Australia Day?

We asked members for their thoughts on the national holiday. Here’s one thoughtful response.

“Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!”

Yes, us Aussies can get caught up in our busy lives of rushing to sport, work or helping round the house, but when it comes to annual celebrations, we are definitely on top of it.

From the Boxing Day Test and the backyard cricket games, or the classic weekend BBQ, Aussies always seem to find the best way to celebrate every special day in our calendar.

However, have you ever thought of what Australia Day really means? Do you think of it as ‘Invasion Day’? Should we be celebrating Australia and how we came to be or should we think about the struggles Indigenous Australians had to go through when Captain Phillip took possession of NSW and raised the British flag?

I believe everyone needs to decide for themselves how they would like to acknowledge Australia Day. On that note, here’s how I would personally get the best out of my day.

I would firstly hold the Australian flag and dress in an Aussie way. To me, the Australian flag means a lot. It means that no matter our past or where we came from, we are now all one. We all have one thing in common and we were all able to come together to create this wonderful thing.

Secondly, try to do something multicultural. Australia is a multicultural country and we are proud of that. My family tradition is to head out to Yum Cha. It represents the strong backbone Australia has; to stand up for everyone and include everyone, no matter what. This may not symbolise what happened when the white settlers arrived, of course. But as Kevin Rudd stated in 2008: “Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation's history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.”

Finally, celebrate Australia Day by celebrating! Watch some fireworks, walk the Harbour Bridge, have a party, catch up with the family, visit museums and check out Australia’s history or even visit another state or city.

Have fun. Just don’t forget the other side of the story and have a good think about what everything really means to you on Australia Day.

Congratulations to Emma for winning our weekly writing challenge, answering the question: What's The Best Way To Celebrate Australia Day? Emma wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!

Photo: iStock