Over the years, 26th January has been known by many names – First Landing Day, Foundation Day and Anniversary Day. It wasn’t until 1935 when it became Australia Day in all states except New South Wales, where it was still called Anniversary Day. However, by 1946, it was known in all states as Australia Day.

Took them a long time to sort that one out, didn’t it?

However, Indigenous Australians – the Aboriginal people, felt that the celebrations on Australia Day excluded them and their culture – a culture that had been thriving for thousands of years before the arrival of the First Fleet from Britain. Proposals have been made to change the date, but without much public support. You can read the whole story here www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day

On this day Australia also celebrates the achievement and contribution of notable Australians through the Australian of the Year Awards, by profiling leading citizens who are role models for us all.

Australia Day is a public holiday which means a welcome day off work for most, and all schools are closed. It’s a day for BBQ’s, the beach and back-yard cricket!
Community events are held in most city parks for the public to enjoy the fun, food, music and entertainment to suit everyone. The entertainment could include a Circus, Wood-chopping, camel/pony rides, face-painting, animal nursery, sheep shearing, blacksmith, snake shows – and of course, some tasty Aussie tucker (food)! It’s a day for everyone!

For those who want to celebrate on a smaller scale, there will be lots of bar-b-queues in back yards that day! We live out of town, so our street is having its own celebrations – the obligatory BBQ – and good food. Seafood is a must for most Aussies that day, so I’ll be picking up some lovely fresh Tiger Prawns to throw on the barbie! It’s also a good way to meet new neighbours who might be new to our area.

Sydney Harbour Regatta (the oldest continuous regatta in the world) where millions of boats and vessels race together in celebration – a fantastic spectacle!

 A lot of people just go to the beach for the day with family and friends to keep cool, as January is one of the hottest months of the year. Sounds like a good idea to me!

You can bet that whatever Aussies choose to do on the day, it will be FUN!

Anyone coming? Just bring your own drinks and you’ll be right, mate!

But what really makes this independence day special to me is that I finally get to see my mother and grandmother for the first time in 3 years. Even though now I am out of the military, I still have not gone home. See I am a man, who met a woman, who had a child, and now I made the sacrifice of living where my wife is, instead of taking her back to where I am from, which of course is what makes her happy, so therefore it makes me happy.

The plans for the day consists of hamburgers, hot dogs, grilling, swimming, little young ones running wild, fireworks during the day, and the grand finally at night. AH, yes the good ol’ American Independence Day with the family.

Okay, so it was not quite THAT long ago… but close enough, according to the disciples of the McRib sandwich from McDonalds.

That’s right, the McRib, that sauce-dripping concoction of pork-fried goodness is back. But, unlike the recent years, this appearance is marked by a distinct difference: this year, it will be available at all of the chains of the much-maligned McDonalds Corporation restaurants.

That has not happened since 1994, and, according to McDonald’s spokeswoman Tara Hayes, when speaking to AFP, the “McRib’s limited availability “helps to keep fans passionate about the product.” Only a sandwich “so delicious, so special, so elusive, and so legendary could create such a widespread affection among its fans,”

It’s either that, or something they put into the sandwich to make them more addictive. But “the McCrack Sandwich” does not have as nice of a ring to it.

People are ready to flock to the restaurants in droves, hoping their passion will be fulfilled once again.

Take note, however, that even though the sandwich will be available in widespread numbers this year, it will also only be available for six weeks. To some, this short time will be a slice brown, onion coated heaven. For others, not so much. The 26 grams of fat per sandwich is quite a turn off for many of the health conscious of today.

Finally, my friend says ” bon appetite.” For a second I watch mortified as all these people savagely pick away at “my ” body. Claiming their pieces by a ‘first come, first serve basis.’ Before I have time to collect myself, everyone is gone. I stand staring down at the ripped, cut, and sliced left over carcass of me. The last thing I think about before I awake is, “oh shit, what if they liked me so much that they want to come back for more?” So as dark as it was, I held my breath, and jumped in the deep end of the pool, in hopes of hiding for dear life.

Since summer is here, students and children have a longer school holiday over this time period. While children over there may get 2 or 3 weeks. Students here get 2 – 3 months. Students also get 3 times 2 other weeks off as a holiday break during the year.

As most stores and work places are closed during Christmas, we have to find other things to do, its a nice unique day of the year. We call family and friends over, to spend the day doing the following:

For the last few years, we have always gone to a restaurant to have breakfast (there is a 10% price increase during Christmas for almost all restaurants).

After that, we would head to the beach. This day would be the busiest day for any beach around here, as almost everyone is on holiday and have no where to go, and especially since it is summer! A great way to spend part of your Christmas every year.

Then at night we have a BBQ, after watching American television, I have learnt how the tradition is over there, but its just not the same. The closest thing to our night meal is ham.

Presents are mainly given to children, and the present factor of Christmas is not very strong. Friends may gift each other. People rather treat Christmas as something entirely different from the North.
People know that you should open presents on Boxing day; the day after Christmas, (I’m not sure if the northern open on Christmas day or Boxing day). But many still just open on Christmas.

The decorations include Christmas trees, house lighting and things to stick around the house. Probably about 60% of all house holds bother to put any decorations up.

Day light savings ends during the summer, meaning we have more daylight before it gets dark.

Although I find Christmas here special, I still wish to spend at least one Christmas in the snow!
Merry Christmas!

Yes – our home and native land is turning 142 years old this year. How will you be celebrating?

My family and I will be braving the onslaught of the first national airborne league of mosquitoes (Canada’s military budget is a little tight) to watch the fireworks display. We live just half a block from a river that glides lazily through our small city, and the fireworks are set off from the bridge. The effect of fireworks in the sky reflecting off the calm waters is spectacular!

Image by Loimere via Flickr

I’ve got steaks marinating for the BBQ, and I think I can rustle up some potato salad for a great Canadian summer feast to share with the in-laws who are expected to arrive sometime soon.

Image via Wikipedia

To all of my confused American friends, yes, our national holiday is July 1, not July 4. Do we have a July 4 here in Canada? Of course we do. We just don’t celebrate anything on July 4. (Unless it is someone’s birthday or anniversary or something on July 4, then you should go ahead and celebrate no matter what country you live in!)

So Happy Canada Day, and I hope those of you in other countries have a great national celebration on your day. How about writing a Triond article about your national holiday? It would be great to hear what customs and traditions you have.

379 U.S. 294 (1964), the issue was that the owner of Ollie’s Barbeque, McClung, only allowed sit down service to whites and not blacks.  Blacks were able to obtain food service only through a side window.  The Court decided that even though the restaurant’s customers were local, it bought many of its supplies through interstate commerce.  This was enough to bring it under the Commerce Clause therefore ending discrimination at McClung’s restaurant.  Since the Civil Rights Act only covered places of public accommodation, McClung turned his restaurant into a private club still only allowing whites to sit down service.