So what is it?
Turns out that Australia Day celebrates the arrival of the ‘First Fleet’ of British settlers. Or, in other words, it celebrates the invasion of Australia by the British. Some groups, including the indigenous population, not surprisingly, in fact call it Invasion Day, and it is not a date to be celebrated but rather a good day for a protest. For obvious reasons there is a lot of controversy surrounding the day. Drinking beer and having a barbecue doesn’t seem quite right when you’re celebrating invading a country and doing a good job of ruining the lives of the indigenous tribes. But, like all holidays, while it is based on historical events, I think the majority of people here see it as a day off work and a good excuse for a party. And who can blame them when it’s this hot outside? Plus, whether you believe it’s right or not, the descendants of those European invaders are still the ones who run this country so you can hardly blame them for celebrating their own history I suppose. To make things clear, I’m not condoning the way the indigenous population is treated now, but that’s a very long battle that is far far away from being solved.