January 26th 2025
- Thread starter schneebly111
- Start date
- Tagged users None
But there needs to be some kind of significance behind it to desigate a certain date as a National day.
schneebly111
Club Legend
- Mar 23, 2023
- 1,491
- 3,014
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #305
Well we’ve got days to the winter solstice, the first full moon after the spring equinox, a date some people ran up some sand dunes in Turkey, an inbred old dude’s birthday which actually isn’t his birthday, a horse race no one cares about anymore, various days for agricultural shows, regattas, the achievements of workers (while worker’s rights are stripped away), and a day some British convict guards planted a flag here.
We really should recast our public holiday to actually have meaning because apart from Labour Day (even though we’re stripping workers of rights) the others don’t have any real meaning to modern Australia.
Proper Gander
Owl whisperer and secret agent
- Feb 15, 2015
- 34,610
- 77,305
Why?
What is the significance behind Christmas Day? Of those who even believe that Jesus a) existed or b) was the son of god, there is pretty universal agreement that real or otherwise the odds favour his not being born on that day to the extreme.
No need to be reductionist. Pretty clear there are cultural reasons beyong religion for Christmas.
schneebly111
Club Legend
- Mar 23, 2023
- 1,491
- 3,014
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #308
Definitely a social benefit to becoming our own country and identity, just that a very reactionary side of politics screams too loudly when the idea is mentioned.
The funniest thing is Big Ear’s visit last year made almost no splash in society. Even the Queen’s lays 2011 visit attracted some attention, Charlie’s tour was blink and you’d miss it. So irrelevant to the modern country
Proper Gander
Owl whisperer and secret agent
- Feb 15, 2015
- 34,610
- 77,305
I’m not sure why the issue is in federal hands anyway. Have the public holiday and let the states decide where to put it.
Of course in Victoria this will mean some sports event that they want to promote, but let’s just put an end to the Howard “National day of coming together” crap that is deeply hurtful to so many
Of course in Victoria this will mean some sports event that they want to promote, but let’s just put an end to the Howard “National day of coming together” crap that is deeply hurtful to so many
Proper Gander
Owl whisperer and secret agent
- Feb 15, 2015
- 34,610
- 77,305
And they started somewhere. A choice was made.
Culture has to start somewhere and pulling a date out of your arse seems as good a way of going about it as any other. There was no bullshit over Australia Day until it was made into an artificial celebration by a political toad for his own set of reasons.
schneebly111
Club Legend
- Mar 23, 2023
- 1,491
- 3,014
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #311
According to the bible Jesus would have to have been born in northern spring or summer due to it being too cold for shepards to be in the fields in Palestine at night in winter.
The early church wanted to take advantage of the pagan Yuletide festival as well as winter solstice traditions, where most of the Christmas traditions originate from.
Proper Gander
Owl whisperer and secret agent
- Feb 15, 2015
- 34,610
- 77,305
I’d say that sounds like a good reason to pick another day than the one we currently have.
- Sep 15, 2011
- 33,730
- 53,037
- AFL Club
- West Coast
No. There. Does. Not.
If we implement a system where the equivalent of the Governor General becomes elected, it will turn into a collective whinge about having yet another election on top of already too many layers of Government. The jingoism and suppossed social benefits about national identity will be something no one will care about. And it's not like whoever the elected Governor General is people will fawn over.
Oh, and we already are our own country.
Ok. Why don't you call it "just for the sake of it day".
schneebly111
Club Legend
- Mar 23, 2023
- 1,491
- 3,014
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #317
Lots of other nations (not just America) do it, or we could keep the current system where the PM selects the GG just the ties to the monarchy are severed.
So no one cares about the social benefits of national identity, yet one side of politics is screaming to high heaven that their day of national identity is being threatened?
Until we have our own flag, head of state and national day we are not a fully independent nation.
What are the benefits of being a fully independent nation?
- Sep 15, 2011
- 33,730
- 53,037
- AFL Club
- West Coast
That's pretty much what is for many people already. Only you are putting a pre-condition that the day needs to be 'meaningful' to all Australians, then declaring the proposal dead because it doesn't meet your conditions.
The WA Government is considering moving WA Day from June to November to enjoy better weather. This is because very few people feel any deep connection to the foundation of the Swan River Colony in the 1800s (it used to be known as Foundation Day but that was ditched a decade ago). I think you will find the decoupling of the day from colonisation has been met with a collective shrugging of shoulders. That same would be true of decoupling our national day from just one event in its 60,000 year history.
Last edited:
We already have lots of a sense on national identity. I think you are way overstating these suppossed 'social benefits' of becoming a Republic. Would make no material difference at all.
It's not the same at all. Your statement implies that no one in that electorate is allowed to hold Oz day celebrations at all. That's what the word banned means. When all they've done is to chosen not to celebrate the day and do citizenship services on another day, impacting no one but the new citizens and their friends involved.
It's ludicrous that the federal opposition leader is weighing in on local council issues. It's like LeBron James playing in the Big V
Imo the vast majority of Australians, including Indigenous don't actually care that much about the exact date of the holiday.
That's not to say that it shouldn't be moved but it's mainly just the loud fringes and the media going on about it, people out in the real world have endless day to day problems to worry about especially atm.
That's not to say that it shouldn't be moved but it's mainly just the loud fringes and the media going on about it, people out in the real world have endless day to day problems to worry about especially atm.
When has Dutton said this? Got a link?
I'm not familiar enough with WA politics to comment on the factors at play at the change of date for the WA day. However, at a national level, we are already well aware of how the reception has been at suggestions to change Australia day. Politically frought. Not even the Labor party are keen on it. A shrug of the shoulders it certainly has not been.
