BBQs, swimming, beaches, yard games, oh the joys of summer! Going from one month of winter back in the States to full-on summertime here has been no issue with me. Australian summers are full of fun, just like they are back home. It’s true that Australians love their land and all that comes with being an Aussie. Let’s discover the fun of some Australian goodies and traditions: Australia Day!
Australia Day (or just Straya Day to locals) is a national holiday celebrated the 26th of January. It’s the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (from australiaday.org). Aussies from all over get together with friends and family, similarly to how we Americans do on the 4th of July. There are BBQs galore, yard games, fireworks, and all-around good times.
We celebrated Australia with our friends in Victoria Point, a coastal town southeast of Brisbane.
What We Ate on Australia Day
One of the best parts of celebrating is eating good food with good friends. Here’s what we ate:
- Snags (sausages thrown on the barbie, may or may not be eaten with slice of white bread)
- Prawns (large shrimp that you must de-shell to eat)
- Lamingtons and fairy bread (photo below)
- Beetroot (what Aussies call pickled beets)
- Vegemite (because, of course!)
Another cool highlight of the day was getting to experience a little game of cricket. I decided to watch the game, but Caleb got right in there and did a really good job! Cricket is seemingly similar to American baseball, but there are some twists. Instead of a pitcher, there is a bowler. Instead of running bases, the batter and a designated runner dash straight lines back and forth to score runs. If you’d like to see some footage of Caleb playing, click here. If you’re more interested in understanding the game click here.
While it’s the middle of winter in January for the US, it’s full-on summertime in Australia. Getting used to the seasons being flipped was fun and interesting to experience! What are some of your favorite summertime family traditions? Let me know below in the comments section!