Australia Day in the USA!

“I’ve been to cities that never close down. From New York, to Rome, and old London town. But no matter how far or how wide I roam. I still call Australia home.

I’m always travelling, I love being free. And so I keep leaving the sun and the sea. But my heart lies waiting over the foam. I still call Australia home.”

– Peter Allen

While the USA may be my adopted home, I’m still an Aussie kid at heart. I’m not a super patriotic person, but this Saturday January 26, is that one day of the year where I can’t help but embrace and feel proud of where I’m from – it’s Australia Day!

Australia Day to me is like the 4th of July to the USA; it’s the official national day of Australia and is celebrated annually. The date commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. It is noted as a public holiday in every state and territory, with community festivals, concerts and citizenship ceremonies around the nation. For us Aussie’s, Australia Day has become the biggest annual civic event in Australia!

I don’t think a better song can describe my life right now than the one used in possibly my favorite tourism TV commercial ever… “I Still Call Australia Home.” This ad gets me every time…

Ah, so proud! *wipes tear*

A typical Australia Day celebration usually takes place outdoors (because it’s currently summer in the southern hemisphere!) and consists of throwing some burgers and snags on the barbie, cracking open a few beers (Note: Not Foster’s. Foster’s is NOT Australian for beer. Sorry America, but I can no longer let you go on living a lie!), and ending the day with a delicious dessert of which we like to call pavlova… or simply ‘pav’ if you really want to embrace your inner Australian and shorten every word possible!

Pavlova is a scrumptiously delicious meringue dessert topped with a pile of cream, an array of fruit (usually strawberries, blueberries and raspberries but it is super common to experiment with different fruit variations) and then drizzled with raspberry sauce! If you’re curious as to the recipe, you can find one using American ingredients here.

So, this Saturday, if you’re looking for an excuse to crack open a beer and spark up the BBQ, tell your mates it’s Australia Day and you’re getting into the spirit! Guys, this might also be a good excuse to give the wife or girlfriend if she wont let you have that guys night out.

Cheers!

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Tags: Australia, Australia Day, Pavlova