Did you ever find yourself on vacation stuck in the middle of a random street festival or spontaneous fireworks display and wonder what the hell was going on? Did you ever stroll down a quiet lane only to be overtaken by drunken revelery in the form of manic flag wavers on ferocious benders? Perhaps you found yourself in a foreign city, aimlessly lost and hungry, with every shop, convenience store and museum in view shut down for the day, with absolutely no idea why.
If any of this conjures unpleasant flashbacks or sounds at all familiar, you somehow, by complete fluke, found yourself amid a national celebration and holiday of some sort. A more thorough inspection of your guidebook would probably have done the trick to enlighten you on your destination, perhaps from the comfort of your window seat on the airplane.
Maybe prior investigation is not your bag. You welcome the element of surprise and prefer to wallow in blissful ignorance. Fine. For those of you not too proud to receive some information about national (and regional for that matter) holidays, please check out these awesome celebrations with bonus advice on where to secure the best vantage point. No more looks of confusion as you get swept up in another foreign parade or street conga line again!
Most would naturally name Sydney or maybe Melbourne as the best city in Australia to celebrate the national holiday held every January 26. While the capital hosts a wicked party, with much activity on the harbour and other points of interest, from a ferry and tall ships race to fireworks displays and surfer demonstrations, Perth makes for the most charismatic destination on the big day Down Under. The Lotterywest Skyworks spectacle on the riverfront draws enthusiastic crowds that hover around the half million mark and illustrates the spirit of the day.
Other notable events across the country include an address by the Prime Minister (yawn) and civic honours, such as the Order of Australia and the Australian of the Year (usually an Olympic swimmer or member of Savage Garden). When you take a slug from your Foster’s and watch the fireworks in Perth, try to forget that because Australia Day marks the arrival of the British, many Aboriginals and sympathisers are not as eager to celebrate on January 26.
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Canada’s birthday, held every year on July 1, marks the occasion in 1867 when the British colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia became cozy with Ontario and Quebec to form the first incarnation of the country. The last traces of British rule were thrown off in 1982, believe it or not, with the Constitution Act of Canada. Thus, July 1 is not a celebration of independence such as July 4 in the United States of America, but more of a birthday celebration, which we suppose is typical of peaceful Canada.
Citizens of the Great White North are not liable to launch themselves into wild tantrums of fierce patriotism, much like their cousins to the South. However, Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, is a terrific place to be on July 1, when hundreds of thousands storm Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal to watch fireworks, live musical acts and drink plenty of Molson Canadian of course.
Independence Day, United States of America, July 4
No matter what your opinion of America’s somewhat brash display of national pride at times, Washington D.C. is a place you want to be on July 4. The National Mall, that huge swath of open space between the Washington Monument obelisk and the United States Capitol dome, hosts a massive party, with one of the best fireworks displays imaginable, great concerts with top musical acts - albeit with a surfeit of songs like “God Bless America” - and of course, tons of good ol’ barbecue.
In fact, Fourth of July celebrations across the United States would be inconceivable without the smell of meat over charcoal and sulphur from stockpiles of dangerous fireworks. The nondescript stench of weak, warm American beer too. Nonetheless, the capital region is a great place to watch the spectacle of Independence Day, with all of the iconic symbols of America, from the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, to the White House, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and much, much more, within plain sight.
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Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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July 2nd, 2008 at 8:07 am
[...] Best National Celebrations ICanada’s birthday, held every year on July 1, marks the occasion in 1867 when the British colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia became cozy with Ontario and Quebec to form the first incarnation of the country. … [...]
July 12th, 2008 at 12:35 am
[...] Best National Celebrations II [...]