Yes, We Do Have "July 4th" in Australia

...but no, we don't celebrate.

Independence Day, aka "The Fourth Of July", is an American holiday. I've been surprised, really, at the number of people I know who have asked me if Australia celebrates it, too. These are intelligent people, most are college educated and several have traveled outside the US. I'm not sure what to make of it. (and pssst... Australia doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, either...). 

By contrast, we've just celebrated something else.

Here in Australia, we recently celebrated the Queen's birthday. Queen Elizabeth II is, as many of my US friends will be surprised to learn, queen of Australia as well as England. The Queen's birthday is celebrated as a public holiday in June (except for in Queensland and Western Australia, who celebrate it in October... but let's not get too confused here...). Of course, the current queen's actual birthday is in April (but again, just keep your eye on the ball, OK?).

Before my US cousins start sniggering at this - keep in mind that Independence Day (which is traditionally July 4th) is in recent times celebrated on other days. Is YOUR hometown doing the fireworks and parade bit on the 4th? Probably not. You probably did it over the weekend, and had Monday as your day off. What's wrong with that?  Nothing!

Now, as some (if not most) of you know, I am now both American and Australian (dual citizenship), so I guess I'm entitled to enjoy both. However... it DOES feel a little weird for someone who's ancestors fought a bloody revolution against the British to cozy up completely to the queen, so I generally have ignored the Queen's Birthday. And because there are no reminders in Australia about America's Independence Day, I have been known to be a little absent minded about that holiday.

But not this year. This year I paid attention to QEII - and made a point of reading the new biography about her - "Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch" by Sally Bedell Smith (and I highly recommend it, by the way). It was my own little way of celebrating her birthday.

And I'm aware of that today is July 4th. There'll be no fireworks, hotdogs, or apple pie, but I will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" to myself and lift a glass in honour of the land of the free and the home of the brave. (Of course, technically it's July 3rd in the US - but it's July 4th where I am... but don't let it throw you, OK?)

Happy Birthday, America!