Episode 004 | Cultural Celebrations in Australia #EnglishwithanAussie
JINGLE:
Hello everybody and welcome. I’m your host Adriana, and you're listening to English with an Aussie, the no. 1 podcast spoken entirely in slow English.
INTRODUCTION:
In today's episode we'll be discussing popular cultural celebrations that you can only find in Australia. In the lead up to this episode, I released a poll on my YouTube channel asking you guys what cultural celebrations you’d like to hear about. So as voted by you, we will be discussing Australia Day and The Moomba Festival. Stay tuned until the end where I chat about my all time favourite event in Australia - The Carols by Candlelight. Well without further adieu, let’s jump in.
What is culture? We hear this word thrown around a lot but it can be difficult to define. So let me guide you through it. Culture can be defined as all the ways of life that are passed down from generation to generation. According to a range of leading sociologists, there are five key aspects that are shared by all human societies: (1) values and beliefs, (2) languages, (3) symbols, (4) rituals and (5) social norms. These aspects provide a framework within which we all live and work. Things such as what we wear, the art we create and the languages we speak at home all play a role in our own individual culture. For Australia, however, a country that consists of over 8 million migrants, culture is complex. In essence, the culture of Australia is primarily Western, originally derived from the United Kingdom due to the arrival of the First Fleet in the year 1788. But Australia’s culture traces far further back due to its native citizens called the First Nations People who are made up of two distinct Indigenous groups; the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people. As you will come to learn about, when we touch on the Moomba festival, the First Nations people bring their unique practices, ceremonies and languages all throughout Australia.
AUSTRALIA DAY:
Alright let’s start our episode today with the no. 1 most requested cultural festival - Australia Day. Australia Day is celebrated every year on the 26th of January. This day marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. The First Fleet was a group of 11 ships from Great Britain carrying convicts, soldiers, and settlers to Australia. They landed at what was then called Sydney Cove, in New South Wales. You see, the day originally commemorated the founding of the colony of New South Wales. But, over time, it has grown into a celebration of all things Australian. People enjoy firing up their barbeques and throwing on some sausages or hamburgers. Definitely not shrimp though, as everybody seems to think we do - A) because shrimp is an American word, we call them prawns, and B) most Aussie barbeques are heavily centred around meat. If you live in the heart of Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne you can watch spectacular firework displays. And, if you’re a migrant in Australia, special citizenship ceremonies are held across the country. This is where new citizens are officially welcomed, and celebrated for their commitment to Australia. It's a proud moment for participants as they take the pledge, receive certificates, and join in the national celebrations, becoming part of the diverse Australian community. One thing is for certain though, Australia Day would not be Australia Day without a trip to the beach. From as early as 6am in the morning friends and family pack up their picnics, and their cricket sets and pile into a car to make the most of their day. The beaches are illuminated with Australian flags, swimming costumes and even inflatable floats in the shape of thongs or Australian animals. On a sad note - not everyone sees Australia Day the same way. For many Indigenous Australians, January 26th is actually a day of mourning. It marks the start of British colonisation and the hardships that followed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Some call it "Invasion Day", others "Survival Day" to recognize this history. But look, despite differing views, Australia Day remains a significant date in the country's calendar. So whether for fun or whether for reflection, Australia Day is a time for all cultures to come together and celebrate diversity.
THE MOOMBA FESTIVAL:
Well, you guys asked for it - The Moomba Festival. The Moomba Festival is a fun and lively event held every year in Melbourne. It usually takes place over the Labor Day long weekend in March and is Melbourne’s biggest community festival, having been celebrated since 1955. The word "Moomba" means "let's get together and have fun" in the local Aboriginal language. Moomba perfectly describes the festival's spirit as it is an event to bring diverse people together to celebrate Melbourne’s culture and community. Moomba features live music, carnival rides, and food stalls. Families can enjoy puppet shows, magical acts, and face painting. One of the highlights of Moomba is the colourful parade where people march through the streets. The parade includes dozens of floats - which are colourful decorated vehicles that showcase vibrant themes, creative designs, and cultural displays. Community groups, schools, and organisations create these floats, which are accompanied by performers, dancers, and musicians, adding to the festive atmosphere and celebrating Melbourne’s diverse culture. The two main attractions of the Moomba Festival are the Birdman Rally and the Moomba Monarchy. Let’s start with The Birdman Rally. This is where people dress up in funny costumes and attempt to fly homemade contraptions over the Yarra River. The goal is to see who can travel the farthest before splashing into the water, creating lots of fun and as you can imagine, a lot of laughs. Now, since 1955, a King and Queen of Moomba have been crowned every year. In the early years, Moomba Queens were chosen by way of beauty and Kings were often popular film, TV or entertainment personalities. Over the years, the monarchy cancelled the beauty pageant and now welcomes all influential Australians to the running. For example, did you know in 2013, Moomba didn’t just crown one person, it crowned all of Victoria’s emergency service volunteers to honour their heroism? Every year the festival ends with a spectacular fireworks display over the Yarra River. So, whether you enjoy thrilling rides, watching quirky competitions, or simply soaking up the festive vibes, there's something for everyone at Moomba. It's a time when Melbourne comes alive with excitement and joy, celebrating the city’s unique culture and community spirit.
VISIONS CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT:
Finalising the list, finally, is my all time favourite and most cherished celebration of the year - The Carols by Candlelight which is held every Christmas Eve at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. For those of you who might be wondering what a Christmas carol is, a “Christmas carol” is a traditional song or hymn that is sung during the Christmas season. These songs typically focus on the themes of Christmas, such as the birth of Jesus Christ, joy, peace, and goodwill. In 1938, a radio announcer by the name of Norman Banks got the idea of starting a concert after walking down the street and seeing a woman through her window, singing to Christmas carols by a candlelight. He thought it would be wonderful if people could come together and sing carols by candlelight as a community. And is what happened. The event quickly grew in popularity and now it’s held every year in Melbourne. Thousands and thousands of people gather with candles lighting up the night sky with a soft glow. The atmosphere as you can probably begin to imagine is magical. Families and friends bring their picnic blankets and enjoy the festive evening outdoors. Afterall, Christmas in Australia is in the summertime. The event features performances by popular singers, bands, choirs, and musicians. Everyone joins in to sing beloved carols like "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and a crowd favourite "The Jingle Bell Rock.” Carols by Candlelight is also broadcast live on T.V, so people all over Australia can enjoy the festivities from home. Another cool thing about the concert is that it raises funds for Vision Australia. Vision supports blind children with services such as education, technology, and support programs. Attendees and people watching at home can call up and make a donation to ensure visually impaired children receive vital assistance, making the event not only a joyful one, but also impactful for those in need. Now, on a side note, you can bet that every single Christmas Eve the only thing on my “to-do” list is to SING, and sing loudly. As tickets are just about impossible to purchase, my mum and I bring the Carols By Candlelight concert into our lounge room. We transform the lounge room into our own music bowl with candles, tinsel and Chrtismas snacks and together wait for the same exact moment every year to find out - who will sing our most favourite Christmas Carol? Now I know, I know, it might sound a bit corny, but this is one thing that cannot be missed. After the carols are finished at around 11 o’clock we pile in the car with family members and friends, and tour the neighbourhoods to view Christmas light displays. Every year the displays get bigger and better. We call this tradition “light looking”. Now, of course you COULD go and see the lights on any day of December, but there is something nostalgic about seeing them the night before Christmas.
REFLECTIONS:
Well if you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for sticking around. But unfortunately it’s time to say our goodbyes. Just to remind you, today’s episode was all about Australia’s most famous cultural celebrations. We first took a moment to define culture and how it shapes our daily lives. As requested by you, we spoke about Australia Day and the Moomba Festival held in Melbourne’s CBD. To close the episode I spoke wholeheartedly about my favourite cultural celebration - Visions Carols by Candlelight. A big shoutout goes to those of you who helped shape the direction of this episode, I hope that you all learned a little something new! Next episode, we’ll be diving into some English grammar. Here I’ll be discussing the mysterious world of Phrasal Verbs. If you would like to join my inner circle and receive free content such as the entire transcript of this episode, please join my Facebook group. I’ll leave the link in the description. Once again, thank you everybody. You've been listening to English with an Aussie.
VOCABULARY:
- poll : a sampling or collection of opinions on a subject, taken from either a selected or a random group of persons, as for the purpose of analysis.
- sociologists : an expert in the development, structure, and functioning of human society.
- social norms : informal rules and social standards that define acceptable and appropriate behaviour within groups or communities.
- convicts : a person found guilty of a criminal offence and serving a sentence of imprisonment.
- cricket : Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that is played between two teams of eleven players.
- inflatable floats (floatie) : an inflatable object, often fancifully shaped, designed to support the body in water and intended for recreational use.
- mourning : great sadness felt because someone has just died.
- parade : a public procession, especially one celebrating a special day or event.
- contraption : a machine or device that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated, and often badly made or unsafe.
- puppet : a movable model of a person or animal that is typically moved either by strings controlled from above or by a hand inside it.
- cherished : the pleasure of love or caring about someone or something that is important to you:
- broadcast : the act of transmitting programs from a radio or television station
- corny : when you describe something that is either worn out or overly sentimental.
- nostalgic : a state of longing for or thinking fondly of a past time.
- wholeheartedly : doing or done with all one’s energy, enthusiasm and sincerity.
