Australia Day

Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community.

The meaning and significance of Australia Day has evolved over time. Unofficially, or historically, the date has also been variously named "Anniversary Day", "Foundation Day", and "ANA Day". 26 January 1788 marked the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia (then known as New Holland). Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on 26 January date back to 1808, with the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales held in 1818. On New Year's Day 1901, the British colonies of Australia formed a Federation, marking the birth of modern Australia. A national day of unity and celebration was looked for. It was not until 1935 that all Australian states and territories had adopted use of the term "Australia Day" to mark the date, and not until 1994 that the date was consistently marked by a public holiday on that day by all states and territories.

Brooklyn-Queens Day

Brooklyn-Queens Day, also sometimes called Welcome Back to Brooklyn Day and Kids Day, is a public school holiday observed in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

The holiday originated in the early 1860s, when the New York State Legislature authorized Anniversary Day as a school holiday in Brooklyn, although banks remained open. It was first celebrated on May 28, 1861, on the 32nd anniversary of the founding of the Sunday School Union, a powerful Protestant organization. The law set the first Thursday in June as the day for future holidays.

In 1898, when the City of Brooklyn was consolidated into the City of Greater New York, the city's Board of Education would not recognize Anniversay Day. After vociferous protest, the Board reversed its decision in 1902. A local law reaffirmed the holiday, to celebrate "'the founding of the Sunday school movement in Brooklyn," in 1905. The name of the holiday was later changed to Brooklyn Day, and then, in 1958, because of the number of people who moved from Brooklyn to Queens, it was changed again to Brooklyn-Queens Day, and the day of the celebration was moved to the weekend.