Annually, every 21st of March, Harmony Day is being celebrated and this year more than 3,500 events were held to showcase Australia's contemporary cosmopolitan society.
Food fairs, singing, dancing, movie nights and concerts will display cultures and traditions from every corner of the globe.
Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Zed Seselja says Harmony Day is a great opportunity to celebrate our diverse cultures and our respect for each other.
“Harmony Day is a wonderful, vibrant and colourful reminder that we are one of the most diverse and yet socially cohesive nations on earth,” Assistant Minister Seselja said.
“This is a day that helps us appreciate the enormous benefits of cultural diversity while understanding that first and foremost we are all Australians and we all belong.
“The glue that binds us together and confirms our sense of belonging is mutual respect.
Cultural diversity has contributed enormously to Australia’s development and prosperity, adds the Assistant Minister. “Harmony Day is a good time to reflect on all these benefits as we enjoy the feast of cultural activities taking place”.
“The messages of Harmony Day can be lived by each Australians every day, but it is great that we have set aside one day to highlight them and celebrate what we have achieved together,” Mr Seselja reiterates.
Get involved through:
Registering an event by visiting www.harmony.gov.au
Checking the calendar on the website to find events near you
Liking, following and sharing using #harmonyday and #everyonebelongs on:
Facebook: Harmony Day_AU
Twitter: @HarmonyDay_AU
Instagram: @harmonyday_au
Facts and figures
There are some fascinating statistics about Australia’s diversity that can be good conversation-starters:
- around 45 per cent of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was
- we identify with about 300 ancestries
- since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia
- 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia
- apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, Spanish and Hindi
- more than 60 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.
These facts are taken from ABS 2011 Census Data. Check out the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
