And as January 26 approaches, questions are again being asked about whether we should celebrate as a nation on a day that for many represents the dispossession of Indigenous Australians, and which perpetuates their exclusion and suffering.

This analogy is useful but limited, because Australia Day is more complex and meaningful than New Year's Eve.

Questions of when and how to celebrate our nation evoke fundamental concepts of justice and belonging. Calls to #changethedate raise anxieties about what's happening to our collective identity, heritage and pride in a rapidly changing world.

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6574879/choosing-a-new-and-better-date-for-australia-day/