Happy Sunday! It’s a long weekend where I live in Australia, and also a historic holiday weekend. Tomorrow is a public holiday for the King’s Birthday. For seventy years the holiday was for the Queen’s Birthday, and it was traditionally our ‘Cracker Night’ weekend (until the late 1980’s when fireworks were banned for private use in most states). Cracker Night lived on for longer where I live (Canberra) and was eventually banned in 2009. When I was growing up, there were Cracker Night street parties with the neighbours. Do you have memories (past or present day) of Cracker Night or a similar type of celebration?
Reader Gathering
Have you visited Inspy Romance’s Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook lately? Amy Anguish is our host this week. Come on over… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!
StoryChats @ InspyRomance
Story Chats releases an all-new episode every Friday. This week on Episode 126, Elizabeth, Valerie, and Narelle talked about their recent CCR reads. You won’t want to miss it!
Listen to our fun show on your favorite podcasting app, through the player on our podcast tab, or watch us on YouTube! Wherever you listen or watch, please be sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Teresa Tysinger shared Summer Lovin’: Covers to Swoon Over
On Tuesday, Robin Merrill talked about Wild Deadwood Reads
On Wednesday, Narelle Atkins shared Guest Post from Sara Beth Williams: On Writing an Australian Character as an American Author + #Giveaway
On Thursday, Valerie Bodden discussed Love in Season
On Friday, Elizabeth Maddrey asked Where Do You Get Your Books?
On Saturday, Toni Shiloh shared My Summer Reading List + #Giveaway
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Milla Holt
Tuesday: K. Leah
Wednesday: Emily Dana Botrous
Thursday: Lindi Peterson
Friday: Meghann Whistler
Saturday: Amy Anguish
New Releases
June 2023
A Green and Vibrant Hope (Farm Fresh Market Romance 2) by Valerie Comer
Love Somebody Like You (Trinity Lakes 5) by Carolyn Miller
Operation Find a Guy (Roadtrip Romance 3) by Amy R Anguish
Love Like No Other (Suamalie Islands Book 5) by Tabitha Bouldin
Hugs and Kisses, Charity (Scripted Love novella) by Emily Dana Botrous
July 2023
Her Cowboy Blind Date (Easter in Gilead 4) by Narelle Atkins
Fire and Ice (Northwest Ice Division 1) by Carolyn Miller
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
Here in South Australia we had the cracker day in May for Empire day around the 23rd of May. The last one was around 1974 as fireworks sales were banned after that. I remember it was when Dad was still alive and we would have the Catherine Wheels and Throw downs and sparklers. I can remember it was often cold. I am not sure if we had them on the farm as I don’t recall having them their but do remember at least twice after we moved into town. I also can vaguely remember them being banned.
Hi Jenny, It sounds like your Cracker Night was lots of fun. I don’t remember Empire Day and, according to Google, it was renamed Commonwealth Day in the late 1970’s. I liked sparklers, too. Thanks for commenting. 😊
I didn’t realise you had a holiday for the king’s birthday, we don’t have one here in the UK!
I think our nearest to Cracker Night would be November 5th? I do like sparklers, but I wouldn’t mind fireworks being banned for private purchase here to be honest, there are always a lot of problems on firework night.
Hi Ruthie, We’re very attached to our public holidays in Australia (we’ll take any excuse, lol). My son was born on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday so I’ll always remember that one. Irresponsible behaviour was one reason why fireworks were banned here, and it’s also hard for dogs who are sensitive to the noise. Thanks for commenting. :)
The closest thing we have in the US for that would be the Fourth of July, and there will be fireworks everywhere!! People will be shooting them off at home (they don’t care how dangerous it can be), and there will be big events, too, UNLESS we have drought conditions and they get cancelled! Even then, some people will shoot off things at home, not caring if they start a fire or damage someone else’s home! I’ll be inside in my A/C (July is HOT) and watching A Capital Fourth on tv.
We have Victoria Day in Canada which is always the third weekend in May. That’s the official start of fireworks season. It started in 1845 as birthday celebration on May 24th for Queen Victoria. Aside from fireworks and picnics, it’s the weekend everyone plants their veggie gardens since we’re almost guaranteed no more frost. :-) And, of course, reading is always involved in any long weekend.
Our Cracker Night would be the 4th of July which is Independance Day for the US. When I was a child, we would have sparklers at my aunt’s house. I was never really into fireworks. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy your long weekend. God bless you.
fun week
Hi Trudy, Summer and fireworks aren’t a great combination when it’s very dry, or when the fireworks display isn’t over a large body of water. I can understand why they’re canceled during a drought. Cracker Night was always winter, and it was cold outside. New Years Eve fireworks and Australia Day fireworks happens during our summer. Before Cracker Night was banned, it was illegal to set off fireworks for personal use at other times of the year and that included NYE & Australia Day. Staying indoors in summer in the A/C is a good plan. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Kav, Empire Day (that Jenny B has mentioned) was our Aussie equivalent of your Victoria Day to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday. It’s good to have a long weekend to do yard work and planting. Where I live, October is when we’re trying to work out if the frost is gone. Last year it was cool into December and my basil, for example, didn’t take off until late December. Reading and long weekends definitely go together. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Debra, I’m learning a lot about 4th of July. Sparklers are fun. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for commenting. 😊
Thanks! Enjoy your weekend. 😊