Today is one of the most important days for this entire country. And no, I'm not talking about the US presidential race; I am talking about the Melbourne Cup.
The Melbourne Cup may just be the craziest holiday ever. Every year on the second Tuesday of November, the entire nation of Australia stops, completely shuts down for an afternoon. What could be so important to allow everybody to play hooky? A horse race, of course.
It all started in 1861 with simply a horse race. Then in 1877 after the growing popularity, it was made a public holiday in the state of Victoria...why? Because everyone wanted to watch the horse race. Now over 100 years later, people are still watching this horse race. This is definitely a cultural phenomenon that fascinates. I asked around, "Why is this horse race such a big deal?"
The best answer I've received is "I reckon, cause it's the Melbourne cup."
So, it will remain a mystery. Despite the unknown origins of this national fascination with a single horse race (nobody talks about horses at all the rest of the year), it remains a large part of Australia's national identity. Those who never gamble typically put a decent chunk of money down. I picked two horses at random to win; both lost. (Profound Beauty and Honolulu, why did you let me down?).
The greatest part of this whole holiday is how something so trivial (never utter a word to the Aussies that used the "t" word to describe the Melbourne Cup, never) can bring everyone together for three minutes, despite their picks, to stare at the TV, bet tickets squeezed in hand; an entire nation, whose collective heart stops as the equine mass crosses the white line. Here, races encourage fraternity, not polarity. Beautiful.
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