Being Greek and therefore by rights Greek Orthodox (but not really religious but culturally religious if that makes sense) i dont go to footy on Greek Easter Friday and i dont think footy should be played on the other Good friday.
Thats how a country just kicks every little cultural tradition its had around like a piece of garbage and in a few decades is left with absolutely nothing but commercial culture to hang its hat on.


I bet most of you dont want to go to work on this day either..

go to work and you can watch the game after it.


Just turn it into any other friday night... and it loses the significance.
But you want it to be the Easter friday blockbuster holiday game and not achnowledge why its a holiday...??

Get real!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Carlton Richmond??

Try Apriil 1 for that little beauty...

will next year, both easters are the same.

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SMFC 1959 : ONE LIFE, ONE LOVE, ONE CLUB

Good Friday doesn't seem to stop Catholics going to the football in Italy, Spain and South America.

This whole Good Friday argument is peculiar to Australia and simply a load of rubbish. If people want to abstain from going to the football on Good Friday, that's their choice, but please don't impose the religious zealotry on me thanks.

In a couple of years, when our club is getting back to a competitive level, I'd like to see us push for a Good Friday contest.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

If its not important there shouldnt be a holiday to observe it then..
I dont see the point of pulling down every tradition a country has for the sake of 'progress'..

In the end Australia will have no real culture or traditions and will just have its commeciality and footy .

Why have a Good Friday if youre not going to observe it? is my question.
Just go back to work if you want to watch a footy game and you dont recognise it for what it is.. and allow football players to make up their own mind if they want to play on it or not.

I really cant believe how bored people can get.
Like i have said my easter doesnt usually clash and i dont want to see Good Friday footy... (Its not like its part of my own culture or )

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The fact that we continue to have public holidays for Good Friday and any other religious occasion (including Christmas) is an anachronism waiting for a rocket.

Are we having a public holiday for Ramadan this year? Funnily enough Ramadan starts on September 24th in 2006 - Grand Final week!

Anyone willing to ditch the footy to support a multicultural Australia?

As far as I'm concerned it's time to ditch the entire "religious holiday" thing and accept that holidays are no longer "holy days" for a vast number of people. Give everyone an extra 3-4 days holiday a year and let them take them on the days they wish be it Christmas day, Good Friday, Hanukkah, Ramadan or whatever (any one of the 365 days of the year for those of us who don't believe in voodoo shit). Those who wish to celebrate their particular religious rite can then do so on those days.

Leave the football and those who don't wish to celebrate your weirdo, mystical beings in the air crap out of it.

And those who'll miss the game due to their faith?

Stiff shit.

It's all meant to be about sacrifice anyway isn't it?


And Jack Worrall and I can go to the football on Good Friday...

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

No doubt Good Friday is important to practising Christians, and as they have their holiday, they have all the opportunity to celebrate as they wish. For me, I'd be happy to work on Good Friday, and if the business where I work decides to open, I'll be the first one turning up for work.

We have plenty of culture and traditions in Australia, and playing football is not going to be an apocalyptic event in this context. It seems the rest of the world have no problem with sport on Good Friday, so why is it a problem in Australia?

Good Friday is a pain in the arse, as is Christmas.

If people don't want to watch/play football on Good Friday, that's their choice, but I don't want their choices imposed on me.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

Perfect solution from GWS. There are many other benefits, even pariah economic ones.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

This should go into Talking Stuff..

In my opinion and i have travelled the world . and been to more than a dozen countries for longer than a stopover.. Australia has very little customs/tradition and culture compared to everywhere else...
I know you have lived elsewhere so i cant see how you can say that with a straight face.

and as for going to the footy on Good fridays... the players should get a choice if they want to be your entertainment on that day.
No doubt the majority would say "yes".. but i reckon there would be a few that would say "no"...

In other words.. why do you want there to be a game on a holiday but the players cant choose?

Love the "me" "me" attitude by people that cant find something to do with their families on a day off from work...

People usually work and are too tired.. even if youre not religious its an opportunity to have to spend time with people you love.
Its unbelievable how people are too bored to do that even when forced they will seek other entertainment...

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

By the way - the Boxing Day Test?

Boxing Day (originally St. Stephen's Day) is yet another Christian holiday.

Funnily enough on that day we happen to have the biggest cricket event in the world.

And the Christians attend in their thousands!

Weird huh?

Hypocrisy anyone?

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Not at all...

St Stephens day is a different kettle of fish...

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Customs and traditions are subjective things, and while many of our examples are quaint or corny or lacking history, they are customs and traditions nonetheless. You know me well, and I rarely say anything without a smile.

As for the players, as I understand the player agreement, they have allowances in their contracts, so there is a choice. I don't know this for sure, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't the case.

While the debate certainly has a 'Me' factor about it, there is a broader context at play. Am I selfish for not wanting religion to dictate how I live my life? Certainly.

As for spending quality time with my family, I do that when I choose. What does surprise me is why families need a religious holiday to get together? Surely if these families are so close and loving, they might be able to organise something more regularly than once a year? Perhaps they could use weekends?

GWS's suggestion solves the problem of people having time off to celebrate religious holidays, whilst not interfering with the rest of us. Families can co-ordinate gatherings with their nominated day off, rather than be limited by one particular day.

This is a solution where everyone will be happy.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

Traditions happen over a long period of time.
To alot of people including the founders of this country .. Good Friday was important.
Sure you can replace a 200 year old tradition and in the case of the settlers from Ireland and england..1000 years tradition of a daY with your family...with a Carlton Richmond game and then wonder why we have so few traditions ( and lack of culture)....

It really bamboozles me when you look at what we do to some of the stuff in this country...absolutely no regard to the past.. to the traditions and cultures .
Nothing seems important to us in this country... except football and how to get away from the people around us... absolutely mind boggling..considering how important family is to a society and to the individual.

Nup im bored ...bring in the footy for me... my people arent enough .

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

And I've lived in or visited around 50 countries - does that make my opinion 4 times better?




No problem from me. They can choose all they want.



The point is I don't actually care if there's a game that day or not. I just don't like the fact that one bunch of zealots can hold sway over the entire population because they always have. Ditch the holiday entirely (except for those who choose to take their "freaky belief day" on that day) and play footy whenever.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Jack ,. you might have that luxury to pick and choose quality time with your family..

Some people run family businesses...

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

...and "Freaky Belief Day" could become a tradition that Australia gives to the world - wouldn't that be cool; one of the younger nations on the planet showing the world a way to celebrate the multitude of religions out there in a fair and even fashion.

That's the sort of tradition I'd respect.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

It would make your opinion 4 times better if you were truthful about talking about how rich is Australian culture and tradition compared to say .... Ethiopian ... or say.... Venezuelan... or sayyyyyy.... anywhere else?????

Ditching the days completely is an answer except its not functional... is it??

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Australian culture for me includes over 60,000 years of stories - not one of which has been granted a public holiday.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

By the way - as you know I own my own business. Occasionally I close down in order to do something out side of work - skiing, family holiday etc.

I don't see why this should be any different if we ditch the communal holidays. We're only talking 3 days a year here.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb