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‘Not a date to celebrate’ says retailer

January 17, 2026

Cosmetic retailer Lush is urging customers not to celebrate January 26 by putting flyers into the bags after purchases have been made.

‘Australia Day on January 26 is not a date to celebrate,’ the flyer states in the red, yellow and black of the Aboriginal flag.

Lush has joined Clothing The Gaps to roll out its ‘Not a Date to Celebrate’ campaign in stores across Australia.

And customers can sign an in-store petition to ‘acknowledge the harm’ of celebrating Australia Day on January 26.

The petition calls on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to recognise that Australia Day is not a day of celebration for First Nations people.

The campaign has been criticised online, as Lush is a British company.

Lush has been outspoken on a number of issues and last week launched an ‘Always Will Be’ soap made with natural ingredients ethically sourced from First Nations suppliers.

The retailer has said it will donate 75 per cent of sales to Clothing The Gaps.

But many customers have reacted negatively to the Lush campaign, saying they should stick to selling their products and not get involved in activism.

British company

Lush is a British cosmetics retailer known for its fresh, handmade, and ethical products. Founded in 1995, the brand focuses on using organic ingredients, fighting animal testing, and minimising packaging through its “naked” product range.

Lush has yet to make a public statement on the issue.

The “Not a Date to Celebrate” petition is an ongoing campaign led by the Aboriginal-owned social enterprise Clothing The Gaps. It advocates for the formal recognition that January 26 (Australia Day) is a day of mourning and dispossession for First Nations people and calls for an end to national celebrations on this date.

Key Details

Organiser: Clothing The Gaps, in partnership with various organisations like Lush and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO).
Core Goal: To pressure the Prime Minister and Federal Government to acknowledge the harm caused by celebrating on January 26 and to move the national holiday to a more inclusive date.
Proposed Alternative: In 2026, the campaign has highlighted a “common-sense solution” to create an Australian Long Weekend on the second-last Monday in January. This would ensure the public holiday never falls on January 26.
Signatures: As of January 2026, the primary petition has surpassed 74,000 supporters, with a goal of reaching 100,000.
Where to Sign: The petition is hosted on Change.org.

https://www.change.org/p/australia-day-jan-26-not-a-date-to-celebrate

Peter Rowe

Peter Rowe leads First Nations News as Editor, with over three decades of experience across international newsrooms, digital platforms and media strategy roles. For the past 20 years, he’s worked in Australia – reporting, editing and advising on stories that shape public debate.