The Land Down Under is also the “Land of Long Weekends”, and yet, compared to India (which perhaps holds the most number of long weekends given their long list of holidays devoted to Hindu deities), Australia has very few public holidays. These are divided into state holidays or national holidays.
Below is the list of Australia public holidays 2013 that are celebrated in all states and territories.
New Year’s Day – Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Locally known as the Feast of Circumcision, the New Year’s Eve in Australia is as raucous as they are in other parts of the Western world.
Australia Day – Saturday, 26 January 2013
On this day in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip and his crew landed on Australia in search of no-man’s-land to be converted into British penal colony. Despite the aborigines’ hostile attitude towards the commemoration of the day their land was invaded by foreigners, this day is considered as the birthday of Australia and celebrated with flag-hoisting events, flag waving, citizenship and merit awarding ceremonies, community sports and backyard barbecues, and festivals and fireworks.
Australia Day – Monday, 28 January 2013 (Replacement day)
Good Friday – Friday, 29 March 2013
On this day, Australians commemorate the passion and crucifixion of the Christian savior, Jesus Christ. Services are held in non-Catholic religious groups, while Catholics take this day as a day of penance and participate in candlelit burial procession that carries the replica of the dead body of Christ along the Way of the Cross. Good Friday is one public holiday in Australia when the country is shuttered and alcohol is not served. Hot cross buns, stuffed with dried fruit or chocolate chips and leavened with yeast, is a popular treat consumed on Good Friday.
Easter Monday – Monday, 1 April 2013
The Easter Holiday is one of those long weekends that allows Australians to get together with family and friends to celebrate weddings and christenings, or to pack up for a short holiday with the children. Much of Australia is closed on Good Friday when the holiday starts, and regular business resumes the day after Easter Monday. Easter bunnies deliver chocolate eggs to children on Easter Sunday, but their (bunnies) roles are increasingly replaced by Easter bilbies, marsupials that live on the desert and feed on insects, fruits and very small animals. There are also various activities during Easter Sunday and Monday which coincide with the openings of several festivals across the country. The Sydney Royal Easter Show is a huge event featuring the “outback” heritage and farm life of Australia. The National Folk Festival (Canberra), Easterfest (Queensland) and East Coast International Blues and Roots Festival in northern New South Wales all make domestic air and land travel very busy at this time of the year.
ANZAC Day – Thursday, 25 April 2013
This day commemorates the men and women of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps who died in battle during different wars, particularly WWI. At dawn, war veterans get together for a “stand to” ceremony (in remembrance of the time in the battlefield when they had to wake up in the pre-dawn morning and man their weapons as the first light crept in) and wreath-laying in Sydney Cenotaph. A more formal ceremony at the Australian War Memorial that features wreath-laying, singing of hymns and placing of red poppies on the grave of departed servicemen is attended by families of the veterans with the prime minister and key government officials in attendance.
The Queen’s Birthday – Monday, 10 June 2013
This Australian public holiday has a rather convoluted history behind it. The reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was born on April 21, 1926, so it was not her birthday that was originally celebrated on this day. But because Her Majesty’s father, King George V, was born on June 3, the Monarch’s Birthday as a public holiday has since been celebrated around early June since 1748 in Britain and 1788 in Australia when Captain Phillip arrived in Sydney Cove. On this day, the Order of Australia, along with other awards for meritorious achievement, is granted to people who have been included in the Honour’s List. Australians troop to football stadiums on this day, while those in the highlands anticipate the opening of snow season in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania. Only Western Australia celebrates the Queen’s Birthday on a different date (September 30 this year, a Monday).
Christmas Day – Wednesday, 25 December 2013
The birth of the Christian savior is celebrated on this day by giving gifts and sharing a Christmas dinner with the family.
Boxing Day – Thursday, 26 December 2013
Traditionally, Boxing Day has been understood as a day when all the gifts are taken out of their boxes and stowed away for later use, but another version referred to this day as the day when the metal box outside churches containing all the collections are distributed to the poor. In Australia, the post-Christmas hangover is celebrated with Boxing Day sales and pilgrimage to cricket (Australia’s favorite sport together with rugby or football) grounds.
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Article by Chris
Chris had a passion to contribute to society especially to fellow travelers like himself. He also had a passion for Southeast Asia and frequently visited. While brainstorming ideas, he decided that a travel blog dedicated to his favorite countries, Thailand and Singapore, could be more beneficial than any guidebook. Only one year later did the blog’s success bring in more writers, more countries, and more readers.
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