Kia ora! We love New Zealand and we love its holidays even more.
@PublicHolidayNZ
| Holiday | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January, Saturday 1st (observed Monday 3rd) | |
| Day after New Year's Day | January, Sunday 2nd (observed Tuesday 4th) | |
| Wellington Anniversary | January, Monday 24th | |
| Auckland Anniversary | January, Monday 31st | |
| Nelson Anniversary | January, Monday 31st | |
| Waitangi Day | February, Sunday 6th (observed Monday 7th) | |
| Taranaki Anniversary | March, Monday 14th | |
| Otago Anniversary | March, Monday 21st | |
| Daylight Saving ends | April, Sunday 3rd | |
| Good Friday | April, Friday 15th | |
| Easter Monday | April, Monday 18th | |
| Easter Tuesday ? | April, Tuesday 19th | |
| Southland Anniversary | April, Tuesday 19th | |
| Anzac Day | April, Monday 25th | |
| Queen's Birthday | June, Monday 6th | |
| Matariki | June, Friday 24th | |
| South Canterbury Anniversary | September, Monday 26th | |
| Daylight Saving starts | September, Sunday 25th | |
| Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day | September, Monday 26th | |
| Hawke's Bay Anniversary | October, Friday 21st | |
| Labour Day | October, Monday 24th | |
| Marlborough Anniversary | October, Monday 31st | |
| Canterbury Anniversary | November, Friday 11th | |
| Chatham Islands Anniversary | November, Monday 28th | |
| Westland Anniversary | November, Monday 28th | |
| Christmas Day | December, Sunday 25th (observed Tuesday 27th) | |
| Boxing Day | December, Monday 26th |
Most shops are required to be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and the morning of Anzac Day (until 1pm).
As of January the 1st 2014, Anzac Day and Waitangi day became "Mondayised" which means if they fall on a weekend, the following Monday becomes a day off work. These holidays will still be commemorated/celebrated on their actual holiday date. You can get more information on how this affects business and employees on the government employment website or check out their great Mondayisation Flowchart.
These two resolution-loaded holidays are always celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of January, however, if one or both of these holidays lands on a weekend, the holiday is actually observed on the next available working weekday.
For example, in 2012 New Year's Day landed on a Sunday. The day the holiday was observed couldn't be Monday as this was already taken up by the Day after New Year's Day holiday so instead it was pushed to Tuesday the 3rd of January.
Hang on.. so if I normally worked on a Sunday, does that mean I would've gotten Sunday off *and* the following Tuesday? Nope, I'm afraid not. If you were scheduled to work that day then you get that day off and no more :(
Most provincial regions have a designated date and this date sometimes lands on a weekend. Fortunately, everyone understands our need for a holiday so if the anniversary day happens to land on a weekend, it is kindly shuffled to a Monday or a Friday so we can put our feet up or get outside and celebrate!
But which day is it shuffled to? This can vary and is sometimes agreed upon. The anniversary holiday might even be shuffled to avoid landing on or near a large holiday such as Easter.
Auckland Anniversary Day is actually the 29th of January but it is observed on the Monday closest to that date. Auckland Anniversary applies to the Auckland Province which includes Northland, Auckland, Waikato, King Country, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne and East Coast Regions.
Taranaki Anniversary Day is actually the 31st of March but it is observed on the second Monday of March. Taranaki Anniversary applies to the Taranaki Region which includes Inglewood, Waitara, Hawera, Stratford, and Eltham.
Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day is actually the 1st of November but it is observed on the Friday before Labour Day.
Wellington Anniversary Day is actually the 22nd of January but it is observed on the Monday closest to that date. Wellington Anniversary applies to the Wellington Province which includes Wellington, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Kapiti, Feilding, Levin and Masterton.
Nelson Anniversary Day is actually the 1st of February but it is observed on the Monday closest to that date.
Marlborough Anniversary Day is actually the 1st of November but it is observed on the first Monday after Labour Day.
Westland Anniversary Day is actually the 1st of December but it is observed on the Monday closest to that date. This date can vary outside of Greymouth.
Canterbury Anniversary Day is actually the 16th of December but it is observed on the second Friday after the first Tuesday in November. This is also Christchurch Show Day. Canterbury Anniversary applies to the North and Central Canterbury Regions which include Christchurch and Ashburton.
South Canterbury Anniversary Day is actually the 16th of December but it is observed on the fourth Monday in September. This is also Dominion Day which is the anniversary of New Zealand being granted Dominion status within the British Empire (1907).
Otago Anniversary Day is actually the 23rd of March but it is observed on the Monday closest to that date.
Southland Anniversary Day is actually the 17th of January but it is observed on Easter Tuesday. This was decided in December 2011 by the mayors of Invercargill, Southland, and Gore districts.
Chatham Islands Anniversary Day is actually the 30th of November but it is observed on the Monday closest to that date.
Waitangi Day is on the 6th of February every year and commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Tiriti o Waitangi). It's also summer in New Zealand and a great day to head to the beach with family and celebrate. Waitangi day is now "Mondayised". If it lands on a weekend it will be celebrated on that day, and you get the following Monday off work.
Chocolate bunny madness arrives and with it comes at least 2 days off! Good Friday and Easter Monday. For those of us in the education sector, there is often a third day off known as bonus Easter Tuesday.
How do I know which day is going to be Good Friday each year? Well, according to Wikipedia.org...
Easter and the holidays that are related to it are moveable feasts, in that they do not fall on a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars (both of which follow the cycle of the sun and the seasons). Instead, the date for Easter is determined on a lunisolar calendar similar to the Hebrew calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the northern hemisphere's vernal equinox.[3] Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21 (even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on March 20 in most years), and the "Full Moon" is not necessarily the astronomically correct date.
(I suggest you just check publicholiday.co.nz)
Is this really a public holiday? Well, not really, but if you are at school or happen to work in the education sector (includes universities) you'll know all about it. They get the day after Easter Monday off. For some, Otago Anniversary is observed on this day instead of the Monday closest to the 23rd March which can be a little confusing, and for those at Otago University it replaces your anniversary day! Southland Anniversary is also celebrated on Easter Tuesday.
The only day worth getting up at the crack of dawn for. Anzac day is the 25th of April every year. It is also now "Mondayised". If it lands on a weekend it will be commemorated on that day, and you get the following Monday off work.
Well, this isn't *actually* the King's birthday but that's okay, we'll have the day off anyway. King's Birthday holiday is the 1st Monday in June.
Matariki (Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea) is the Māori name for a cluster of seven stars in our sky and it marks the beginning of the Māori new year. The date will vary each year but it will always fall in either June or July, and will always land on a Friday. This will give those workers that always get a raw deal with Mondayisation a well-deserved break!
Matariki is all about taking the a time to remember, to appreciate and give thanks for what we have, and to look forward into what our future holds. Spend time with friends and whānau and share the love ❤
This non-labouring holiday is the 4th Monday in October so you'll always find it on a Monday. Easy!
These holidays need no introduction and you'll find they follow exactly the same rules as New Year's Day and the Day after New Year's Day. In fact, because they are exactly 7 days apart whatever rules end up applying to Christmas, you'll find the same will happen to New Year's Day.
Daylight Saving starts in Spring on the last Sunday in September so we can get a little more sun. Clocks get put forward from 2.00am to 3.00am so remember the season and think "looking forward to summer". Daylight Saving ends in Autumn on the first Sunday in April. Clocks get put back from 3.00am to 2.00am so again remember the season and think (with a sigh) "we're nearly back to winter". A more american way to remember is "Spring forward and Fall (Autumn) back".