Australian Holidays

[megrayau]

OK. This list may be contended by soem other Aussies, but I will try to keep it as generic as possible. If I am talking about the way MY family celebrats I will indicate that!

January 1st New Years Day
January 26th Australia Day not as big as 4th July for you guys, but significant here. Civic celebrations in some areas. Many people enjoy a good old, Aussie BBQ with friends/family.
April 14 - 17 Easter Good Friday is a Public Holiday, as is Easter Monday, although some retail stores are opening on Monday now.
April 25th ANZAC Day. Commemorates Australia's involvement in War, especially WW1. A public holiday, and many civic services, usually outdoors, to reflect and remember.
June 12th Queen's Birthday (all States except WA) Go figure on this one!! The queen lives in England and this is not actually her birthday, but we take a holiday anyway! This one is always a Monday, so it makes a long weekend, good for short trips away!
December 25th Christmas Day celebrated in very many different ways by different families.
December 26th Boxing Day. Now this is a holiday because..??..??..?? It just is ! OK?
Often the day many families head off on their summer holiday to the beach!


There are other days just for individual states. In Victoria, where I live, we also have
Labour Day (2nd Monday in March). This is to commemorate the 8 hour work day, but I don't think that's relevant anymore, but we still keep the day!

My personal favourite, just because I can't really believe this happens!!!
1st Tuesday in November Melbourne Cup Day

This is a horse race, which takes place about 3pm. The metropolitan part of Victoria gets this as a day off work! (Shops are open these days). The race lasts about 3 minutes, and stops almost the whole country, but we have an entire day off work or school for it!!! Why would I want to live anywhere else??LOL

Mother's Day is the 2nd Sunday in May. Father's Day the 1st Sunday in September.
I think that is it! Will add more when dh reads this if I have missed any.
(PS If you are checking this b/c you are my SS, then August 2nd is also important!!LOL)

[ajrsmom]

Originally Posted by megrayau

(PS If you are checking this b/c you are my SS, then August 2nd is also important!!LOL)

Meg, You are just too funny!

Thanks so much for the list of holidays!

Tami

[Bilby]

I gotta get these days in too, up north in very sunny Queensland there is.....

1st May is labour day
7th of June is Queensland day
16th August is the Brisbane show day

I googled Boxing Day and found this
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/boxingday1.html

When I lived in Victoria I remember going to the Melbourne cup I was about 10, talk about a busy busy day out, I also remember the Moomba parade, the Easter parade and going into the city to see all the great light displays in Myers windows, do they still do these things in Vic Meg?