Public holidays in New Zealand
| Public holidays in New Zealand | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also called | Statutory holidays, stat holidays |
| Observed by | New Zealanders |
| Type | National, regional |
| Frequency | Twelve days a year (from 2022)[1] |
Public holidays in New Zealand(also known asstatutory holidays) consist of a variety of cultural, national, and religiousholidaysthat are legislated inNew Zealand.Workers can get a maximum of 12 public holidays (eleven national holidays plus one provincial holiday) and a minimum of 20annual leavedays a year.
History
[edit]Bank holidaysin New Zealand originated with a celebration ofSt Andrew's Dayin 1857.[2]Nationwide public holidays began with the Bank Holidays Act 1873, which was based on the UKBank Holidays Act 1871.Initially there was some resistance to it.[3]
Anniversary days celebrated, from as early as 1843, the first arrivals ofsettlersin each province.[4]By 1846 theWellingtonAnniversary Day was described as having the appearance of an English Fair.[5]
Half-holidays, or early closing days, were widespread from the 1900s to 1970s. They allowed 6 day weeks in shops and offices to include a half day off from 1pm, on a day set by the local council.[6]From the late 1840s the practice spread from Wellington and Christchurch. In the 1870s many towns adopted shopping half holidays, usually a Wednesday Thursday, or Saturday. From 1873 female factory workers had a half-holiday from 2pm on Saturdays, from 1881 under-18s got it and, after 1891, the holiday started from 1pm. The Shops and Shop Assistants Act 1892 gave shop assistants half-holidays starting at 1pm, the shops themselves also being closed from 1894. From 1907 electors could set the day in local elections.[7]
Matariki
[edit]In 2006,Māori Language CommissionerHaami Piripiproposed to makeMatarikian official holiday.[8]After public discussion, in 2009 a bill was introduced to make Matariki a public holiday; however, the bill was voted down at itsfirst reading.[9]Prime MinisterJacinda Ardernannounced on 7 September 2020 that her government would create a new public holiday to celebrate Matariki should the Labour Party win the2020 general election.[10]Labour won the election, and in February 2021 Ardern announced that Matariki would become an annual public holiday with a variable date (June or July).[11]TheMatariki Public Holiday Billreceived royal assent on 11 April 2022.[12]The first Matariki public holiday was observed on 24 June 2022.[13]
National public holidays
[edit]Statutory holidays are legislated by the Holidays Act 2003.[1]
| Date | Holiday[1] | Trading restriction |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January[a] | New Year's Day | No |
| 2 January[b] | Day after New Year's Day | No |
| 6 February[a] | Waitangi Day | No |
| The Friday beforeEaster Sunday | Good Friday | Yes |
| The day afterEaster Sunday | Easter Monday | No |
| 25 April[a] | Anzac Day | Yes (until 1pm) |
| The first Monday in June | King's Birthday | No |
| The closest Friday to theTangaroaLunar calendarperiod of the correct lunar calendar month.[14] | Matariki | No |
| The fourth Monday in October | Labour Day | No |
| 25 December[a] | Christmas Day | Yes |
| 26 December[b] | Bo xing Day | No |
Mondayised
[edit]The holidays that do not always fall on Monday or Friday are "Mondayised".
If the holiday fall on a weekend, and an employee does not work on the weekends, then the holiday is transferred to the following Monday or Tuesday. If the employee works on the weekends, then the holiday is taken on that day.[15]
Christmas DayandNew Years' Dayhave always been Mondayised holidays, and from 2013Waitangi DayandAnzac Dayare also Mondayised.[16]
Waitangi Day and Anzac Day are alwayscommemoratedon the exact date, as they remember specific historical events. The statutory holidays, however, are Mondayised.
Pay
[edit]All workers who work on a public holiday must be paidtime-and-a-half,and if it would otherwise be a normal working day for them, be given an alternative holiday (known as a day in lieu). Payment for the alternative holiday is equivalent relevant daily pay for the particular alternative day taken, had they have worked it.[17]
Restricted trading days
[edit]There are special trading restrictions on Christmas Day,Good Friday,Easter Sunday(not a public holiday) and before 1 pm onAnzac Day.On those days, generally onlydairies,petrol stations,pharmacies, restaurants, cafés, and shops within an airport or train station may open. All other shops including supermarkets must close.
Some shops open each year despite the law and are fined.[18]
Certain areas have exemptions allowing them to trade one or more of the restricted days. These areas include Parnell Road inParnell, Auckland,Paihia,Picton,andQueenstown.[19]The Shop Trading Hours Commission decided where exemptions were to apply but it was shut down in 1990, leaving the existing exemptions in place but no longer having a mechanism for other places to apply. In 2016, regional councils were given the power to set Easter Sunday trading rules in their area.[20]Around 44 councils, covering around one-third of the population, have set policy allowing trading on Easter Sunday.[21]
Shops that can open on the restricted days are still subject to conditions and subject to any other law to the contrary. For example, alcohol can only be sold with a meal or to people staying on the premises overnight.[22]
Provincial anniversary days
[edit]In addition to the eleven national public holidays, section 44 of the Holidays Act 2003 specifies as public holidays the anniversary days of eachprovince(or the day locally observed as that day) to celebrate the founding days or landing days of the first colonists of the various colonial provinces.[1]: Section 44 These are only celebrated within each province, not nationwide. Exact dates of the various provinces' anniversary days are not specifically stated in the act, and are instead determined by historical convention and local custom. The regions covered are set byprovincial district(as they stood when abolished in 1876), plusSouthland,theChatham Islands,South Canterbury, andNorthland.The actual observance days can vary even within each province and is due to local custom, convenience or the proximity of seasonal events or other holidays and may differ from the official observance day.
| Provincial District | includes | Actual Day | Observance Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington Province | Wellington,Manawatu,Whanganui | 22 January | Monday nearest to the actual day |
| Auckland Province | Waikato,King Country,Coromandel,Bay of Plenty,Gisborne/East Coast | 29 January | Monday nearest tothe actual day |
| Northland | Whangārei | 29 January | Monday nearest to the actual day |
| Nelson | Nelson,Tasman,Bullerand parts of North Canterbury | 1 February | Monday nearest to the actual day |
| Otago Province | Dunedin,Queenstown | 23 March | Monday nearest to the actual day (this can vary if it would otherwise coincide with Easter Monday) |
| Southland | Invercargill,Bluff,Milford Sound,Fiordland | 25 March[23] | Easter Tuesday[24] |
| Taranaki (New Plymouth) | New Plymouth | 31 March | Second Monday in March – to avoid Easter |
| South Canterbury | Timaru | 25 September | Fourth Monday in September —Dominion Day |
| Hawke's Bay | Napier,Hastings | 1 November | Friday beforeLabour Day |
| Marlborough | Blenheim,Picton | 1 November | First Monday afterLabour Day |
| Canterbury | Christchurch,Ashburton | 11 November | Christchurch Show Day (North Canterbury) |
| Christchurch Show Day (Central Canterbury) | |||
| Second Friday after the first Tuesday in November (Christchurch City) — to coincide with theCanterbury A&P Show. | |||
| Chatham Islands | Waitangi | 30 November | Monday nearest to the actual day |
| Westland | Hokitika,Greymouth | 1 December | Monday nearest to the actual day (Greymouth) |
| Varies (outside Greymouth) |
Annual leave and non-working days
[edit]In addition to the above holidays, from 1 April 2007 all workers must be given four weeks annual leave, often taken in the summer Christmas – New Year period.[25]In many industries there is a Christmas – New Year shutdown of business. With only three working days between Christmas and New Year, many workers take this time off, as they can have a ten-day summer break for only three days leave. Many retail outlets also hold sales at this time to stimulate business while others close down due to low demand for services. The days from 25 December to 15 January are not considered to be working days for official government purposes. The public counters of most government departments do open on weekdays during this period, though often only a limited service may be available.[citation needed]
School holidays
[edit]State schoolshave a 4-term year, of about ten weeks each and usually with a two-week holiday between terms.[26]Although standard term dates are set by theMinistry of Educationeach year, schools can vary these to account for local holidays and school closures due to weather. The first term commences in late January or early February. Occasionally, Easter holidays and/or Anzac Day may fall within these holidays. The holiday between terms two and three is generally known as the midwinter break[according to whom?]and occurs in July, while that between terms 3 and 4 occurs in late September, early October. Term four ends in mid December, generally a week or two before Christmas, though for many senior students this term ends after their finalNCEAexamination in late November or early December.[citation needed]From time to time, state schools are entitled to schedule a "teacher only" day for teacher training and administration. These days count as a public holiday for the students of that particular school -- who do not attend on that day -- but not for the teachers or the broader non-student population.
One-off public holidays
[edit]A "one off" national public holiday, known asQueen Elizabeth II Memorial Day,wasdeclaredby the Prime Minister for 26 September 2022 to allow people to pay their respects for thepassingofQueen Elizabeth II,the longest-reigningmonarch of New Zealand.[27][28]South Canterbury Anniversary Day, which was due to be observed on 26 September, was moved to be observed on Friday 11 November.[29]
Proposals for new holidays
[edit]Following the death ofSir Edmund Hillaryin 2008, theGreen Partyproposed a public holiday in his honour.[30]There is also support in some quarters for the oldDominion Dayholiday to be revived as "New Zealand Day".[31]
Proposals for abolition of holidays
[edit] |
From the 1950s to the 1970s it was frequently suggested that the Provincial Anniversary holidays be abolished, as theProvincesceased to exist in 1876.
Before Waitangi Day was made a national public holiday it was sometimes suggested that a Waitangi Day holiday should replace the anniversary days, and theWaitangi Day Act 1960made provision for this. Waitangi Day was eventually made an additional holiday and the provincial holidays lived on, primarily because most regions had long established events on those weekends.
A small minority of people advocate the abolition of the Waitangi Day holiday, but it is regularly suggested that a less controversial day, such as Anzac Day (25 April) orDominion Day(26 September), be made New Zealand's national day.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcd"Holidays Act 2003 No 129 (as at 12 April 2022), Public Act".Parliamentary Counsel Office.Retrieved7 June2022.
- ^"THE THISTLE ACT. NEW ZEALANDER".paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.2 December 1857.Retrieved1 March2021.
- ^"NEWS OF THE DAY. PRESS".paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.27 March 1875.Retrieved1 March2021.
- ^"Public holidays".teara.govt.nz.Retrieved1 March2021.
- ^"WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT".paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.28 January 1846.Retrieved1 March2021.
- ^"Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22"(PDF).
- ^"Half-holiday closure, 1871 (1st of 2)".Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.5 September 2013.
- ^Front of the Box press release (23 June 2006)."Eye to Eye - Intermarriage is the answer".Scoop.Retrieved10 January2019.
- ^Katene, Rahui (20 August 2009)."Te Ra o Matariki Bill – Matariki Day Bill loses on first reading".tangatawhenua. Archived fromthe originalon 22 August 2016.
- ^Perry, Nick (6 September 2020)."New Zealand government to honor Maori New Year if reelected".Yahoo News.Associated Press.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2020.Retrieved8 September2020.
- ^Maxwell, Joel (4 February 2021)."New Matariki public holiday date to move around like Easter, date for 2022 to be announced".Stuff.Retrieved4 January2021.
- ^"Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill".New Zealand Parliament.Retrieved27 April2022.
- ^McClure, Tess (23 June 2022)."Matariki: 'historic' moment as New Zealand celebrates first Indigenous public holiday".The Guardian.Retrieved23 September2022.
- ^"Matariki Dates 2022 - 2052"(PDF).Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.Retrieved7 June2022.
- ^"Mondayised Public Holidays".New Zealand Department of Labour. Archived fromthe originalon 12 April 2010.Retrieved5 April2010.
- ^"Extra public holidays voted in".3 News NZ.17 April 2013.
- ^"Pay for alternative holiday".New Zealand Department of Labour. Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2010.Retrieved5 April2010.
- ^Anthony, John (1 April 2015)."Some garden centres to defy Easter trading laws".Stuff.Retrieved10 April2023.
- ^"Restricted shop trading days".employment.govt.nz.Employment New Zealand.Retrieved28 April2020.
- ^Sowman-Lund, Stewart (8 April 2023)."The legal loophole that allows certain streets to trade on Easter".The Spinoff.Retrieved10 April2023.
- ^"Confused about Easter trading rules? Here's the lowdown".RNZ.6 April 2023.Retrieved10 April2023.
- ^Sale and Supply of Alcohol.2012.
- ^"Southland Anniversary Day".Southland Chamber of Commerce.Archived fromthe originalon 31 March 2013.Retrieved1 January2013.
- ^"Mayors decide on Anniversary Day Date".Southland District Council.Archived fromthe originalon 12 February 2013.Retrieved1 January2013.
- ^Swarbrick, Nancy (5 September 2013)."Holidays - Paid holidays".Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.Retrieved17 March2021.
- ^"School terms and holidays for state and integrated schools and kura".education.govt.nz.Ministry of Education. 2020.Retrieved28 April2020.
- ^"Queen Elizabeth death: New Zealand gets public holiday to commemorate late monarch".Newshub.Retrieved12 September2022.
- ^"Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day: What you need to know".RNZ.26 September 2022.Retrieved14 January2023.
- ^MacDuff, Keiller (20 September 2022)."South Canterbury Anniversary Day to move after three councils vote in favour".Stuff.Retrieved20 September2022.
- ^Green Party press release (14 January 2008)."Annual Sir Edmund Hillary Day a fitting tribute".Scoop.Retrieved10 January2019.
- ^"Editorial: Dominion Day debate needless".The New Zealand Herald.25 September 2007.Retrieved10 January2019.
