Is Boxing Day a Public Holiday in Australia?
Boxing Day is observed as a public holiday in Australia except for natives of South Australia, according to Holidays 2024. Hence, major businesses, institutions, colleges and universities remain closed on this day. People are seen spending time with their families, making donations, doing social work and emphasizing over the significance of this day.
What Is The Meaning of Boxing Day?
On the happy occasion of Boxing Day, several sports events such as Test cricket matches are organised at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In this, Australian National Cricket Team is paired against other home teams or national teams touring the country, and a match is organized marking the true spirit of the day. Since it’s a Test Cricket Match, the match can last for up to 3-4 days. It is recorded that between 1999 and 2007, all the Test matches on Boxing Day were won by Australian cricket teams.
Another event on this day is the Yacht Race from Sydney to Hobart, also known as the “Bluewater Classic”. In this, a total distance of 630 nautical miles between Hobart and Sydney Harbour is covered in two-three days. These events bring together the people from different ethnicities and create an atmosphere of unity, sovereignty and love. These events are heavily covered by the media, and broadcasted on televisions and radios. People visit their relatives or any destination and kids enjoy their school holiday. Horse racing and football games are also organised and played on this occasion, and people devotedly cheer for their favourite teams.
In selected parts of Australia, shopping stores announce huge discounts and sale offers, and sell their goods on comparatively lower prices. Boxing Day is like an extended vacation, where families get together and enjoy the festivities, and friends plan a reunion, eat good meals and enjoy the company after a hush-hush week.
Shopping on Boxing Day
In Australia, one of the most common activities after sports events carried out on Boxing Day is Shopping. On this day primarily, the sales graph is expected to rise up all over Australia. Huge marketing offers, discounted deals, price reductions and much more are rolled out by outlets to lure natives. Hence, this day proves to be profitable for business merchants and store outlets.
It is not surprising to see long queues of people on 26 December from early morning waiting for the doors of outlets to be opened. Such instances are also covered by the media, where light is shed on the availability of offers and people excited to make full use of them. With such huge lines, limited tickets are distributed in order to avoid hectic purchasing.
Boxing Day Observances
| Year | Weekday | Date | Name | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Thu | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
| 2020 | Sat | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
| 2021 | Sun | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
| 2022 | Mon | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
| 2023 | Tue | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
| 2024 | Thu | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
| 2025 | Fri | 26 December | Boxing Day | National Holiday, State Holiday |
FAQs
1. When was Boxing Day invented?
Boxing Day is celebrated on 26 December every year in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries.
2. What is Australia’s Boxing Day?
In Australia, natives play cricket, watch movies, purchase items, go for sailing, and recover from hangovers.
3. What is the point of Boxing Day?
Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for the servants and the day they received the Master’s ’Christmas Box.’ The servants will go home on Boxing Day, too, to send ’Christmas Bags’ to their families.
Is everything closed on Boxing Day?
It’s a day off for the general public, and schools and most businesses are closed down.
Boxing Day Celebrations in Other Countries
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