Easter is coming, and with it a whole lot of chocolate, confusing shopping hours – and for the lucky ones, the longest weekend of the year.
While some people will still be working, most people will welcome Good Friday and Easter Monday as days to sleep in and relax.
But there are some differences between states and territories as to which days are official public holidays.
Here’s what you need to know.
Every jurisdiction in Australia recognises Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays.
This year, Good Friday is on April 18, and Easter Monday is April 21.
It makes for a four-day weekend for most people, but this is where the differences creep in.
Is Easter Saturday a public holiday?
In many states and territories, the government regards Easter Saturday as a public holiday.
They include New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory.
However, in the ACT and Queensland, the official name of the holiday is “the day after Good Friday”, while Victoria calls it “the Saturday before Easter Sunday”.
Tasmania and Western Australia are the holdouts.
Where is the Aussie dollar still good value for travellers?
What about Easter Sunday?
Tasmania is the only jurisdiction that doesn’t count Easter Sunday as a public holiday.
The Apple Isle is, however, also the only state or territory to have a holiday on “Easter Tuesday” – April 22 this year – though it is chiefly for public servants only.
Is there anything else different this year?
A perceptive question, but we expect no less from our readers.
It’s not exactly “different”, but the timing of Easter this year means the week beginning Easter Monday, April 21, will close with Anzac Day on Friday, April 25.
So many people around the country are looking at a three-day work week.
