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Public holidays and anniversary dates

New Zealand public holiday and anniversary dates from 2017 - 2020.

The following dates have been put together in good faith from information provided; we can’t guarantee accuracy.

You can get school holiday dates from the Ministry of Education (external link) .

Public holiday dates

  Actual date Observed date
2019 2020
New Year's Day 1 January Tuesday 1 January Wednesday 1 January
Day after New Year's Day 2 January Wednesday 2 January Thursday 2 January
Waitangi Day 6 February Wednesday 6 February Thursday 6 February
Good Friday varies Friday 19 April Friday 10 April
Easter Monday varies Monday 22 April Monday 13 April
ANZAC Day 25 April Thursday 25 April Saturday 25 April or Monday 27 April
Queen's Birthday 1st Monday
in June		 Monday 3 June Monday 1 June
Labour Day 4th Monday
in October		 Monday 28 October Monday 26 October
Christmas Day 25 December Wednesday 25 December Friday 25 December
Boxing Day 26 December Thursday 26 December Saturday 26 December or Monday 28 December

Anniversary dates

Province Actual date Observed date
2019 2020
Auckland 29 January Monday 28 January Monday 27 January
Taranaki 31 March Monday 11 March

Monday 9 March
Hawke's Bay 1 November Friday  25 October Friday 23 October
Wellington 22 January Monday 21 January Monday 20 January
Marlborough 1 November Monday 4 November Monday 2 November
Nelson 1 February Monday 4  February Monday 3 February
Canterbury 16 December Friday 15 November Friday 13 November
Canterbury (South) 16 December Monday 23 September Monday 28 September
Westland 1 December Monday 2 December Monday 30 November
Otago 23 March Monday 25 March Monday 23 March
Southland 17 January Tuesday 23 April Tuesday 14 April
Chatham Islands 30 November Monday 2 December Monday 30 November

Public holiday notes

Public holiday Notes
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day & 2 January Holiday These public holidays are observed on the actual day when they fall on a weekday. When they fall on a Saturday/Sunday:
  • If the employee would normally have worked on the Saturday/Sunday, the public holiday is observed on the Saturday/Sunday
  • If the employee would not normally have worked on the Saturday/Sunday, the public holiday is observed on the following Monday/Tuesday
*Waitangi and ANZAC days From 1 January 2014 the public holiday for ANZAC Day and Waitangi Day are “mondayised” if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday and the employee would not normally have worked on that Saturday or Sunday.
Easter Easter dates confirmed by Catholic Church.

 

Anniversary day notes

Provincial Anniversary days are generally observed on the Monday nearest to the actual day with exceptions listed below.

Taranaki Anniversary Moves to 2nd Monday in March to avoid Easter.
Hawke's Bay Anniversary Moves to Friday before Labour Day.
Marlborough Anniversary Observed 1st Monday after Labour Day.
Canterbury Anniversary Northern & Central Canterbury areas observe Christchurch Show Day. The definition for the Canterbury Anniversary Day celebration as decided by Christchurch City is the second Friday after the first Tuesday in November each year. South Canterbury observes Dominion Day, the 4th Monday in September.
Westland Anniversary Varies throughout Westland, but Greymouth observes the official day.
Otago Anniversary As there is no easily determined single day of local observance for Otago then the parties should rely on either their employment agreement or their own custom and practice. Where there is no clear custom and practice then the parties should seek to find an agreement on how they will observe Anniversary Day. If parties require help to reach agreement on this matter in their workplace, they can seek assistance from the Ministry's Employment Mediation Service. If they are unhappy with how this matter has been handled in their workplace, or they are unable to reach a settlement via mediation, they can then seek assistance from the Employment Relations Authority.
Southland Anniversary In December 2011 the three southern Mayors decided Southland Anniversary Day will be celebrated on Easter Tuesday.

Setting of public holidays

The Holidays Act 2003 lists the holidays, but does not generally set dates for them. Some holidays are set by legislation (eg Waitangi Day Act 1976, ANZAC Day Act 1966, Sovereigns Birthday Observance Act 1952), while others are religious holidays (Easter and Christmas).

Provincial Anniversary Days are observed locally by custom and practice, and are generally prescribed by regional or city councils. You can confirm dates with organisations such as church dioceses, local city and provincial councils, other government departments and business organisations. These provinces relate to the former Provinces of 19th Century New Zealand and are not related to or determined by present-day Districts or Regions.

iCalendar feeds

New Zealand public holiday dates in iCalendar format.

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