Public Holidays SA

The March public Holiday is always held on the second Monday each March and is celebrated exclusively in South Australia since 1973. People often refer to the public holiday as the Adelaide Cup Day, given the Adelaide Cup horse race is held on this day each year. The Adelaide Cup is one of the largest sporting and social events that takes place in South Australia with the total prize money coming in at $400,000. The Cup used to be held in May, but was rescheduled in 2006 in an effort to draw more people to the Cup in the warmer weather. The obvious thing to do on this holiday is to check out the races themselves. There is more to the Cup than just horses though. With fashion shows, live music and a variety of gourmet food and drink stalls, the whole family will be entertained for the day.

South Australians enjoy a half-day public holiday on Christmas Eve. This ensures that all workers have the ability to spend time with the family and friends, or be properly compensated for their work during this time.

Many people take to Christmas Carolling on Christmas Eve in groups in their local neighbourhoods to spread cheer and goodwill.

Another way people like to give back at this time of the year is to give their time to charitable pursuits. Several charity institutions work hard to ensure that impoverished Australian children can receive a present on Christmas morning and those who are without cooking facilities can enjoy a home cooked Christmas meal.

Proclamation Day falls on the first weekday following Christmas Day, which is usually on the 26th of December. While all other states and territories in Australia celebrate this day as Boxing Day, South Australia celebrates the day to commemorate the establishment of their government in 1836. Besides a formal ceremony, including a re-enactment of the first ready of the proclamation, held by senior level officials and politicians, most South Australians do not partake in any specific celebratory measures for Proclamation Day.

To mark the state’s historical significance, many people venture to see some of South Australia’s most notable cultural heritage sites. Another popular choice is to follow the Living Heritage Trail to see a selection of important historic sites and museums.

In Australia, New Years is heralded by firework displays in all major cities and countdowns till midnight form the basis of the previous night’s boisterous celebrations. While New Year’s Eve day is not itself a public holiday, parties and events are held for people to see off the old year in style and welcome in the new with friends and family. South Australia observes the hours from 7pm till midnight as a public holiday, in an effort to compensate those who have to work during that time. New Year’s Day is often used as a day of rest and relaxation across the country.