Easter looked a little different last year, with so many of us having to trade in the big family ‘do for a small, at-home affair. But after our efforts to protect our health, Easter in 2021 is seriously looking up.
With this, we’re here to organise your Easter calendar and take one more thing off your plate. Oh, and we’re going to tell you how to turn a four day weekend into a 10-day holiday while taking less annual leave days.
When is Easter 2021?
In 2021, Good Friday falls on 2 April. Easter Sunday is on 4 April and Easter Monday is on 5 April. This means we have ourselves a four-day weekend.
Good Friday and Easter Monday have always been public holidays, whereas whether the Saturday after Good Friday is a public holiday is dependant on each state.
Easter in Australia is historically a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The celebrations surround Easter Sunday, which is also known as Pasch or Resurrection Day.
Why is Easter different every year?
Unlike Christmas and New Year, Easter dates aren’t fixed and the period where it falls varies between March 22 and April 25. Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the March equinox, known as the Paschal Full Moon. This relates directly to the Jewish calendar.
The date of the Paschal Full Moon varies, and depends on time zone. It’s all based on mathematical approximations following a 19-year cycle, called the Metonic cycle.
Is Easter Saturday a public holiday?
In some states, Easter Saturday is classified as a public holiday and in other states it isn’t. It sometimes has an effect on business hours, but it’s completely up to the individual business as to whether they’re open or not. As such, it’s best to check if you have plans to head out.
The day after Good Friday and before Easter Sunday is traditionally known as Holy Saturday. In New South Wales, ACT, Northern Territory and South Australia, it is called “Easter Saturday”. In Queensland it is called “day after Good Friday” and in Victoria, it is called “the Saturday before Easter Sunday”.
It is a public holiday in each of these states. However, in Western Australia and Tasmania, Saturday isn’t classified as a public holiday.
When are the Easter school holidays 2021?
The Easter school holidays state to state. This year in 2021, the term 1 school holidays run from:
ACT: 2 April to 18 April
NSW: 10 April to 26 April
NT: 10 April to 18 April
QLD: 2 April to 18 April
SA: 10 April to 26 April
TAS: 2 April to 20 April
VIC: 2 April to 18 April
WA: 2 April to 18 April
How to get the most time off during Easter 2021
By cleverly booking annual leave either side of your state’s predetermined public holidays, you can double your amount of time off in 2021 without it affecting your work or pay. This may sound cheeky, but it’s actually just a smart way to take a bit of time for yourself and your loved ones, to take some valuable time to do things that make you feel good.
During April, you have the opportunity to book four days of annual leave for a 10-day holiday.
Here’s how:
Travel between:
Friday, 2 April – Sunday, 11 April
Book these dates of AL:
- Tuesday, 6 April
- Wednesday, 7 April
- Thursday, 8 April
- Friday, 9 April
Following Easter, the new public holiday for most states is Anzac Day. To find out if your state receives the Anzac Day Public holiday in 2021, click here.
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