Family Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Family Day is the name of a public holiday in South Africa, in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, in the American state of Arizona, in Vanuatu, in Việt Nam and (as "Family & Community Day") in the Australian Capital Territory.
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[edit] Australia
[edit] Australian Capital Territory
Family & Community Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday of November, which coincides with the Melbourne Cup. This public holiday was declared in 2007 under section 3(1)(b) of the Holidays Act 1953 (ACT) and was expected to be declared again in 2008. In his speech to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, Mr. Andrew Barr, the ACT Minister for Industrial Relations stated the purpose of the new public holiday was:
"...to enable workers to take a break from their hectic working lives and to spend some quality time with their family and friends. ... Australians do work the longest hours of any country in the western world. We do deserve a break."[1]
[edit] Canada
Nearly 60% of Canadians have a statutory holiday on the third Monday of February, thereby coinciding with the US holiday Presidents Day. The holiday is called "Family Day" in most provinces, and "Louis Riel Day" and "Islander Day" in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, respectively; there is no federally-established Family Day.
Family Day is unrelated to National Family Week, a campaign put on each October by the Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs, a non-profit organization. It is not a statutory holiday, but is generally recognized and celebrated by community organizations across the country.
[edit] South Africa
After 1995, Easter Monday was renamed Family Day.[2] In 2007, it was observed on April 9.[3]
[edit] United States
American Family Day is a state holiday in Arizona and has been celebrated on the first Sunday in August since 1978.[4]
[edit] Vanuatu
Family Day in Vanuatu is celebrated annually on December 27 as a day on which school and work are suspended in order to spend the day giving thanks for and enjoying time with one's family, often by engaging in civic and religious events and a festive meal.
[edit] References
- ^ "Hansard, Legislative Assembly for the ACT". 2007-09-25. http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2007/week09/2608.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
- ^ "Public Holidays Act, 1994 (36)" (PDF). 1994-12-07. http://www.info.gov.za/acts/1994/a36-94.pdf. Retrieved 2006-04-05.
- ^ "About SA - Public Holidays". 2006-03-28. http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/holidays.htm. Retrieved 2006-04-05.
- ^ American Family Day, http://www.americanfamilydayholiday.com/index.php
