Christmas Day on Norfolk Island
Christmas Day is observed on 25 December as a public holiday on Norfolk Island. Its local character is clearest in the law that sets the holiday and in the island’s history as the home of the Pitcairn settlement.[1][2][3]
A public holiday under Norfolk Island law
The Norfolk Island Continued Laws Ordinance lists Christmas Day as a public holiday. It provides that when 25 December falls on a Saturday or Sunday, 27 December is also observed as a public holiday. This means the substitute falls on the Monday after a Saturday Christmas, or the Tuesday after a Sunday Christmas.[1]
Norfolk Island employees are part of Australia’s Fair Work system. Under the national workplace rules, employees may be absent on a public holiday, though an employer can make a reasonable request for them to work. Eligible full-time and part-time employees are paid their base rate for ordinary hours they would have worked that day.[4]
The island’s history
Norfolk Island’s history includes early Polynesian settlement, two British convict settlements, and the Pitcairn settlement that began in 1856. After the second convict settlement closed, people from Pitcairn Island were relocated to Norfolk. They were descendants of HMS Bounty mutineers and Tahitian women.[3]
This history gives Christmas Day a setting shaped by successive communities and settlements. The government’s heritage account describes Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area as having symbolic, ceremonial, religious, lifestyle and cultural associations. Ask locally about Christmas customs and foods.[3]
What to expect on the day
Christmas Day is a public holiday. Visitors should check directly with individual providers before making plans.
The holiday ordinance was made in 2016 and combined Commonwealth Fair Work public holidays with holidays previously provided under Norfolk Island employment law. It retained local holidays including Bounty Day, Foundation Day, Show Day and Thanksgiving, alongside Christmas Day.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Is Christmas Day a day off on Norfolk Island?
When is Christmas Day observed?
Christmas Day is observed on 25 December. If that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the ordinance also makes 27 December a public holiday.[1]
Are shops, restaurants and transport services open?
Are local Christmas foods or customs documented?
Ask locally about Christmas foods or customs.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for Christmas Day in Norfolk Island:
- Norfolk Island Continued Laws Ordinance 2015- Federal Register of Legislation, Australian Government
- Public holidays on Norfolk Island confirmed- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
- Norfolk Island History and Heritage- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
- Public holidays- Fair Work Ombudsman