Christmas Day in Australia: Public Holiday Rules by State and the Summer Traditions

Is Christmas Day a public holiday in Australia?

Yes. Christmas Day falls on Friday, December 25, 2026 and is a public holiday in every state and territory. Public holidays are declared by each state and territory under its own law, and every one of them includes 25 December. Boxing Day, the next day, is also a public holiday almost everywhere; in South Australia, 26 December is kept as Proclamation Day.

Because the holiday is tied to the date and not to a weekday, the length of the break changes from year to year. The weekend rules below decide whether an extra weekday holiday is added.

What happens when Christmas or Boxing Day falls on a weekend

Because the holiday is fixed to the date, it regularly lands on a Saturday or Sunday. Most states then add a weekday holiday, but the rule is written into each state's law, so the details differ.

In New South Wales, holidays are gazetted under the Public Holidays Act 2010. When Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a weekend, there is an additional public holiday on the following Monday or Tuesday.

In Queensland, the Holidays Act 1983 adds 27 December only if Christmas Day is a Saturday or Sunday, and 28 December only if Boxing Day is a Saturday or Sunday.

In Western Australia, when Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday is also a public holiday.

For Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory, check your state or territory government's public holiday page, which publishes the exact dates for each year.

A winter feast moved to summer

The colonists who arrived from Britain brought a Christmas built for the northern winter. According to the State Library of South Australia, they held on to customs such as candle-lit trees and the hot Christmas roast, even in the heat of a southern December.

The long, warm days slowly pulled the celebration outdoors. Wealthier families in Adelaide spent the summer at Glenelg, and picnics, swimming and walks in the park became part of the season.

Today the table often mixes the two worlds. The State Library lists cold meats, prawns, salads, cherries and pavlova as typical Christmas food, while many families still serve a Christmas pudding, mince pies or trifle. A beach picnic or a game of backyard cricket after lunch is just as much a tradition as the presents.

Carols by Candlelight and the Boxing Day sailing race

Outdoor carol concerts are one of the most Australian parts of the season. The best known, Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne, started in 1938. Vision Australia, which runs the event, says radio broadcaster Norman Banks came up with the idea after seeing an elderly woman listening to carols alone by candlelight on Christmas Eve the year before. The first concert, at Alexandra Gardens, drew about 10,000 people, and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl has been its home since 1959. Money raised supports children who are blind or have low vision.

The day after Christmas has its own fixture. The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starts on Boxing Day and has been sailed since 1945. See the Boxing Day countdown for this year's date.