Indians call for Diwali to become an Australian public holiday

Australia’s growing Indian community is calling for Diwali, a major Hindu festival, to be recognised as a national public holiday, according to reports from News Ltd publications. Similarly, there are calls for Eid (celebrated by Muslims) and Lunar New Year (predominantly celebrated by Asian communities) to also receive national holiday status.

However, in this discussion, few are considering the costs these changes could impose on small businesses, especially in terms of staffing and penalty rates. Additionally, public holidays often bring significant disruption to families and individuals, who must adjust plans around altered schedules and limited services.

Most Australian states already honour a strong set of traditional holidays: New Year’s Day, Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Labour Day, Easter (two days), the King’s (or Queen’s) Birthday, Show Holidays, Christmas, and Boxing Day. Yet these longstanding holidays, especially Australia Day, are under continuous attack. There are frequent calls from the radical left to move or eliminate Australia Day entirely, challenging Australia’s customs and way of life in favour of imposing ideological agendas without consideration to what the majority of people want or feel.

The radical left already protest, and have declare their hatred for, ANZAC Day - with the Greens even going as far as to support those that have defaced ANZAC memorials. 

Australia has resisted the tradition of many other Christian countries to celebrate the feast days of various Saints, like St George, St Patrick, St Joseph, St Mark, St Peter, St Paul, St John the Baptist, All Saints Day (sometimes called Halloween – depending on tradition), St Andrew, St David, St Martin of Tours, St Nicholas, St Cyril, St Methodius, or Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The people from those countries who celebrate these national holidays make up quite a considerable section of the Australian community, and in fact many Australians most likely have linage from one of these lands.

Heaven forbid, though, this conversation be about what the majority people may want to celebrate.

Recently, the Albanese government introduced legislation allowing employees to substitute a public holiday with a date of their choice. For instance, if an employee does not celebrate Christmas, they can work on Christmas Day and take a different public holiday in lieu. While this policy creates logistical challenges for many businesses, it offers an ideal solution for those wanting to observe Diwali, Eid, or Lunar New Year. Additionally, Easter’s two-day holiday could accommodate those wishing to celebrate events that follow the lunar calendar, such as Eid or Lunar New Year.

Let’s start honouring Australia’s holiday traditions while allowing for individual cultural celebrations, in their own way without disruption to the majority of our country.