15 September 2010

We're not sure why, but we're having a day off anyway

| johnboy
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Katy Gallagher is reminding us that 27 September is a public holiday for the sweet fun of it, aka Family and Community Day.

In saner polities public holidays are held in commemoration, remembrance, or to serve a specific purpose.

But here in Canberra we’re having one because we haven’t had one in a while and everyone else in Australia gets this many so we’re not going to miss out.

Which, some could say, rather devalues the commemoration entailed in the other days. (Although to be fair Katy considers FAC Day a remembrance of the union picnic day).

Some of you might recall that Family and Community Day started life as a holiday for the Melbourne Cup, until the public made clear that they preferred a day they could get pissed at work and failed to turn up at the Labor Club in sufficient numbers to make it worthwhile.

As a cunning compromise we now don’t have to spend the Melbourne Cup with our families, and can instead eat cold chicken and drink cheap sparkling white while flirting with the hottie from four desks over who always looks when we walk to the printer.

But we also get a holiday in September!

Katy suggests you might want to spend it at an ACT Government owned enterprise, Floriade.

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colourful sydney racing identity12:38 pm 16 Sep 10

Primal said :

I know more than a few parents that are very happy to have a long weekend in school holiday time.

Absolutely. Always good to have a public holiday during the school hols

I know more than a few parents that are very happy to have a long weekend in school holiday time.

Who are you grinches who complain about a nice holiday at the end of Winter and the opportunity to spend some time with your families on a nice sunny Tuesday?

I take any holiday and use it for my own purposes. Just pleased I only need to take 4 days leave to get 6 days off work.

KB1971 said :

Fark Floriade, I will be fishing!!

+1 for that!!

And in 2011 this holiday is booked in for October, the week after the first October long weekend

Fark Floriade, I will be fishing!!

W00t! Holiday!

“held in commemoration, rememberance, or to serve a specific purpose”

Have you ever complained about Boxing Day? Do you spend Labour Day ruminating over current and past working conditions?

Easter and Xmas are arguably useless unless you’re a Christian for that matter…

Bring on a 3-day weekend!

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