Your Christmas public holiday is officially NOT cancelled   

Date
    February 8, 2016
    The Age

The Grinch thankfully hasn't stolen Christmas this year.



Premier Daniel Andrews has saved Christmas. It will remain a public holiday.   

Which leads to the inevitable question: was Premier Daniel Andrews actively considering stripping Christmas's public holiday status?

Actually, yes. Well, sort of.

At 4.03 Monday afternoon the Department of Premier and Cabinet announced, via press released, that the CHRISTMAS DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY (was) TO REMAIN.

"The Christmas Day public holiday will remain in place and will give Victorians more quality time to spend with their families and friends," Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis said.

Fairfax Media had to know more. We reached out to the Minister's office, and they confirmed that, yes, cabinet had been quietly reviewing the Christmas public holiday. Its status and suitability hadn't been reviewed for a few years, we were told.

Was anyone complaining about Christmas? Were there any anti-public-holiday lobby groups making a scene? No.

Was there a legislative requirement to review the public holidays every few years? Were other holidays in the gun? No.

OK.

The government had reached out to various stakeholders. It turns out everyone is quite OK with Christmas being a public holiday. No complaints, said the business lobby.




Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, the first time it's fallen on a  weekend since 2011. That means – rejoice, good burghers of Victoria – a four-day public holiday (Boxing Day on Monday, substitute-Christmas on Tuesday).   

Substitute-Christmas. A new holiday for a new age.

"There will be restricted trading for applicable businesses on Christmas Day," the government's release said.

"However, there will be no trading restrictions imposed on the substituted Christmas Day public holiday so business opening hours will be a matter for individual owners and operators."

So, really, what was this all about?

Sometimes, it's very hard to tell.

Good to know the penalty rates are correct though.