Pet Peeve: Public Holidays

 Coming from the one place in Christendom, which until a few years ago didn't celebrate Boxing Day (or St Stephen's Day. or the day after Christmas) public holidays have always been a topic of discussions. 

Okay, in Adelaide's case, the reason for not having Boxing Day was because we had Proclaimation Day on 28 December, two days later to commemorate the birthday of South Australia. This meant that various dignitaries would meet under the Old Gum Tree in Glenelg to wish the colony a happy birthday. 

Please note that the Queen they're asking God to save is Queen Victoria, not our recently departed Lizzie.

What I remember of this was working in a Department Store, having to work back on Christmas Eve only to return two days later, normally really early in the morning, to open for the Christmas sales. No chance to sit around, eat the remaining ham / seafood / salad, go to the beach and play cricket, meet up with friends... Having to work on a day when the rest of the Christian world is relaxing sucked big time. 

I've just checked the South Australian gazette - it appears the government has seen sense sometime in the last 30 years and they've rolled Proclaimation Day into Boxing day on the 26 December. Maybe retail workers complained loud enough to get this changed. 

And don't get me started on the Queen's Birthday. Our last queen had a birthday in April. The public holiday is held on the second Monday in June in some states, in October for others. I don't quite get it. 

Besides, does anybody really care when South Australia was proclaimed a State? Victoria doesn't have a similar day?

But then we come to the pointless public holidays. 

In Victoria we get a day off for a football match AND a horse race. And the horse race is on a Tuesday, which means most people take an extended weekend. 

If you don't give a toss about football or horse racing, you're sitting around doing very little. At least the shops are open on these days. Business owners complain that they have to pay penalty rates on these days. Workers either love getting the extra money or hate having to work when everybody else is dossing off. 

And now we're having yet ANOTHER public holiday. A National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II. 

Here are the things I don't get:

• Why does this have to be on a Thursday?
• Why can't we have a long weekend the week before and take the day off for the funeral?
• Sure, as a mark of respect you get a day off - but do people really give a toss about this? 

See, this is when my republican insticts set in. Why do we get the day off to mourn somebody who has little to no impact in our lives? And with two weeks notice, what about the people who have appointments booked for that day? What of the surgeons with operations scheduled? What about the car services? Or the big meetings which have been booked for months interstate. 

It's a fucking inconvenience to have to take a day off to mourn somebody you don't know. Also, when they were planning public holidays, the bulk of people had 9-5 permanent jobs. Those on daily rate contracts or casual rates miss out on a day's pay. 

Adding insult to injury, Victoria already has a pointless public holiday on the following day for the Grand Final. Contractors miss out on two days pay. 

So yeah, I'm a bit shitty about this. I resent that they're taking away a day's pay to commemorate somebody who has very little impact in my life. I can see a few people saying that I'm being a contradictory because I said I was sad about the Queen's passing. I have felt some sadness - but I don't need a extraneous day off for it. 

See, this is a good reason to be a Republic. We'd get rid of a lot of these colonial vestiges that are left over from a day when the bulk of people has full time, permanent jobs, shops closed at 5 pm on Friday and didn't open until Monday morning. Back when the indigenous population were classed as flora and fauna. Back when as a woman, when you married, you had to give up your job. 

I think this day off next Thursday is somewhat ridiculous.

Ah well. Viva le Republic.

Today's song: