📅 holiday

Canterbury Anniversary Day

Friday, November 13, 2026

— days to go

The “old provincial system” was abolished in 1876, but nonetheless, the “regions” of New Zealand are generally defined by the boundaries of the former provinces. And each region gets its own statutory holiday to celebrate its founding. The central east coastal area of the South Island is the Canterbury Region. The northern and central portions of Canterbury Region celebrate their founding day on the second Friday following the first Tuesday of November, though it should be noted that the original, actual anniversary date is 16 December. It is called simply “Canterbury Anniversary Day”. In the main hub city of the region, Christchurch, “Show Day” is made to coincide with Canterbury Anniversary Day. The show is agricultural and pastoral at its base, but there are many other events that spring up with it or around it. You will find fairs, local food sold at food stalls, concerts, cultural exhibits, and more going on in the main towns of Christchurch and Ashburton. But you can also get outside the urban centres to enjoy such activities as hiking, trekking, mountain biking, white-water rafting, and exploring state and national parks and nature reserves.

History

The northern and central portions of Canterbury Region celebrate their founding day on the second Friday following the first Tuesday of November, though it should be noted that the original, actual anniversary date is 16 December. The show is agricultural and pastoral at its base, but there are many other events that spring up with it or around it

How It's Celebrated

And each region gets its own statutory holiday to celebrate its founding. The northern and central portions of Canterbury Region celebrate their founding day on the second Friday following the first Tuesday of November, though it should be noted that the original, actual anniversary date is 16 Decem

Other Years

2026 Fri

13 Nov

2027 Fri

12 Nov

2028 Fri

17 Nov

2025 Fri

14 Nov

2024 Fri

15 Nov

Countries

🇳🇿 NZ

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📅 holiday Feb 10

Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck

The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is a holiday unique to Malta because it was on Malta that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked around the year A.D. 60. In 2027, Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck falls on Wednesday 10 February. The holiday will be on Thursday 10 February in 2028. The feast is kept on February 10th each year, and as Paul is the patron saint of Malta, it is a much-anticipated event. Out of dozens of “saint days” on the church calendar in Malta, the Feast of Saint Paul is one of only a handful that have the status of a national holiday. The account of Paul’s shipwreck and three-month, wintertime stay on Malta is found in the Bible’s Acts 27:27 through 28:11. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner to eventually stand trial before Caesar. God let him know in advance he would be shipwrecked but would spare the lives of all on board, which promise was later kept and in answer to Paul’s prayers for their lives. The Bible says the storm was in the Adriatic Sea, though Malta borders the Ionian Sea, because in ancient times, the Adriatic’s boundaries were considered to extend much farther south. The ship broke up on the rocks near the shores of Malta, and all swam ashore. The local population greeted them, but thought he might be a murderer whom the “goddess of justice” had finally caught up with after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. After he lived, however, they supposed him to be, perhaps, a god. Paul, however, soon showed them it was God’s power at work in a mere man by healing the governor of the island, Publius, and many others who were sick or disabled among the island’s population. No doubt, Paul preached the Gospel to them as well, and when he left Malta, the inhabitants gave him all necessary supplies out of gratitude. The Feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck is kept at the “Parish Church of Saint Paul Shipwrecked” in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. It is also a day of processions and family get-togethers. Three things to do should you visit Malta, though hopefully not be shipwrecked there, on February 10th are: