📅 holiday

Recreation Day

Monday, November 2, 2026

— days to go

Recreation Day occurs on the first Monday of every November. It is a public holiday in Tasmania that only applies in the northern half of the state. In 2026, Recreateion Day falls on Monday 2 November. The holiday will be on Monday 1 November in 2027. Note: All parts of Tasmania which do not observe Royal Hobart Regatta. It was originally instituted because Hobart and southern Tasmania had one more holiday than did the northern parts of the island, but there is no historic or cultural significance to why it is celebrated. The holiday is centred especially in Launceston, though it is observed in towns throughout the region. It was called “First Monday of November Holiday” from 1919, when it was instituted under the Bank Holidays Act, until 1989, when its named was changed to Recreation Day. In 1991, the date was changed to November 11th for that year only to fall on the same day as the Australian Pacing Championship in Launceston that year. Horse pacing is a sport where the horses must move at specified gaits while pulling a small, two-wheel cart termed a “sulky” behind them. Recreation Day, however, continues to be regularly held on the first Monday in November. It is kept different ways by different people. Some relax at home with family and friends, doing chores or watching TV. Students often catch up on their studies, especially in Launceston, where the university library is open for the day. Sports events, like “Aussie rules” football, cricket, and soccer are often played or attended. Many also get outside and enjoy the warm weather, for it is almost summer below the Equator in November. Tourists, too, can basically write their own itinerary, for everyone seems to have a different idea of which kind of recreation will be most enjoyable on Recreation Day. Here are a few possibilities, however:

History

Recreation Day occurs on the first Monday of every November. It was originally instituted because Hobart and southern Tasmania had one more holiday than did the northern parts of the island, but there is no historic or cultural significance to why it is celebrated. It was called “First Monday of November Holiday” from 1919, when it was instituted under the Bank Holidays Act, until 1989, when its named was changed to Recreation Day. In 1991, the date was changed to November 11th for that year onl

How It's Celebrated

It is a public holiday in Tasmania that only applies in the northern half of the state. The holiday will be on Monday 1 November in 2027. Note: All parts of Tasmania which do not observe Royal Hobart Regatta. It was originally instituted because Hobart and southern Tasmania had one more holiday than

Other Years

2026 Mon

2 Nov

2027 Mon

1 Nov

2028 Mon

6 Nov

2025 Mon

3 Nov

2024 Mon

4 Nov

Countries

🇦🇺 AU

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🌍 observance Jan 26

Australia

In 1788, Arrival of. First Fleet. On January 26, 1788, the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Port Jackson, marking the beginning of European colonization of Australia

AUUS

📅 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:

🌍 observance Feb 13

National Apology Day

In 2004, National. Apology Day Inception. This holiday was officially recognized in Australia as a day to encourage apologies for past wrongdoings, and starting afresh