Here in New Zealand, our holidays make no sense.
Queens Birthday weekend? That queen doesn't live here. Sure, we're part of the 'Commonwealth' but what does that actually mean anymore? Besides those people who actually watch the Commonwealth Games, ex-pat Brits or the elderly, does anyone care? Does the British monarchy still hold bearing for us here in Aotearoa? And what happens when there's a change in leadership? If Charles takes the reins will the holiday move to November? Any why do we not also have a holiday to celebrate our Māori Kiingi Tūheitia's birthday on the 21st of April? This holiday seems outdated and redundant.
Just like Labour weekend. Sure, achieving the 8 hour work day was a big deal at the time. But at this current time where personal median income is less than half of that required to get into the housing market in Auckland, it seems a little redundant. Especially when you consider that back in the 1950's, the total cost of a house was about 2 - 3 times an average annual household income. Not only are more than two average incomes required to gain what for many is a benchmark for financial stability, but working more than the 8 hour day is necessary for many to simply survive in the current economic climate. Stats NZ figures show that 2/3 of Kiwi's will have worked beyond 7 - 7 Monday to Friday at some point in the last month. These days it's not unusual for people to have more than one job just to put food on the table. And while our average hours worked has dropped over the last 45 years, in many industries 50 hour work weeks are the norm. On average, our truckies work 60 - 70 hours per week. And with shopping considered an integral part of daily life, retail workers still go to work on that holiday Monday. For me, the best thing about Labour weekend is getting time and a half and a day in lieu.
The peaceful settlement of Parihaka was
invaded by 1500 armed constabulary on November 5th
Thankfully, Emily Writes just wrote something fabulous that says almost everything I need to say about Guy Fawkes. Celebrating hanging a human for standing up to 'the man' is macabre. Fireworks scare our pets and children*. While it's not worthy of a day off, it still exists as a holiday in the hearts and minds of many. A day where we celebrate murder by torturing our most vulnerable with lights and fire and noise. A day where we test the reserve and skills of our firefighters because November is also quite a flammable time of year here in Aotearoa. This is just madness. Plus the 5th of November marks the first day of the invasion of Parihaka. Something the Crown acknowledged and apologised for just this year. This is not a day to celebrate**.
The last census results showed that more New Zealanders now identify as having no religion than identify as Christian - the previously dominant faith system. But Christianity still dominates our holidays. And while both Easter and Christmas were both created around existing Pagan traditions to make spreading The Faith simpler, in the Southern Hemisphere all these celebrations are backward. While Easter is about celebrating rebirth after surviving the harsh Winter, here in New Zealand it's Autumn. Everything is falling into decay around us as the cold creeps in. And while Christmas is about celebrating with feasts and friendship to stave off the depression that accompanies the cold, it falls in the middle of our hot Kiwi Summer.
Of course, consumerism has rebranded both of these holidays as something available to all. Media propagates the notion that we must spend, or at least give the illusion of spending, to show our loved ones we care. And because it is difficult to exist outside of consumer culture nowadays, the majority of us consider this a palatable rebrand. This feels increasingly at odds with the global shift toward environmentalism. With Greta Thunberg now a household name you would think maybe there would be a downturn in celebrating this holiday in such a consumables focused way. So far, statistics say no. Last year our Eftpos transactions were at a record high just two days out from Christmas. And this is Eftpos, so these stats come from physical retailers. So we know for a fact these were not charity gifts from places like Oxfam Unwrapped or Gifted.
What does Jesus have to do with chocolate? I mean, I like Jesus*** and I like chocolate, but otherwise I can't find a connection. Is it some kind of Christian rebrand to suck the kiddies in like the Pagan holiday rebrand? Nope. Just more big business cashing in with unnecessary marketing, unnecessary calories and more shiny, shiny landfill.
Man I'm a downer...
Given all I've just said it might seem like I hate holidays. I don't. I need holidays. I think we all need time to celebrate, time with those we love and time to recharge. I just think our current holidays could do with a bit of a shake up. It's weird giving people cards with snowmen on them during a time when you can literally get 3rd degree burns from walking barefoot on the beach. Almost every holiday is based around stuff that happens on the other side of the world. That makes no sense to me.
There is one existing holiday I'm ok with: Waitangi Day. It makes sense. It is celebrated on the main day of the signing of Te Tiriti O Waitangi rather than being Mondayised for convenience. It is a celebration of the beginning of a new era for New Zealand, and while a lot of shit accompanied that era, particularly for Māori, I feel like Waitangi Day is a time we can remember this, and talk about it, and work toward doing better. I like Waitangi Day because it has relevance to all of us who call New Zealand home.
I do think we need a new holiday. I think we should be celebrating Matariki. Not only because it's an important time for Māori, but because we need a mid-Winter celebration. We need that time to gather together to stave off insanity. We need something to work toward during those rainy, muddy bleak months. And Matariki reflects our place in the world. I say Matariki should be a public holiday. Matariki should become our new time to celebrate the joy of life with those we love. A fresh beginning together as a community.
The other holiday I'd like to implement is Diwali. I reckon we get rid of Guy Fawkes, we get rid of Halloween, and swap both for Diwali. Not only is it relevant to a big part of our community, but it's also just an awesome celebration. The festival of lights, in simple form, is the celebration of light overcoming darkness, of good overcoming evil. Etta's simple analogy: Diwali is like Star Wars. And it can be celebrated with fireworks displays****. This would satisfy that weird human desire to watch stuff explode, in a safe and controlled way. It makes sense to me to celebrate Diwali in Spring. The lead up to Diwali is almost literally about Spring cleaning and redecorating. What better time is there to celebrate Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, good fortune and prosperity, than after Winter? When we are seeing this wealth demonstrated in the world springing back to life around us. And I like celebrating a lady deity. I mean, I'm down with Jesus, but he ain't the be all and end all.
Good Ol' Kate Sheppard
Speaking of the ladies, I say we start celebrating being the first self-governing nation to give women the right to vote. Kiwi's happily flaunt this factoid when making claims that we are a 'progressive'***** nation. Rather than just being something to talk about when mansplaining feminism to someone, why not celebrate this? Maybe it will remind us of the power we have as a nation to actually improve things? Even if suffrage came about here purely as an attempt to implement temperance, who cares? We actualised a big change. I propose celebrating Suffrage on the date this change came into law, September 19th. Colloquially known as Kate Sheppard day, this will be a day of celebrating our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our lady co-workers, neighbours and shop keepers. A day where you can choose to do as Kate did and teetotal, or do what other Kiwi women unexpectedly did, and vote to keep on drinkin' that hooch! But most importantly, a day where we remember our power as people to bring change that empowers those groups who are marginalised.
So my updated New Zealand holiday calendar goes like this:
Jan/Feb - New Years, if you like, or Chinese New Years if you prefer******
Feb 6th - Waitangi Day
April - Easter/Extra Long DIY Weekend Holiday
June/July - Matariki/Winter Solstice
19th September - Kiwi Suffrage/Kate Sheppard Day
October/Nov - Diwali
December - Christmas/Over-indulgence and time with family day
What would your ideal holidays look like?
* As the parent of a kid with sensory issues, I can tell you - fireworks season SUCKS for our household.
** Unless it's your birthday. Happy birthday shout out to Phoebe and Uncle Hemi!
*** I'm not religious. But I have read a fair amount of theosophical texts and for the most part, I'm down with Jesus. Being kind to strangers? Washing the feet of beggars? Consorting with working girls? Turning water into wine? Jesus is totally my homeboy.
**** I think fireworks for home use should be banned.
***** They're wrong in that we're progressive. We still have some of the highest family violence rates in the OECD, a pay gap and unequal representation in parliament/government to contend with. We have a LOT of work to do on this front. Most people who tout this fact are just trying to maintain the status quo. We can be, and should be trying for much better than the status quo. Our status quo is a mess.
****** Chinese New Year is certainly my preference. There are special foods. There are special dances. There is much community celebration, and I love the 12 year cycle of coming into New Years. Pakeha New Years (in my experience) is just about getting drunk enough to pash a stranger in town, waking up with regrets and a hangover. And it's expected you stay up until at least midnight. These are not my idea of ways of celebrating. I always offer to work New Years Day precisely because I know many of my younger co-workers still partake in that tradition.
Queens Birthday weekend? That queen doesn't live here. Sure, we're part of the 'Commonwealth' but what does that actually mean anymore? Besides those people who actually watch the Commonwealth Games, ex-pat Brits or the elderly, does anyone care? Does the British monarchy still hold bearing for us here in Aotearoa? And what happens when there's a change in leadership? If Charles takes the reins will the holiday move to November? Any why do we not also have a holiday to celebrate our Māori Kiingi Tūheitia's birthday on the 21st of April? This holiday seems outdated and redundant.
Will Charles ever get an official holiday?
Just like Labour weekend. Sure, achieving the 8 hour work day was a big deal at the time. But at this current time where personal median income is less than half of that required to get into the housing market in Auckland, it seems a little redundant. Especially when you consider that back in the 1950's, the total cost of a house was about 2 - 3 times an average annual household income. Not only are more than two average incomes required to gain what for many is a benchmark for financial stability, but working more than the 8 hour day is necessary for many to simply survive in the current economic climate. Stats NZ figures show that 2/3 of Kiwi's will have worked beyond 7 - 7 Monday to Friday at some point in the last month. These days it's not unusual for people to have more than one job just to put food on the table. And while our average hours worked has dropped over the last 45 years, in many industries 50 hour work weeks are the norm. On average, our truckies work 60 - 70 hours per week. And with shopping considered an integral part of daily life, retail workers still go to work on that holiday Monday. For me, the best thing about Labour weekend is getting time and a half and a day in lieu.
The peaceful settlement of Parihaka was
invaded by 1500 armed constabulary on November 5th
The last census results showed that more New Zealanders now identify as having no religion than identify as Christian - the previously dominant faith system. But Christianity still dominates our holidays. And while both Easter and Christmas were both created around existing Pagan traditions to make spreading The Faith simpler, in the Southern Hemisphere all these celebrations are backward. While Easter is about celebrating rebirth after surviving the harsh Winter, here in New Zealand it's Autumn. Everything is falling into decay around us as the cold creeps in. And while Christmas is about celebrating with feasts and friendship to stave off the depression that accompanies the cold, it falls in the middle of our hot Kiwi Summer.
A Christmas Tree installation made from used plastic bags
by Luzinterruptus
by Luzinterruptus
Of course, consumerism has rebranded both of these holidays as something available to all. Media propagates the notion that we must spend, or at least give the illusion of spending, to show our loved ones we care. And because it is difficult to exist outside of consumer culture nowadays, the majority of us consider this a palatable rebrand. This feels increasingly at odds with the global shift toward environmentalism. With Greta Thunberg now a household name you would think maybe there would be a downturn in celebrating this holiday in such a consumables focused way. So far, statistics say no. Last year our Eftpos transactions were at a record high just two days out from Christmas. And this is Eftpos, so these stats come from physical retailers. So we know for a fact these were not charity gifts from places like Oxfam Unwrapped or Gifted.
Is a chocolate Jesus just a tastier way to
partake of the body of Christ?
Maybe this year will be different?partake of the body of Christ?
Man I'm a downer...
Given all I've just said it might seem like I hate holidays. I don't. I need holidays. I think we all need time to celebrate, time with those we love and time to recharge. I just think our current holidays could do with a bit of a shake up. It's weird giving people cards with snowmen on them during a time when you can literally get 3rd degree burns from walking barefoot on the beach. Almost every holiday is based around stuff that happens on the other side of the world. That makes no sense to me.
There is one existing holiday I'm ok with: Waitangi Day. It makes sense. It is celebrated on the main day of the signing of Te Tiriti O Waitangi rather than being Mondayised for convenience. It is a celebration of the beginning of a new era for New Zealand, and while a lot of shit accompanied that era, particularly for Māori, I feel like Waitangi Day is a time we can remember this, and talk about it, and work toward doing better. I like Waitangi Day because it has relevance to all of us who call New Zealand home.
I do think we need a new holiday. I think we should be celebrating Matariki. Not only because it's an important time for Māori, but because we need a mid-Winter celebration. We need that time to gather together to stave off insanity. We need something to work toward during those rainy, muddy bleak months. And Matariki reflects our place in the world. I say Matariki should be a public holiday. Matariki should become our new time to celebrate the joy of life with those we love. A fresh beginning together as a community.
I love Diwali
The other holiday I'd like to implement is Diwali. I reckon we get rid of Guy Fawkes, we get rid of Halloween, and swap both for Diwali. Not only is it relevant to a big part of our community, but it's also just an awesome celebration. The festival of lights, in simple form, is the celebration of light overcoming darkness, of good overcoming evil. Etta's simple analogy: Diwali is like Star Wars. And it can be celebrated with fireworks displays****. This would satisfy that weird human desire to watch stuff explode, in a safe and controlled way. It makes sense to me to celebrate Diwali in Spring. The lead up to Diwali is almost literally about Spring cleaning and redecorating. What better time is there to celebrate Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, good fortune and prosperity, than after Winter? When we are seeing this wealth demonstrated in the world springing back to life around us. And I like celebrating a lady deity. I mean, I'm down with Jesus, but he ain't the be all and end all.
Good Ol' Kate Sheppard
Speaking of the ladies, I say we start celebrating being the first self-governing nation to give women the right to vote. Kiwi's happily flaunt this factoid when making claims that we are a 'progressive'***** nation. Rather than just being something to talk about when mansplaining feminism to someone, why not celebrate this? Maybe it will remind us of the power we have as a nation to actually improve things? Even if suffrage came about here purely as an attempt to implement temperance, who cares? We actualised a big change. I propose celebrating Suffrage on the date this change came into law, September 19th. Colloquially known as Kate Sheppard day, this will be a day of celebrating our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our lady co-workers, neighbours and shop keepers. A day where you can choose to do as Kate did and teetotal, or do what other Kiwi women unexpectedly did, and vote to keep on drinkin' that hooch! But most importantly, a day where we remember our power as people to bring change that empowers those groups who are marginalised.So my updated New Zealand holiday calendar goes like this:
Jan/Feb - New Years, if you like, or Chinese New Years if you prefer******
Feb 6th - Waitangi Day
April - Easter/Extra Long DIY Weekend Holiday
June/July - Matariki/Winter Solstice
19th September - Kiwi Suffrage/Kate Sheppard Day
October/Nov - Diwali
December - Christmas/Over-indulgence and time with family day
What would your ideal holidays look like?
* As the parent of a kid with sensory issues, I can tell you - fireworks season SUCKS for our household.
** Unless it's your birthday. Happy birthday shout out to Phoebe and Uncle Hemi!
*** I'm not religious. But I have read a fair amount of theosophical texts and for the most part, I'm down with Jesus. Being kind to strangers? Washing the feet of beggars? Consorting with working girls? Turning water into wine? Jesus is totally my homeboy.
**** I think fireworks for home use should be banned.
***** They're wrong in that we're progressive. We still have some of the highest family violence rates in the OECD, a pay gap and unequal representation in parliament/government to contend with. We have a LOT of work to do on this front. Most people who tout this fact are just trying to maintain the status quo. We can be, and should be trying for much better than the status quo. Our status quo is a mess.
****** Chinese New Year is certainly my preference. There are special foods. There are special dances. There is much community celebration, and I love the 12 year cycle of coming into New Years. Pakeha New Years (in my experience) is just about getting drunk enough to pash a stranger in town, waking up with regrets and a hangover. And it's expected you stay up until at least midnight. These are not my idea of ways of celebrating. I always offer to work New Years Day precisely because I know many of my younger co-workers still partake in that tradition.
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