Easter Saturday in Australia

Easter Saturday is the day that follows Good Friday and the day prior Easter Sunday. In Australia, it is a one of the people’s favourite days for varied reasons. For Christians in Australia, it is the eve of the Easter Sunday which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a very special occasion that is highly anticipated by the church. For others, it is the best time to spend quality time with the family, unwind, relax, and go out of town.

How Australians Observe Easter Saturday

In most of the territories in Australia, Easter Saturday is declared a national and public holiday. This means that most of the services, organizations, establishments, and offices are closed. The commercial areas may have only a few stores and shops open during Eastern Saturday, and if there are, these shops operate only in limited hours. Similarly, transport services may also operate in a restricted number of hours. The territories that declare Easter Saturday as holiday are the Australian Capital Territory or ACT, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria. Tasmania and Western Australia do not declare this day a public holiday.

Some of the people in Australia take the holiday as the opportunity to relax and slow things down. The Easter Saturday being a part of a four-day Lenten Weekend, many of the people in Australia go on a vacation either in the company of their family or friends. Others also see this day as the opportune time to explore other cities of Australia or other countries near it where they do shopping, dining, and unwinding. The children, on the other hand, would usually ask their parents to buy them items that they can use the following day in the celebration of the Easter Sunday. These items could be decorated eggs or cookies, chocolates, and candies that have the shape of an egg or Easter Bilby. Recently, the Easter Bilby has replaced the Easter Rabbit as a symbol of Easter Sunday. Rabbits have become inappropriate symbols of Easter Sunday because they destroy crops, harvests, and natural habitats, and therefore, are considered pests.

Christians in Australia and the Easter Saturday

Christians in Australia extend the Good Friday activity up to Easter Saturday. This means that the Christian community continue to remember the suffering of Jesus Christ in the cross. It is in this day that Christians avoid merry-making activities and instead devote time on reflection, repentance, and prayer. It is also the best time to be with the family as they together read scriptures, engage to Lenten Christian activities, go to vigils, retreats, and other similar activities. It is on Easter Saturday the Christians remember Jesus’ stay in the tomb.