Easter

When is Easter 2023?

• Easter Saturday is on 8 April 2023
• Easter Sunday is on 9 April 2023
• Easter Monday is on 10 April 2023
• Easter Tuesday is on 11 April (only a public holiday in Tasmania).

Easter 2023

*Holy Saturday is also called Easter Saturday

Easter 2024

*Holy Saturday is also called Easter Saturday

Easter 2025

*Holy Saturday is also called Easter Saturday

Easter 2026

*Holy Saturday is also called Easter Saturday

Is Easter 2023 a public holiday?

Yes, but only in specific states. 

• Easter Saturday is a public holiday in every state except TAS and WA
• Easter Sunday is a public holiday in every state except TAS, NT and SA.
• Easter Monday is a public holiday for the entire country.
• Easter Tuesday is a restricted public holiday only in TAS 

History of Easter

Australia celebrates Easter differently than many other countries in the world.

Instead of celebrating the beginning of spring like those in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the fact that the seasonal order is reversed, Australia celebrates Easter in the fall harvest season.

This religious holiday commemorates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, as recounted in the New Testament Bible.

In addition to celebrating Christianity’s most important holiday, Australian Easters are also popular celebrations with families and friends.

Australian Easter is a long weekend that starts on Easter Sunday and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter Symbolism

Christians believe that this event happened over two thousand years ago, that Jesus came to Earth and taught people about God and that his death and resurrection are the key to finding salvation.

In 33 AD, the Bible records that Jesus was falsely accused of being a heretic and a troublemaker.

He was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate and on the Friday of that weekend he was killed by being nailed to a wooden cross.

As the next day was the Jewish Sabbath, his body was removed at the end of Friday and placed in a tomb.

On the following Sunday, now known as Easter Sunday, friends visited the tomb to embalm Jesus’ body.

Despite the tomb being sealed by a rock and with armed Roman guards on duty, Jesus Christ had risen from the grave.

It is unclear when Easter was first celebrated, but there are some hints that suggest it may have originated around the mid-second century.

This long weekend, Christians and non-Christians alike can gather with friends and family to celebrate the Easter holiday.

How to Celebrate Easter 2023

Watch the Stawell Gift Race

The Stawell Gift is a foot race that’s been conducted since 1878 during the Australian Gold Rush. The original prize of the race was £24, back when Australia still used the British pound. 

That sum actually equates to several thousands of Australian dollars today.

The race takes place in the town of Stawell in Victoria, where the race first started almost 150 years ago.

The race has a long history, running nonstop every year since its beginning! The only exceptions to this were for 4 years during World War II and once in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.

Nowadays the prize for winning the race is $40,000 AUD, which is still quite a bit of good money, making the Stawell Gift the richest foot race in the country!

The race actually takes place over 3 days, with interesting and exciting events on each day.

On Easter Saturday, the best athletes in each heat race to the finish line to determine who will move on to the semi-finals.

If you have the fastest time, you’ll be a contender for a chance at winning!

On Easter Sunday, several other small races happening at the same event conclude. Including the main Stawell Gift race, over 60 different foot races are run over these 3 days!

On Easter Monday, the six semi-finals for the Stawell Gift will take place approximately two hours before the final. Only the semi-final winners will advance to the final.

3 days of races make the 40k grand prize definitely worth it! If you feel you have the drive to compete, give it a shot and go for the gold!

Enjoy an Easter Bilby

Easter celebrations in Australia usually involve the use of the Easter Bilby, a small marsupial with long ears and nose.

While other countries use the Easter Bunny for celebrations, rabbits are usually seen as pests in Australia, due to their overbreeding and destruction of crops.

As a result, some Australians have been trying to replace the Easter Bunny with the Easter Bilby for some time now.

This is partly because of the bilby’s small size and partly because they are considered to be relatively harmless.

Bilbies are furry creatures are native only to Australia and are currently endangered, so don’t miss your chance to help support their conservation.

You can purchase chocolate Bilbies and children’s books about the Easter Bilby, making sure all proceeds go towards supporting their continued existence.

One delicious example of this can be found in the big picture at the top of the page!

While you’re at it, don’t forget to buy eggs and dye to set up an Easter egg hunt! A longstanding Easter tradition, kids and adults both will love decorating and searching for the holiday-themed eggs!

Many neighborhoods in Australia host public Easter egg hunts as well, which can be a great place to bring kids and meet people from the area.

Go to the Sydney Royal Easter Show

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia’s largest annual ticketed event and runs for two weeks out of the year, starting from Good Friday this year. 

Nearly 850,000 people show up over the length of the event each year!

The show has been running since 1823, which makes this year, 2023, the 200th anniversary of the show! You won’t want to miss this legendary celebration!

There’s a huge amount of things to do at the Show, from Carnival rides and games, to music, food, a parade, arts and crafts, animal displays and animal judging competitions.

There’s even a fireworks display at the end of every night! That’s to be expected from Australia’s largest carnival.

There’s free entertainment every evening in the GIANTS Stadium at the Show starting at 6pm, but seating is on a first-come-first-served basis, so make sure you save your seat early!

For parents with small children, the Easter Show also offers a Kids Carnival with Mini Chairs, Super Slides, a Carousel and many other attractions to provide safe fun for little kids!

When you decide to go for one day or multiple days, there’s always going to be plenty of amazing things to see and do at the Sydney Easter Show.

It’s the perfect way to celebrate Easter 2023, so make sure to keep it in your plans!

If you have any ideas for celebrating Easter in 2023, we’d love to hear more, so feel free to post in the comments below! 

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