by Hannah Robson
New Zealand has several public holidays, including the 1st and 2nd of January to celebrate the new year, Waitangi Day, Queen’s Birthday, Labour Day, and Boxing Day. On all of these public holidays businesses can trade as they wish. Employees are entitled to be paid time-and-a-half, but it’s up to businesses if they open normal trading hours and if they pass on the extra cost, as a surcharge, to the customer. But on the three Christian holidays - Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day there is no choice, unless your business comes under one of the many confusing exemptions, you may not trade. And if you do, you could be fined up to $1000. You could say that for three days a year New Zealand becomes a Christian dictatorship.
Christian Dictatorship
Not all New Zealanders are Christian – some people are not concerned about the birth and death of Jesus or they may have other beliefs. But on Christmas, Easter Friday and Easter Sunday businesses cannot open – they cannot trade how they usually would, even on any other public holiday. Religion and its celebrations impact the ordinary day-to-day functioning of New Zealand businesses and consumers. There isn’t even guaranteed ‘time-and-a-half’ for employees, like any other public holiday, there are just fines for those businesses who defy the law. Is this fair? In a society as diverse as New Zealand’s, how can the government enforce a law that, in practice, forces the observation of certain religious holidays on all?
Christmas and Easter are considered a time for ‘family’, to spend time together, to celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, but not everyone believes or celebrates these events. Yes, New Zealand’s society is Christian-based. And yes, the religion with the most followers in this country is Christianity, with just over half of the population identifying themselves as Christian in the last census. So it is perhaps justified that these Christian commemorations are celebrated as public holidays. BUT it’s not so justified having such strict trading laws. Businesses should still be able to open (or close, if the owner sees fit, without judgement) and employees should still be able to work, as any other public holiday would entitle them to.
New Zealand Officially Christian?
After its arrival with the missionaries in the early 19th century, Christianity established itself as the major religion of New Zealand, but more recently, with the increase in migration, communication technology and knowledge of other religions and ways of life, the number of Christians has been in decline. Despite this there were calls recently to make Christianity New Zealand’s official religion. I think this would be entirely ridiculous and specifically undermine people’s right to freedom of religion. It was actually the New Zealand government that halted calls for New Zealand to be officially Christian, so how can the same government enforce the trading laws, issuing fines to businesses that may not want to be defined by religion?
Our society is diverse and always changing, people who live in New Zealand practise many different religions, and in fact Hindu, Islam and Buddhism are our fastest growing religions. The fact that many other religions exist in our communities, and that many people don’t identify with any faith is reason enough not to force a certain religion on everyone, especially when New Zealand abides by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
THE UNDHR states, in Article 18, that Everyone has the right top freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change religion of belief, and freedom, either alone or in a community with others and in a public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice , worship and observance.
The exception
ANZAC Day is another public holiday with trading restrictions; businesses can only open for half the day. However, this public holiday is in remembrance of an important part of New Zealand’s history – war did not discriminate, everyone was affected, therefore, businesses opening for only half the day, is respected. Few people could argue about the reasoning behind ANZAC Day. But religion is something that evokes many different views, opinions and interpretations.
Separating religion and law
We live in a multi-ethnic society, where everyone is equal, no matter their religion? How then can governments enforce law based on one set of beliefs? In respect of New Zealand’s Christian-based history, you could argue that it is important for these holidays to be recognised, (and let’s be honest we all like having a day or two off!) but not with the trading restrictions, which limit people’s ability go about their daily lives as business owners, workers (looking forward to being paid time and a half) and consumers. The trading laws are unfair and it’s time to address this issue. Religion and business just don’t mix.
I believe that yes the shops should be closed on these holidays (christmas,easter) because it’s usually the tradition to get all the presents and gifts for the people before the date had arrived. But then again, i’m not sure if this will affect our rights, because even though we have the right to shop on some of these days, we don’t always need to.
yes i agree for tghese exemptions, because if somone is hurt, or in dire need of an object, they can rush down to the sotre, or shop and get their required items.
shops should be able to be open on christmas day, easter friday and easter sunday if the staff wish too. As it is their holiday day but they could think working on those days could be a way of making money as all the other shops will be closed. I disagree with shops having too be closed as they do have the right to be open because they may want to make more money on those days. It isnt impacting our rights because we dont have anything too do with it because we dont run the business so it doesnt really matter too us but it gives us the opportunity to go up town and do shopping just like a normal day.
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The Government of New Zealand should amend the existing laws with regards to the laws during Christmas Day, Easter Friday and Easter Sunday. It’s up to the establishment if they want to let their employees to celebrate that particular holiday. Yes, this is impacting the right of non-christian believers. They might own shops and want to earn money rather than celebrating the holiday. No, i do not agree with the exemptions granted for trading on Christmas Day, Easter Friday and Easter Sunday because we have rights on what we need to buy and shop at stores that are prohibited to open for business. It’s better to have our pick than to be controlled on what we can buy on that 3-day Christian Holiday.