The Five Day-Three Holiday Weekend

     What's the buzz?  Business publications, advertising agencies and general pundits have all been quoting a recent research when discussing their newest strategies or news of the minute.  I don't know who did the research or who they talked to but I strongly suspect it is all bogus.  The latest word is that Australians work more hours per week than any other Western nation.    

     Poppycock.

     Australia was the first Western nation to pass legislation that whittled its work week down to 40 hours.  It had become internationally  known as the nation of the long weekend because no one worked on a Saturday and they didn't linger at the office on a Friday.   In fact, blue collar workers ("tradies") pick up a slab of beer (24 cans) during lunch on Friday to drink  at work in the afternoon to help usher out the work week and ease in the weekend. Holidays falling on weekends are always made up for on either side of said weekend.

      The Easter Weekend is a prime example of how much Australians appreciate long weekends.  It was a five-day weekend that encompassed four holidays or their designate.  Start with Good Friday.  It is the holiest day of the Aussie calendar  [see "Biggest Holiday of the Year"  4/9/09]  observed by absolutely everyone. The day off work,  that is,  not necessarily a church going opportunity in a land not renowned for its religious fervor. Saturday, bless it, is a normal day.  Easter always inconveniently appears on a Sunday so Easter Monday is its official celebration for the common man.     But wait.    ANZAC Day  [see "ANZAC Day"  4/25/09 ] falls on Easter Monday this year.  Not wishing to short change the celebration of those who have fallen during service in the armed forces --or rather, not wishing to short change ourselves a day off in the name of military veterans -- we'll just designate Tuesday to be ANZAC Day (Observed).  Yeah, that works. We'll do all the ANZAC stuff on Monday but head for the beach or barbeque grill on Tuesday. Easy, peasy.

ANZAC wreath

       And some research group says Australians live to work?  Not exactly. But I'll admit that it is so easy to get used to a two and a half day work week.