Public holidays in the Cook Islands
Appearance
The following are public holidays in the Cook Islands as prescribed by the Public Holidays Act in 1999.[1][2] Each Sunday is also a public holiday, as most Cook Islanders follow the Christian religion, with over half of the population registered as members of the Cook Islands Christian Church.
Date | Name | Remarks |
---|---|---|
1-2 January | New Year's Day | |
25 April | Anzac Day | |
moveable | Good Friday | |
moveable | Easter Monday | |
First Monday in June | King's Birthday | Celebrated on the same day as New Zealand celebrates the holiday. |
First Friday in July | Ra o te Ui Ariki | |
4 August | Constitution Day | This marks the date in 1965, when this event was first celebrated.[3] |
26 October | Gospel Day | Christianity was first brought to the islands in the 1820s by John Williams of the London Missionary Society. |
25 December | Christmas Day | |
26 December | Boxing Day |
Also, the regions observe the following regional holidays. Most of the populated islands celebrate their own Gospel Days:[4]
Date | Atoll/Island | Name |
---|---|---|
13 March | Penrhyn Island | Penrhyn Gospel Day |
25 May | Palmerston Island | Palmerston Gospel Day |
15 June | Mangaia | Mangaia Gospel Day |
20 July | Atiu | Atiu Gospel Day |
21 July | Mitiaro | Mitiaro Gospel Day |
25 July | Rarotonga | Rarotonga Gospel Day |
8 August | Manihiki | Manihiki Gospel Day |
15 August | Rakahanga | Rakahanga Gospel Day |
27 October | Aitutaki | Aitutaki Gospel Day |
8 December | Pukapuka | Pukapuka Gospel Day |