An Indian man living in Australia for the past decade has offered a humorous explanation for why Australians are often described as laid-back, and according to him, the answer may simply be their public holiday calendar.
Aditya Khaneja shared an Instagram video comparing how holidays are celebrated in Australia and India. His take was that while Indian public holidays are often tied to religious, national or auspicious occasions, Australia has managed to find plenty of reasons to put work on pause, from horse races and fairs to sporting events.
“I want to talk about public holidays. I’ve been in Australia for 10 years, and I’ve realised that people here don’t seem to like anything more than having fun,” Khaneja said in the video.
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From horse races to fairs, Australia has many reasons for a day off
Khaneja ran through several holidays observed in different parts of Australia, beginning with the AFL Grand Final. He joked that people effectively get a Friday off simply to enjoy the occasion.
He then turned to Melbourne Cup Day, questioning the logic of having a public holiday because of a horse race.
His list did not stop there. He mentioned the Royal Queensland Show holiday in Queensland, describing it as a day off to go to a fair, and also brought up Picnic Day in Darwin.
The common thread, according to Khaneja’s tongue-in-cheek comparison, was fairly simple: Australians appear to have found several creative ways to make room for fun on the calendar.
Weekend holiday? Australia has a solution
Khaneja reserved his biggest joke for what happens when a public holiday lands on a weekend.
According to his humorous comparison, if Diwali falls on a Saturday in India, people can feel as though they have missed out on a holiday. In Australia, he said, the response is far more forgiving.
“If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the government says, ‘Don’t worry, take Friday as a public holiday.’ And if it falls on Sunday, they say, ‘Take Monday instead.’ It’s great,” he said.
For Khaneja, that policy neatly explained another part of the Australian stereotype.
“Tumhe kabhi kisi ne bola hoga na ki Australians laid-back hain aur tumhe reason na pata ho, ye reason hai,” he joked.
India has Diwali, Independence Day and ‘auspicious’ occasions
Khaneja contrasted this with India, where public holidays are often associated with religious festivals and significant national occasions.
“India mein kitni religious aur kitni, matlab, auspicious cheezon ki chhutti milti hai na,” he said.
He cited Independence Day and Diwali as examples of holidays that carry national or religious significance in India.
His comparison suggested that the two countries can approach holidays quite differently, with Australia having a reputation for finding occasions to celebrate, while India’s calendar is more closely tied to religious, cultural and national observances.
‘The fun shouldn’t stop’
Khaneja wrapped up the video with what he presented as the central lesson from Australia’s holiday culture.
“There’s one thing the rest of the world can learn from this - the fun shouldn’t stop,” he said.
He shared the video with the caption, “Public holidays in Australia vs India. As if there were not enough reasons to love this country.”
His comparison has resonated online for its playful take on two very different holiday cultures, turning everything from Diwali and Independence Day to horse racing, fairs and weekend substitutions into part of the same question: when is it time to take the day off and have some fun?
