Story: Public holidays

Boxing Day races at Pirongia

Boxing Day races at Pirongia

The Boxing Day races at the township of Pirongia are an annual event for many Waikato families. The Alexandra Racing Club, established in 1866, organises a programme of 10 galloping and trotting races, using the Pirongia Golf Club greens as a race track. Boxing Day (26 December) and Easter Monday were two days that were widely adopted as customary holidays in New Zealand long before they were in England and Ireland. They became bank holidays in 1873, and later public holidays.

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Daniel Whitfield Photography
Photograph by Daniel Whitfield

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Public holidays - Easter, Christmas and New Year', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/32461/boxing-day-races-at-pirongia (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 20 Jun 2012, reviewed & revised 19 Apr 2023