An Indian man living in Australia has sparked a lively discussion online after sharing a humorous comparison of public holidays in Australia and India.
Aditya Khaneja, who said he has lived in Australia for 10 years, shared an Instagram video comparing the reasons behind holidays in the two countries. His light-hearted take on Australian holiday culture quickly drew reactions from social media users.
‘People here like having fun’
Khaneja began by saying that after a decade in Australia, he had noticed that people there seemed particularly fond of having fun.
He then highlighted several holidays observed in different parts of the country. Referring to the AFL Grand Final, he joked about getting a Friday off, while also questioning the idea of having a public holiday for Melbourne Cup Day, which is associated with a major horse race.
He also mentioned the Royal Queensland Show holiday, which he described as a day off to attend a fair, as well as Picnic Day in Darwin.
Khaneja contrasted these examples with holidays in India, where public holidays are often associated with religious, cultural and national occasions. He cited Diwali and Independence Day as examples.
Weekend holiday rule gets attention
One of the points that particularly amused Khaneja was how public holidays falling on weekends can be handled in some Australian jurisdictions.
He joked that when Diwali falls on a Saturday in India, people may feel disappointed because the holiday coincides with a weekend. In contrast, he highlighted the practice of substitute or additional public holidays in some Australian states and territories when certain holidays fall on weekends.
Using the comparison to explain his observation about Australians being “laid-back”, Khaneja concluded that the rest of the world could learn one thing from Australia: “the fun shouldn’t stop.”
In his Instagram caption, he described the comparison as “Public holidays in Australia vs India” and added that there were already plenty of reasons to love Australia.
Internet reacts to Australia vs India comparison
The video drew a mixed response from viewers.
Some users agreed with Khaneja’s observations, with one commenting, “So true.”
Others pointed out that public holiday arrangements differ between Australian states and territories. One user specifically noted that New South Wales does not have the same set of holidays mentioned in the video.
Another commenter challenged the comparison, arguing that India also has plenty of holidays and opportunities for a relaxed lifestyle.
When a user asked Khaneja how many public holidays there are in a year, he responded that the figure was 13.
The discussion highlighted how public holiday calendars can vary significantly between countries — and even between different regions within the same country.
