Family and mateship are still held dear to Australians when it comes to the holidays they celebrate, according to new findings from McCrindle Research.

The study of over 500 Australians looked at which public holidays and ‘special days’ are most meaningful to them. Topping the list of meaningful public holidays was Christmas, with 36 per cent of Australians nominating the holiday as the most meaningful. Closely followed was Anzac Day (30 per cent), Easter (15 per cent) and Australia Day (11 per cent).

Of ‘special days’ that don’t warrant a public holiday, Mothers Day rated strongly (48 per cent) as the most meaningful, with Remembrance Day (28 per cent), while Father’s Day lagged significantly behind (at 5 per cent).

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said the spirit of courage and mateship as exemplified by the Aussie digger still “rings strongly”.

“In Australia, Jesus, mums and our Diggers still hold a revered place,” said McCrindle.

But whether the celebration of Christmas in Australia really means Jesus is revered is not that obvious. Other McCrindle research on how Australians celebrate Christmas suggest spending time with family and friends (46 per cent) rates higher than religious celebrations (15 per cent). Of those who do celebrate Christmas (with a religious bent or otherwise), two in five have never attended a Christmas church service.

In America, LifeWay Research conducted a study on the most likely day people will attend church. While Christmas (84 per cent) and Easter (93 per cent) ranked high as “standard religious powerhouses” of church attendance, Mother’s Day was the third most popular day for church attendance.

“Clearly, mothers want to be present for the affirmation that is typically offered in most churches, but families also are present knowing their attendance will honour their mother. Many families make church attendance on Mother’s Day nearly obligatory,” said director of LifeWay Research Scott McConnell in May last year.

America’s equivalent of Australia Day, 4 July Independence Day ranked equal with Father’s Day, with only 4 per cent selecting the celebration as a day of high church attendance.

——————-

YOU DECIDE: What part should the church play in Australia Day?

The church in Australia has typically been a cornerstone in building and serving local communities. With Australia Day being a celebration of all things Australian, and what it means to be ‘Australian’, should the church be more actively involved in the celebrations?

Does your church celebrate or mark Australia Day in anyway?  Do you think it’s a valuable holiday for the church to get behind? Join the discussion on our Facebook page.