Tonga’s public service will break for the Christmas and New Year vacation for two weeks between Monday 23 December and Friday 3 January 2014.

In a statement today, the Prime Minister's Office announced that the Cabinet yesterday approved that  the Public Service vacation will be observed from 8:30 am Monday December 23, 2013 until 4:30 pm Friday January 3, 2014. 

“This means that the last day for normal Government services will be Friday, December 20, 2013 ... and government will resume normal business hours on Monday, January 6, 2014.” 

Government offices in the Kingdom will be closed at 4:00pm, during Tonga's Prayer Week (Uike Lotu) during the first week of January 2014. 

Public holidays 

Some of Tonga's Public Holidays, including Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday and ANZAC Day are observed on the actual days they fall on.

Other public holidays are observed on Mondays, and these include Emancipation Day (June 4); Constitution Day (November 4) and King Tupou I Day (December 4). .

The Prime Minister's Office stated that this year King Tupou I Day will be observed on Monday December 2.

“This is in accordance with the provisions of the Public Holidays Act 2010: Any public holidays that fall upon a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday – shall be celebrated on the next following Monday....  And any public holidays that fall upon a Tuesday or Wednesday ... shall be celebrated on the Monday preceding the date of the Public Holiday.”

Royal Birthdays

The amended Public Holidays Act of 2013 stated that the Official Birthdays of the sovereign, HM King Tupou VI (July 4) and the Crown Prince of Tonga (September 17) are to be observed on the days they occur unless a birthday falls on a Sunday, then the observance of the Public Holiday will be on the Monday after.