When is ANZAC Day?
In 2026, ANZAC Day falls on Saturday, April 25, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.
History of ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day is observed on 25 April as a Cook Islands public holiday of remembrance. During the First World War, hundreds of men from the Cook Islands served with New Zealand forces, including members of the Māori Contingent and the Rarotongan Company. The day now remembers military service and loss across later conflicts as well, without treating warfare itself as a celebration.
Commemorations commonly include a dawn service, wreath-laying, prayers, hymns and formal participation by government, returned-service organisations and community representatives. The exact programme can change from year to year and differs between islands. Families may also remember relatives whose service formed part of the wider histories connecting the Cook Islands, New Zealand and other Pacific communities.
Cook Islands public-service policy makes ANZAC Day the exception to the usual weekend-transfer rule: it remains observed on 25 April even when that date is Saturday or Sunday. Accordingly, 25 April 2026 is the statutory holiday and there is no automatic Monday substitute. Employment entitlement depends on the worker’s normal roster, while essential services and some businesses may operate under special hours.
How ANZAC Day is observed
In 2026, ANZAC Day falls on Saturday, 25 April. It is expressly excluded from the Cook Islands’ ordinary Mondayisation policy.
Traditions of ANZAC Day
Dawn service
A dawn commemoration may include prayer, addresses and returned-service elements, with annual programmes announced locally before the date.
Wreath-laying
Government, community and family representatives may lay wreaths in remembrance of Cook Islanders and others who served and died.
Actual-date observance
Unlike other weekend public holidays, ANZAC Day remains on 25 April and does not automatically create a Monday substitute.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Cook Islands official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Cook Islands may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.
History sources: Cook Islands Parliament: Public Holidays Act 1999, Ministry of Internal Affairs: public-holiday employment guidance, Public Service Commission: Leave Policy, Ministry of Education: 2026 school calendar, Office of the Prime Minister: 60 years of self-government, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Cook Islands relationship, New Zealand History: Pacific Islanders in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
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