Pancha Narayanan, president of Multicultural New Zealand (MNZ), is advocating for the establishment of a new public holiday to honor the country’s growing multicultural identity.
New Zealand’s demographic landscape is increasingly diverse, with 28% of its population identifying as from non-European migrant backgrounds. To recognize this diversity, Narayanan proposes a new public holiday dedicated to celebrating multiculturalism.
Currently, the Multicultural Councils across New Zealand observe a National Multicultural Day on the last Friday of August each year, as part of a Te Tiriti-based initiative launched in 2021. This day encourages migrants to express their cultural heritage through traditional attire, cuisine, and language.
On August 26, Narayanan introduced his proposal for a Multicultural Day during a parliamentary event. The Multicultural Day, he suggested, could be officially integrated into the Holidays Act, which outlines New Zealand’s public holidays. At present, the Holidays Act specifies 11 public holidays.
The ACT Party has historically criticized the addition of new public holidays due to concerns about the impact on business costs, and previously pledged to abolish the January 2 holiday following the introduction of Matariki in 2022.
Narayanan argues that a designated Multicultural Day would enrich New Zealand’s societal fabric and benefit ethnic communities. He is proposing two types of public holidays to celebrate multiculturalism:
National Multicultural Day: This would formalize the existing MNZ celebration into a public holiday, allowing Kiwis to visibly honor their diverse cultures and heritage.
Cultural Day: This would be a flexible holiday allowing individuals to celebrate culturally significant events, such as Vesak Day or Lunar New Year, which are not currently recognized as public holidays in New Zealand. This day could be taken as a leave day and included in employment contracts.
Narayanan, who has been with MNZ since 1992 and served as president since 2002, emphasizes the need for New Zealand to embrace its multicultural identity. He draws parallels with his home country, Malaysia, where a variety of public holidays reflect its diverse population.
Minister for Ethnic Communities, Melissa Lee, who attended the Multicultural Day event, acknowledged the value of cultural celebrations in fostering social cohesion. She expressed pride in New Zealand’s increasing diversity, with over 160 ethnicities represented. Regarding Narayanan’s proposal, Lee noted that while changes to public holidays require legislative action, there are democratic avenues available for public proposals, such as presenting a petition to Parliament.