---
title: "Close on public holidays and set holiday hours"
description: "Close on New Zealand or Australian public holidays in one go, open on a day you are usually shut, or change one date's hours. Your weekly hours stay as they are."
url: "https://bookatu.com/en-nz/blog/close-on-public-holidays-and-set-holiday-hours"
language: "en"
section: "Blog"
category: "Product"
author: "The Bookatu team"
published: "2026-10-30"
updated: "2026-10-30"
tags: ["close on public holidays", "holiday opening hours", "special opening hours", "christmas opening hours", "matariki"]
---

# Close on public holidays and set holiday hours

Close on New Zealand or Australian public holidays in one go, open on a day you are usually shut, or change one date's hours. Your weekly hours stay as they are.

> **The short version**
>
> - Special dates is linked from Settings, Opening hours.
> - Close a date, open one you usually close, or change one date's hours. Your weekly hours stay as they are.
> - Close on public holidays adds the national holidays of New Zealand or Australia, up to the end of 2028.
> - Bookings already on those dates stay booked.

To close on New Zealand or Australian public holidays, open Special dates, pick your Country under Close on public holidays and press the button. To change a single day, add a special date. Clients can only book what is open, on your booking page and your website widget.

## Set special opening hours for one date

1. **Open Special dates.** Go to Settings, then Opening hours, and follow the Special dates link.
2. **Pick the date.** Under Add a special date, choose the Date.
3. **Choose the hours.** Under That day, pick Closed all day, or Open, with these hours and set Opens and Closes.
4. **Save.** Press Save date. Saving a date that is already special replaces its hours.

Press Remove on a date and it goes back to your weekly hours. Changing special dates needs Edit the calendar. Other roles can only view them.

## Close on every public holiday in one go

Under Close on public holidays, pick the Country. The preview lists every date it will close, from today to the end of 2028, and the button says how many. Press it and they all appear in your list, each with the holiday's name.

It only closes dates. A date you have already set stays as you set it, and pressing it again adds nothing.

### What the list includes

For New Zealand, the national public holidays, Matariki included, and the Mondayised days when a holiday falls on a weekend. Both days are listed, so remove the one that does not apply to you. For Australia, the seven national public holidays and their national weekend substitutes.

### What it leaves out

New Zealand's regional anniversary days, and Australia's state and territory holidays. Easter Saturday and Sunday are left out too, and so is the Monday some states add when Anzac Day falls on a weekend. Add the ones you keep as special dates. Outside New Zealand and Australia, add your holidays the same way.

## Bookings already on that date

A special date changes what clients can book. It never cancels or moves a booking already made. The list shows how many bookings sit on each date, so check them on the calendar and contact those clients.

## Special date, blocked time or a surcharge?

- The whole business is closed or on different hours: add a special date.
- One person is away: block their time on the calendar. Our help article Blocking off time shows how.
- You are open but charge more: add a surcharge. Our post Add a public holiday surcharge to online bookings explains it.

## Questions owners ask

### Will closing a public holiday cancel the bookings already on it?

No. They stay booked, and the list shows how many are on each date.

### Does it include Matariki and the Mondayised days?

Yes. Matariki is on the New Zealand list, and so are the Mondayised days, each named.

### Do I need to do this every year?

The list runs to the end of 2028, so one press covers every national holiday on it until then.

## Where to start

Open Special dates and preview the holidays for your country. Our help article Setting your opening hours covers your weekly hours, and our post Set the hours you actually work (and let clients book around them) helps you choose them.