Christmas Snippets

Trading hours over Christmas

As Christmas day is less than two months away, we think that now is a good time to give you a reminder about where you can purchase your festive booze on the day.

Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, only premises holding an on-licence can sell you liquor as they would on any ordinary day, if you are residing on the premises (as in a hotel situation) and dining in. In terms of the dining times, you are allowed to be served alcohol up to an hour before and an hour after your meal. Restaurants that are open on the day will also be able to serve you liquor as an accompaniment to your meal. Casual drinking is not permitted at all. As a third option, you may also be able to access liquor at a licensed club if you are a member, invited guest or visitor of the club concerned. Lastly, we remind you that if you are going to be indulging in a drink or two and getting merry, then please don’t drive.

Wacky Christmas Laws and Practices

In the Spirit of Christmas, here are some strange practices and wacky Christmas laws from around the world:

1. In England, it was illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day from 1653 to 1658;
2. In America, Christmas was banned from 1659 to 1681;
3. In Caracas, Venezuela, on Christmas Day, the roads are closed, so people roller skate around the city; and
4. On Christmas Eve at noon, the Declaration of Christmas Peace is read in a formal ceremony in South Finland which states that any behaviour which jeopardises the joy of the holiday will be met with the full force of Finnish law.

New Zealand’s laws are not as wacky; however, the following is worth a mention. Christmas Day was not considered a public holiday until the Arbitration Act 1894, and the Holidays Act 1910 implemented the legal entitlement to take Christmas Day off.
Merry Christmas everyone!