The Guide to Easter in Niue

What is Easter Like in Niue?

Public holidays are always one for confusion when travelling anywhere in the world. What are the local celebrations? Will businesses still be open? Basically, will you be able to do anything?! Although Niue is a religious nation that celebrates the Christian holiday of Easter with enthusiasm, the Easter public holiday shouldn’t disrupt too much of your Niue getaway. If anything, it will likely enhance it! Check out how the locals celebrate Easter, what there is to do for visitors and more in this guide to Easter in Niue.

When is Easter?

For those unfamiliar with the Christian holiday, Easter is in either March or April each year. The date is determined by being the first Sunday after the paschal full moon. In other words, it happens after the vernal equinox. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter will be celebrated on the following Sunday. Easter can occur on any date between March 22 and April 25 but the date is recognised well in advance each year – so just do an online search for “Easter date [year]” and you should find your answer.

Note that the public holidays observed in Niue for Easter are both Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday) and Easter Monday (the Monday after Easter Sunday). Easter Sunday is not an official public holiday, but that’s mainly because Sunday is observed as a day of rest in Niue anyway.

What is the weather like around Easter? Find out in our guide, Niue Weather in April.

How Do Niueans Celebrate Easter?

As a Christian nation, Niue’s locals celebrate Easter as a religious holiday by going to church. Sunday church services are a part of the weekly routine in Niue, but the Easter service is always noteworthy in the church calendar. Good Friday marks the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ and Easter Sunday celebrates his resurrection.

Niue has at least one church in every village, where the harmonious singing from the locals alone is reason enough to check one of these church services out, especially at Easter.

Check out our recommended churches to visit for Easter, along with their service times, in the 10 Best Churches in Niue to Experience as a Visitor.

Learn more about Niue and Christianity in The Guide to the Religions in Niue.

What Easter in Niue Means for Tourists

The weekend of Good Friday to Easter Monday is observed as a long weekend of public holidays in Niue. Although only Good Friday and Easter Monday are the official public holidays, many businesses change their opening hours from Friday to the following Monday. In short, you might find that a lot of the restaurants, shops and services are closed during the Easter break.

To give you an indication of what businesses are closed in Niue during Easter, some of the businesses that historically have either closed or had limited business hours include:

Kiwibank
Niue Bond Store (airport duty-free open Good Friday for plane days)
Vaiolama Cafe
Niue Tourism Visitor Information Centre
Katuali Coffee House
Ali’s Hardware
Swanson Supermarket

Although many tourism businesses still operate their usual hours during the Easter break, note that the Sunday observances still apply, such as no boating activities on a Sunday. Find out more in the 10 Things to Do in Niue on a Sunday.

How Visitors Can Celebrate Easter in Niue

The first thing we would recommend for visitors to Niue at Easter is attending an Easter church service. Even if you’re not a regular church-goer, it’s still well worth the experience for the spectacular harmonies. See the 10 Best Churches in Niue to Experience as a Visitor for which church to visit.

Additionally, tourist accommodations like the Scenic Matavai Resort usually put on special deals at their Dolphin Restaurant. In the past, they have done two-for-one pizzas, for instance. It’s worth checking what they have going on during your visit to Niue at Easter. Note that any dinner events usually need to be booked.

The Niue Arts and Culture Festival

The Niue Arts and Culture Festival is a biannual event that often coincides with Easter making for a big celebration on the island. There are often events happening in the Alofi Commerical Centre, from the opening ceremony to cultural performances. There is sometimes a Village Show Day in the mix, as well as cultural art exhibitions, handicraft demonstrations, uga presentations and much more happening in various villages around the island.

See the Niue Tourism Events Page for the latest schedule of entertainment for the Niue Arts and Culture Festival which typically occurs in April every other year.

What Else Can Visitors Do During the Easter Break?

If you don’t want to celebrate Easter and just enjoy your “island time”, then there’s still plenty to do despite some businesses and tour operators being closed.

It’s still business as usual at Niue’s accommodations at Easter, so have a cocktail, a swim in the pool or kick back with a good book.

The Easter break is also a good time to take a self-guided tiki tour around the island. See A Self-Guided Tour of Niue’s West Coast and A Self-Guided Tour of Niue’s East Coast for ideas.

For more inspiration for activities that can do at Easter, check out the 10 Things to Do in Niue on a Sunday – the activities still apply to Easter by having the same restrictions.

Other Public Holidays in Niue

Easter is just one of many cultural and Christian public holidays the country observes. Other public holidays in Niue include:

January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 2 – Takai Commission Holiday
February 6 – Waitangi Day
Friday before Easter Sunday – Good Friday
Monday after Easter Sunday – Easter Monday
April 25 – ANZAC Day
First Monday in June – King’s Birthday
October 19 – Constitution Day
October 20 – Constitution Day Holiday
October 21 (or October 22 if falls on a Sunday) – Constitution Day Holiday
October 22 – Peniamina Gospel Day
December 25 – Christmas
December 26 – Boxing Day

For more information on Niue’s holidays, see our guide to the Public Holidays in Niue (& Other Important Dates).

More About Easter in Niue

That’s it for our guide to Easter in Niue, but there are always more reasons to celebrate on the island, as explained in the following guides:

Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in The Top Events & Festivals in Niue.

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Niue Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. He is also consulting regularly with Niue Tourism to ensure content accuracy. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Contact Robin via our contact page