Editorial: Last long weekend for a while

Public holidays are a little bit like buses. As the old saying goes, you wait ages for one to come along then three arrive at once.
It's not that long since we had the double banger of Easter and Anzac Day before this weekend's Queen's Birthday.
Not everyone will have the long weekend off, of course, but those who do should relish the opportunity - of the 11 statutory holidays you're entitled to, there'll only be one more before Christmas.
Putting it another way, in the next six months (unless you live in Hawke's Bay or parts of the South Island) Labour Weekend is it.
I won't complain too much though. It works pretty well that we have four days off in the first six weeks of the year when the weather suits summer holiday exploits.
Public holidays have long been a source of contention. It could be the issue of whether religion-based holidays should not be forced on all, employee compensation and business surcharges, Waitangi Day as our national day, whether we have enough of them (Australians enjoy 11 to 13 public holidays, while the British have between 9 and 11) or even whether certain holidays are Monday-ised or not.
For some, a public holiday may hold special significance, while for many it's a welcome day off work.
But many will wonder why we're marking the Queen's birthday with a statutory holiday.
Yes, the Royals are enjoying a resurgence in popularity in this, the year of Prince William and Kate's wedding. But besides the Honours list, does anyone do much to mark the occasion?
It has been suggested that Matariki would be a more suitable public holiday at this time of year, given that many local authorities in some way recognise the traditional Maori New Year.
Not a bad idea, but there will be those opposed to the change, just as there will be those who don't care as long as they can sleep in.
But really the question of whether or not we mark the Queen's birthday is dwarfed by the question of whether or not we should be a republic.
Let's sort that curly one out first.