Public Holidays

Public Holidays, statutory holidays—that is, days that have been established as such by government edict. In Britain, they were first introduced in 1871 under the Bank Holidays Act and were called bank holidays, literally, days on which banks and other public institutions closed, hence the oft-interchangeable term for public holidays: “bank holidays”. Since the 1971 Banking and Financial Dealings Act bank and public holidays can also be laid down by royal proclamation. Historically, common law public holidays by contrast are those that have developed by habit, custom, or common observance, such as Good Friday and Christmas Day.

In many English-speaking countries there have traditionally been a number of “bank holidays” in the year; one observed on the last Monday in May and another on the last Monday in August (except in Scotland, where it has fallen on the first Monday in August). The first-mentioned is known as the May Bank Holiday. It is also sometimes referred to as the Spring Bank Holiday or even the Whitsuntide Bank Holiday, even though Whit Sunday, or the feast of the Pentecost, falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter and thus has a movable rather than a static date. The second-named bank holiday is known as the August Bank Holiday, observed on the final Monday in August in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Scotland it is taken on the first Monday in August. More recently established in the United Kingdom is the May Day Bank Holiday, held on the first Monday of May and therefore a movable holiday unlike the celebration in many other countries where it is observed on May 1. Many people use extended bank holiday weekends to take short breaks, often to the seaside, or to visit popular tourist or leisure resorts.

In the UK, there are other public holidays on which banks and other institutions are permitted to close. Also closed are most offices, factories, and retail businesses, although since 1994 retail outlets have been allowed, by law, to remain open on these days. Other UK public holidays are New Year's Day (and January 2, in Scotland only), St Patrick's Day (March 17, in Ireland only), Good Friday, Easter Monday (not in Scotland), celebration of the Battle of the Boyne (July 12, in Northern Ireland only), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day (December 26). If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, another day (generally the following day) is given in lieu. In January 2007 the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act received Royal Assent, creating a bank holiday in Scotland on November 30. Special one-off public holidays are announced from time to time, such as the Royal Wedding in 1981, the Millennium holiday in 1999-2000, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. See also Holiday; National Days.