Bank holiday

A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, some Commonwealth countries, other European countries such as Switzerland, and a colloquialism for a public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although banks close and the majority of the working population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract. The first official bank holidays were the four days named in the Bank Holidays Act 1871, but today the term is colloquially used (albeit incorrectly) for Good Friday and Christmas Day which were already public holidays under common law and therefore not official bank holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

History

Until 1834, the Bank of England observed about 33 saints' days and religious festivals as holidays, but in 1834 this was reduced to four: 1 May (May Day), 1 November (All Saints' Day), Good Friday and Christmas Day. In 1871, the first legislation relating to bank holidays was passed when Liberal politician and banker Sir John Lubbock introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871, which specified the days in the table below. Under the Act, no person was compelled to make any payment or to do any act upon a bank holiday which he would not be compelled to do or make on Christmas Day or Good Friday, and the making of a payment or the doing of an act on the following day was equivalent to doing it on the holiday. The English people were so thankful that some called the first Bank Holidays St Lubbock's Days for a while. Scotland was treated separately because of its separate traditions: for example, New Year is a more important holiday there.

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Bank holiday (disambiguation)

Bank holiday may refer to:

Bank holiday, a public holiday in the UK and Ireland during which banking institutions are closed for business

Federal holiday, a public holiday in the US during which banking institutions are closed for business

See the Emergency Banking Act for Bank holiday declared in the USA on March 9, 1933 during the Great Depression

"Bank Holiday", a song by the Britpop band Blur on their 1994 album Parklife

Bank Holiday, a musical composition by Albert Ketèlbey

"Bank Holiday Monday", a song by the Britrock band Stereophonics

The Bank Holidays, an Australian indie pop band

Bank Holiday (film)

Bank Holiday is a 1938 British drama film directed by Carol Reed and starring John Lodge, Margaret Lockwood, Hugh Williams and Kathleen Harrison. On a 1930s Bank Holiday weekend, a number of people rush for trains to head to the seaside.