Bank holiday

A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, 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 (albeit incorrectly) used for public holidays which are not officially bank holidays, for example Good Friday and Christmas Day[citation needed].

History

Prior to 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, andChristmas 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.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[citation needed].

Bank holidays 1871

The Act did not specify Good Friday and Christmas Day as bank holidays in England, Wales, or Ireland because they were already recognised as common law holidays: they had been customary holidays since before records began.

In 1903, the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act added 17 March, Saint PatrickHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day"'HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day"s Day, as a bank holiday for Ireland only.New Year's Day did not become a bank holiday in England until 1 January 1974.

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 783