Holidays in the United Kingdom

Holidays in the United Kingdom, are days where most businessesand non essential services are closed althoughan increasing number of retail businesses
(especially thelarger ones) do open on some of the public holidays.There are
restrictions on trading on Sundays and Christmas Day.

1 Common Holidays

Four public holidays are common to all countries of the United Kingdom. These
are: New Years Day, the first Monday in May, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.

2 Regional variations
In Scotland, while New Years Day and Christmas Day are national holidays,
other bank holidays are
not necessarily public holidays, since the Scots instead observe traditional local
custom and practice
for their public holidays.
In Northern Ireland, once again, bank holidays other than New Years Day and
Christmas Day are not necessarily public holidays.
Good Friday and Christmas Day are common law holidays, except in Scotland,
where they are bank
holidays
In Scotland the holiday on 1 January (or 2 January if 1 January is Sunday) is
statutory. If New Years Day is Saturday a substitute holiday is given on 4 January
by Royal Proclamation. 2 January is given by Royal Proclamation, with a substitute
holiday on 4 January if it is Saturday and 3 January if it is Sunday or Monday.
Outside Scotland, 1 January is given by Royal Proclamation, or 3 January if it is
Saturday and 2 January if it is Sunday.
In Scotland, 25 December is a statutory holiday (or 26 December if Christmas
Day falls on a Sunday). 26 December is given by Royal Proclamation if it is
neither Saturday, Sunday or Monday. 27 and 28 December are given by Royal
Proclamation if Christmas Day is Saturday. 28 December only is given if Boxing
Day is Saturday.
Outside Scotland, if Christmas Day is a Sunday there is an additional statutory
holiday on 27 December. By Royal Proclamation, if Christmas Day is a Saturday
there is a substitute holiday on 28 December. If Boxing Day is a Sunday there is
again a statutory holiday on 27 December, and if Boxing
Day is a Saturday there is a substitute holiday by Royal Proclamation on 28
December. Effectively
what happens is that if a holiday falls at the weekend a substitute day is given in
lieu.

3 Proposals for change

Like Denmark, the United Kingdom has no national day holiday marked and/or
celebrated for its formal founding date. Increasingly, there are calls for public
holidays on the patron saints days in England, Scotland and Wales (Northern
Ireland already has St Patricks Day as a holiday). An online petition sent to the
Prime Minister received 11,000 signatures for a public holiday in Wales on St.
Davids Day; the Scottish Parliament has passed a bill creating a public holiday on
St. Andrews Day although it must be taken in lieu of another public holiday; [5]

campaigners in England are calling for a bank holiday on St. Georges Day; and in
Cornwall, there are calls for a public holiday on St. Pirans Day.

4 Terminology

The two terms are often used interchangeably, although strictly and legally
there is a difference. A government website describes the difference as follows:
Bank holidays are holidays when banks and
many other businesses are closed for the day. Public holidays are holidays which
have been observed through custom and practice.

5 Creation of holidays
Bank holidays may be declared in two ways:
by statute (Statutory holidays) - Holidays specifically listed in the Banking and
Financial Dealings Act 1971, Schedule 1.
by Royal proclamation - This has been used for annual bank holidays created
since 1971, and is also used to move a bank holiday in a given year, and to
create extra one-off bank holidays for special
occasions. (The Act does not provide for a bank holiday to be suppressed by royal
proclamation without appointing another day in its place)

6 Changes in date

Unlike the USA, where public holidays falling on a Saturday are sometimes
observed on the preceding Friday, British public holidays are always moved to a
later date, not an earlier one).

7 Workers rights

Although there is no statutory right for workers to take paid leave on public
holidays, where paid leave is given (either because the business is closed or for
other reasons), the public holiday can count towards the minimum statutory
holiday entitlement. Likewise, if people are required to work on a public holiday,
there is no statutory right to an enhanced pay rate nor to a day off in
lieu, although many employers do give either or both. Any rights in this respect
depend on the persons contract of employment. The statutory minimum
holidays are currently 5.6 weeks a year (including any bank holidays or public
holidays that are taken).

8 England, Northern Ireland and Wales

In 196869 the new August bank holiday fell in September. This was as a
result of the decision to
move the holiday to the end of the month, and the nearest Monday being taken.
7 June 1977 was made a special bank holiday as part of the Silver Jubilee of
Elizabeth II.
The wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer on 29 July
1981 resulted in an extra bank holiday.
In 1995 the May Day bank holiday was moved to 8 May as it was the 50th
anniversary of VE Day.
31 December 1999 was a one-off bank holiday as part of the Millennium
celebrations. In 1995 the May Bank Holiday was moved to 8 May for the 50th
anniversary of VE Day

In 2002,there was a special holiday on Monday,3 June,to celebrate the Golden

Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Spring Bank Holiday was moved from 27 May to 4 June to make it a four-day
weekend.

There was a special holiday on Friday, 29 April 2011 to celebrate the wedding
of Prince William
and Catherine Middleton.
In 2012, there was a special holiday on Tuesday, 5 June, to celebrate the
Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Therefore, to make it a four-day weekend, the
Spring Bank Holiday that would usually have occurred at the end of May was
delayed until Monday,4 June 2012.