We’re now in that great time of year when bank holidays seem to come thick and fast. We’ve just had two days for Easter, and they will be rapidly followed by May Day and then a couple of weeks later, the late May bank holiday at Whitsun. So, it got us thinking – when did bank holidays start and how long have workers been enjoying them?
Origin of bank holidays
The idea of bank holidays first came from Sir John Lubbock who thought that a day when financial institutions closed would enable workers to enjoy more leisure time. The Bank Holidays Act was passed in 1871 which allowed for holidays on Easter Monday, Whit Monday in May, the first Monday in August and Boxing Day. At this time, it was only the banks that were allowed to close – which is why they’re called Bank Holidays – but fairly soon, other businesses and schools started to mark the public holidays too.
But workers were marking key dates in the calendar with holidays long before 1871. May Day in particular has many customs that go back thousands of years – the Celtic festival of Beltane celebrated the end of winter and the start of summer when fires were lit and people danced around the may pole, and many of those traditions continue today.
Modern Bank Holidays
The number of bank holidays in the UK has grown slightly since the original 1871 Act and the official public holidays are now:
- New Year’s Day
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- May Day (first Monday in May)
- Whitsun or Late Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May)
- Late August Bank Holiday (England, Wales and Northern Ireland only)
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
In Scotland, there is also an additional bank holiday on 2nd January and for St Andrew’s Day at the end of November. In addition, the August bank holiday is on the first Monday in August and not the last.
Other one-off bank holidays can be granted by Royal Proclamation such as the ones we enjoyed for the Jubilee and for the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020.
It is worth pointing out though, that employers can include bank holidays in an employee’s statutory leave entitlement and employers are not legally required to give bank holidays as paid leave so a day off on a bank holiday isn’t guaranteed.
Patron Saint days
As mentioned above, Scotland has a bank holiday for their patron saint St Andrew in November. Northern Ireland also has the day off to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in March but the other home nation saints – St David in Wales and St George in England – don’t have the same although there is regular discussion about introducing them.
Here in Cornwall, we celebrate St Piran’s Day on 5th March and each year, the Council and Government is urged to recognise that special day by granting a bank holiday in Cornwall, so far without much success! We hope you all enjoy the next bank holiday and as always, if you need any help preparing your payroll or advice on statutory leave for your employees, get in touch.