{{short description|Type of public holiday}} {{About|the type of public holiday in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Crown dependencies|other uses|Bank holiday (disambiguation)}} {{Use British English|date=March 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
A '''bank holiday''' is a national [[public holiday]] in the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[Crown Dependencies]], and a colloquial term for a public holiday in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. In the United Kingdom, the term is used to refer to all public holidays, be they set out in statute, declared by [[royal proclamation]], or held by [[Convention (norm)|convention]] under [[common law]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pyper|first=Doug|date=18 December 2015|title=Briefing paper - Bank and public holidays|url=http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06170/SN06170.pdf|publisher=House of Commons Library}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays |title=UK bank holidays |publisher=gov.uk |date=17 March 2014 |access-date=9 April 2014}}</ref> In Ireland, there are some bank holidays which are not public holidays.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2024/0202/1312750-bank-holidays-2023-ireland-history-traditions-legal/ | title=All you need to know about bank holidays in Ireland | date=2 February 2024 | last1=Ryan-Christensen | first1=Aoife | website=[[RTÉ.ie]] }}</ref>
The term "bank holiday" refers to the fact that [[banking]] institutions typically close for business on such holidays, as they once did on certain [[Calendar of saints|saint's days]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=bank holiday |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/bank-holiday |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref>
== List of current holidays == {{see also|Public holidays in the United Kingdom| Public holidays in Scotland| Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland| Public holidays in the Isle of Man|Public holidays in Jersey|Public holidays in Guernsey}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |+Current bank and public holidays ! Date !! Name !! England and<br>Wales<ref name="Directgov">{{citation |url=http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741 |title=Bank holidays and British Summer Time |publisher=Directgov |access-date=15 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513045219/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741 |archive-date= May 13, 2012 }}</ref> (8) !! Scotland<ref name="Directgov"/> (10) !! Northern<br>Ireland<ref name = nidirect>{{citation |url= http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/bank-holidays |title=Bank holidays |publisher=NIDirect |access-date=15 April 2012 |date=6 April 2012}}</ref> (10) !! Republic of<br>Ireland<ref>{{citation |date = 20 January 2020|url= http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/public_holidays_in_ireland.html|title=Public holidays |publisher=Citizens Information Board}}</ref> (10) !! Isle of Man<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/bank-holidays/ |title=Bank Holidays |access-date= 24 April 2018 |publisher=Government of the Isle of Man}}</ref><br>(10)!!Jersey and<br>Guernsey (9) |- | 1 January || [[New Year's Day]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | 2 January{{refn|group=note|name=monday|When the stated date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is normally designated a bank holiday instead. When Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on a Saturday (and thus 26 December and 2 January on a Sunday), the following Tuesday 28 December (and Tuesday 4 January in Scotland) are also bank holidays.}} || 2 January|| || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || || || |- | First Monday in February, or 1 February if the date falls on a Friday || [[Imbolc]] / Saint Brigid's Day || || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || |- | 17 March{{refn|group=note|name=monday}} || [[Saint Patrick's Day]] || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || |- | The Friday before [[Easter Sunday]] || [[Good Friday]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | The Monday after [[Easter Sunday]] || [[Easter Monday]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | First Monday in May{{refn|group=note|name=mayday-1995|In 1995 this holiday was moved to Monday 8 May and in 2020 to Friday 8 May – to commemorate the 50th and 75th anniversary of [[VE Day]].}}{{refn|group=note|name=royal-wedding|In 2011 an additional public holiday was declared to ensure that most people would have a chance to celebrate the [[Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton]], making a four-day weekend as May Day was on the following Monday.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11818049 |title=Royal Wedding: Prince William and Kate set date |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 November 2010 |date=23 November 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101124010903/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11818049| archive-date= 24 November 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>}} || [[Early May bank holiday]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- |9 May|| [[Liberation Day (Channel Islands)|Liberation Day]] || || || || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | Last Monday in May{{refn|group=note|name=qe2-jubilees|In 2002, 2012, and 2022 this holiday was moved to early June to mark Queen Elizabeth II's [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Golden]], [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Diamond]], and [[Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Platinum]] Jubilees. All three were paired with a second extra holiday to create a four-day weekend.}} || Spring Bank Holiday / Late May Bank Holiday || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | First Monday in June || June Bank Holiday || || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || |- | First Friday in June || [[Isle of Man TT|Senior Race Day]] || || || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || |- | 5 July{{refn|group=note|name=monday}} || [[Tynwald Day]] || || || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || |- | 12 July{{refn|group=note|name=monday}} || [[The Twelfth]] ([[Battle of the Boyne]]) || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || || |- | First Monday in August || Summer Bank Holiday ([[August Bank Holiday]]) || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || |- | Last Monday in August || [[August Bank Holiday]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | Last Monday in October || [[October Bank Holiday]]|| || || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || |- | 30 November{{refn|group=note|name=monday}} || [[St Andrew's Day]] || || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || || || || |- | 25 December{{refn|group=note|name=25th|When Christmas Day falls on a Saturday (and thus 26 December on a Sunday), and when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday (and thus 26 December on a Monday), the Monday following Christmas Day is designated a bank holiday by the 1971 Act. }} || [[Christmas Day]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |- | 26 December{{refn|group=note|name=25th}}{{refn|group=note|name=28th|When Christmas Day falls on a Saturday (and thus 26 December on a Sunday), the following Tuesday 28 December is also normally designated a bank holiday by proclamation. See e.g. {{London Gazette |issue=63425 |date=23 July 2021 |pages=13140}} When Christmas Day falls on a Sunday (and thus 26 December on a Monday), the following Tuesday 27 December is designated a bank holiday by the 1971 Act. }} || [[Boxing Day]] / [[Saint Stephen's Day]] || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}}|| style="text-align:center;"| {{Y|15}} |}
=== Notes === {{reflist|group=note}}
==See also== * [[List of holidays by country]] **[[Federal holidays in the United States|Federal holiday]], US equivalent * [[Bank Holidays Act 1871]] * [[Proposed St David's Day bank holiday]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741 UK bank holidays] * [https://www.mygov.scot/scotland-bank-holidays/ Scotland Bank Holidays - Scottish Government] *{{UK-LEG|title=Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971|path=ukpga/1971/80|type=ukpga}} * [https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/public_holidays_in_ireland.html Public holidays (Ireland)] * [https://www.bankholidays.ie/ Bank holidays (Ireland)] * [https://bankholidayireland.com/ (National) bank holidays (Ireland)]
{{Public holidays of the World|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bank Holiday}} [[Category:Public holidays in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Culture of Ireland]]