# Bank holiday

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Type of public holiday

This article is about the type of public holiday in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Crown dependencies. For other uses, see [Bank holiday (disambiguation)](/source/Bank_holiday_(disambiguation)).

A **bank holiday** is a national [public holiday](/source/Public_holiday) in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) and the [Crown Dependencies](/source/Crown_Dependencies), and a colloquial term for a public holiday in [Ireland](/source/Republic_of_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](/source/Royal_proclamation), or held by [convention](/source/Convention_(norm)) under [common law](/source/Common_law).[1][2] In Ireland, there are some bank holidays which are not public holidays.[3]

The term "bank holiday" refers to the fact that [banking](/source/Banking) institutions typically close for business on such holidays, as they once did on certain [saint's days](/source/Calendar_of_saints).[4]

## List of current holidays

See also: [Public holidays in the United Kingdom](/source/Public_holidays_in_the_United_Kingdom), [Public holidays in Scotland](/source/Public_holidays_in_Scotland), [Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland](/source/Public_holidays_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland), [Public holidays in the Isle of Man](/source/Public_holidays_in_the_Isle_of_Man), [Public holidays in Jersey](/source/Public_holidays_in_Jersey), and [Public holidays in Guernsey](/source/Public_holidays_in_Guernsey)

Current bank and public holidays Date Name England and Wales[5] (8) Scotland[5] (10) Northern Ireland[6] (10) Republic of Ireland[7] (10) Isle of Man[8] (10) Jersey and Guernsey (9) 1 January New Year's Day Y Y Y Y Y Y 2 January[note 1] 2 January Y First Monday in February, or 1 February if the date falls on a Friday Imbolc / Saint Brigid's Day Y 17 March[note 1] Saint Patrick's Day Y Y The Friday before Easter Sunday Good Friday Y Y Y Y Y The Monday after Easter Sunday Easter Monday Y Y Y Y Y First Monday in May[note 2][note 3] Early May bank holiday Y Y Y Y Y Y 9 May Liberation Day Y Last Monday in May[note 4] Spring Bank Holiday / Late May Bank Holiday Y Y Y Y Y First Monday in June June Bank Holiday Y First Friday in June Senior Race Day Y 5 July[note 1] Tynwald Day Y 12 July[note 1] The Twelfth (Battle of the Boyne) Y First Monday in August Summer Bank Holiday (August Bank Holiday) Y Y Last Monday in August August Bank Holiday Y Y Y Y Last Monday in October October Bank Holiday Y 30 November[note 1] St Andrew's Day Y 25 December[note 5] Christmas Day Y Y Y Y Y Y 26 December[note 5][note 6] Boxing Day / Saint Stephen's Day Y Y Y Y Y Y

### Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-monday_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-monday_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-monday_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-monday_9-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-monday_9-4) 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.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-mayday-1995_10-0)** 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](/source/VE_Day).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-royal-wedding_12-0)** 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](/source/Wedding_of_Prince_William_and_Catherine_Middleton), making a four-day weekend as May Day was on the following Monday.[9]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-qe2-jubilees_13-0)** In 2002, 2012, and 2022 this holiday was moved to early June to mark Queen Elizabeth II's [Golden](/source/Golden_Jubilee_of_Elizabeth_II), [Diamond](/source/Diamond_Jubilee_of_Elizabeth_II), and [Platinum](/source/Platinum_Jubilee_of_Elizabeth_II) Jubilees. All three were paired with a second extra holiday to create a four-day weekend.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-25th_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-25th_14-1) 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.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28th_15-0)** 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. ["No. 63425"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63425/page/13140). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 23 July 2021. p. 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.

## See also

- [List of holidays by country](/source/List_of_holidays_by_country) - [Federal holiday](/source/Federal_holidays_in_the_United_States), US equivalent

- [Bank Holidays Act 1871](/source/Bank_Holidays_Act_1871)

- [Proposed St David's Day bank holiday](/source/Proposed_St_David's_Day_bank_holiday)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Pyper, Doug (18 December 2015). ["Briefing paper - Bank and public holidays"](http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06170/SN06170.pdf) (PDF). House of Commons Library.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["UK bank holidays"](https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays). gov.uk. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Ryan-Christensen, Aoife (2 February 2024). ["All you need to know about bank holidays in Ireland"](https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2024/0202/1312750-bank-holidays-2023-ireland-history-traditions-legal/). *[RTÉ.ie](/source/RT%C3%89.ie)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["bank holiday"](https://www.britannica.com/topic/bank-holiday). *Britannica*. Retrieved 5 September 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Directgov_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Directgov_5-1) [*Bank holidays and British Summer Time*](https://web.archive.org/web/20120513045219/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741), Directgov, archived from [the original](http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741) on 13 May 2012, retrieved 15 April 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nidirect_6-0)** [*Bank holidays*](http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/bank-holidays), NIDirect, 6 April 2012, retrieved 15 April 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [*Public holidays*](http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/public_holidays_in_ireland.html), Citizens Information Board, 20 January 2020

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Bank Holidays"](https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/bank-holidays/). Government of the Isle of Man. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Royal Wedding: Prince William and Kate set date"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11818049). BBC. 23 November 2010. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20101124010903/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11818049) from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.

## External links

- [UK bank holidays](http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741)

- [Scotland Bank Holidays - Scottish Government](https://www.mygov.scot/scotland-bank-holidays/)

- [Text of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/80) as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from [legislation.gov.uk](/source/Legislation.gov.uk).

- [Public holidays (Ireland)](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/public_holidays_in_ireland.html)

- [Bank holidays (Ireland)](https://www.bankholidays.ie/)

- [(National) bank holidays (Ireland)](https://bankholidayireland.com/)

v t e Public holidays by country v t e Public holidays in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara v t e Public holidays in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Palestine Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor) Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Taiwan Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau Category Asia portal v t e Public holidays in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Other entities European Union v t e Public holidays in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands v t e Public holidays in Oceania Sovereign states Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Indonesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Associated states of New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna v t e Public holidays in South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bank holiday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_holiday) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_holiday?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.