What Does Bank Holiday Mean?

We can say that Bank Holiday is another name for a public holiday. If we need to talk specifically about Britain, it is the day that occurs 8 times a year, when official institutions are closed and generally companies are also on holiday.

Such public holidays are usually on Mondays. So, if it coincides with the weekend, a bank holiday will take it to a Monday so that people can take a vacation. This event is called ‘substitute’. 

What Are the Bank Holidays in London?

New Year’s Day:

It should not be surprising that the first day of the New Year is a bank holiday. In many countries, whatever the name is, public holidays are held today. It goes without saying that people who have fun on New Year’s Eve are not considered to not go to work the next day tired and high.

Good Friday:

While every Friday is nice for Muslims (!), The pre-Easter Friday is called Good Friday and is the second bank holiday of the year. It is said that the source of the name is actually God Friday, not Good Friday. The reason for this is that it is believed that that day was the day Jesus was crucified. In other words, it would be quite unnecessary for someone to call that day beautiful when Jesus was crucified.

Easter Monday:

So they said, if we had a holiday on the Friday before Easter, why not have a Bank holiday the next first Monday? You cannot count the last day of the 4-day holiday, which started with Good Friday.

Early May:

Bank holiday, which is considered the starting day of summer and makes the first Monday of May a holiday. Actually, we can call it an old tradition.

Spring Bank holiday (Late May):

It falls on the last Monday of May, which is one of the most fertile months for bank holidays.

Summer Bank Holiday:

A holiday that is a reminder of the ending summer. On the last Monday of August.

Christmas:

Bank holiday on Christmas day is the birthday of Jesus. If Christmas is Saturday, the bank holiday is Monday, and if it is Sunday, the bank holiday is on Tuesday. The reason for this is to prevent Bank Holiday from conflict with Boxing day (will be mentioned below). In addition, the detail that makes this day special is that the buses do not work that day. If you see someone waiting at the bus stop on Christmas Day, warn them, because this day is the official holiday of taxi drivers.

Boxing Day:

December 26 is called Boxing day, in other words the name given to the day after Christmas. As the name suggests, it is organized for people to give gifts to each other. In addition, reasonable discounts equip shopping centres throughout the country. People queue at 3 o’clock in the morning. Firms open their doors early that day or the other day. 

The traffic is very calm these days and businesses like bank post offices are also closed. Especially from Christmas week to the beginning of the year, companies publish broad explanations about their working hours both on their websites and in their showcases. Therefore, it is useful to finish your work early between these dates.

Upcoming Bank Holiday Dates in London

Date                                              Day

2 April, Friday                       Good Friday

5 April, Monday         Easter Monday

3 May, Monday         Early May Bank Holiday

31 May, Monday         Spring Bank Holiday

30 August, Monday         Summer Bank Holiday

27 December, Monday         Christmas Day (substitute day)

28 December, Tuesday           Boxing Day (substitute day)