Bank Holidays

[4getmenot]

When was the first bank holiday? and which one?

[matty1]

Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed about thirty-three saints' days and religious festivals as holidays, but in 1834, this was reduced to just four: 1 May, 1 November, Good Friday, and Christmas Day.

In 1871, the first legislation relating to bank holidays was passed when Sir John Lubbock introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871 which specified the days in the table set out below. Sir John was an enthusiastic supporter of cricket and was firmly of the belief that bank employees should have the opportunity to participate in and attend matches when they were scheduled. Included in the dates of bank holidays are therefore dates when cricket games were traditionally played between the villages in the region where Sir John was raised. Scotland was treated separately because of its separate traditions; for example, New Year or Hogmanay is a more important holiday there.

Bank holidays 1871 England, Wales, Ireland Scotland
New Year's Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Whit Monday First Monday in May
Last Monday in August Last Monday in August
Boxing Day Christmas Day

The act does not specify Good Friday and Christmas Day as bank holidays in England, Wales and Ireland because they were already recognized there as common law holidays, and, because of common observance, they became customary holidays since before records began.

In 1903, the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act added 17 March, Saint Patrick's Day, as a bank holiday for Ireland only

[4getmenot]

wow 33, that must have been great. Thank you for your reply. xx

[reinganum]

Matty's answer above is comprehensive but needs a little clarification.

In England and Wales the original four bank holidays were:
Easter Monday
Whit Monday
First Monday in August
Boxing Day (first weekday after Christmas Day)

The August holiday was moved from the first Monday to the last Monday in 1965; it moved about a bit � even in early September a couple of years � but became fixed on the last Monday in August by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 (which is still the main law concerning public holidays).

The Whit Monday public holiday was 'detached' from the religious festival in 1967 and again fixed by the 1971 Act as the last Monday in May. (BTW, if Easter falls between 5 and 11 April inclusive, then the holiday falls on Whit Monday)

New Year's Day (always a holiday in Scotland) became a Bank Holiday in 1974 onwards

The first Monday in May became a holiday from 1978 onwards
-----------------------------
In Scotland the May and August holidays both occur on the first Monday. The Scots also have 2 January and I believe they now also have 30 November (St Andrew's Day)

Scots and N Irish ABers may wish to confirm (or correct) anything I've said

[kempie]

The clarification of matty1's answer was required because of the loss of formatting due to cutting and pasting from the original article...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_holiday#Hist ory_of_bank_holidays