What is a bank holiday in England?
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, when banks and many businesses close. England and Wales have eight bank holidays a year, including Christmas Day, Easter Monday and two May bank holidays.
The name comes from the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, introduced by Sir John Lubbock. It created days when banks would close, and other businesses soon followed.
The eight bank holidays in England are New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Early May bank holiday, the Spring bank holiday at the end of May, the Summer bank holiday at the end of August, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Long weekends
Most bank holidays fall on Mondays, creating long weekends. Many people use them for short trips, garden centre visits or barbecues, and popular roads and beaches can become very busy.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have slightly different bank holidays. For example, Scotland has St Andrew's Day, and Northern Ireland marks St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne.
Extra bank holidays are sometimes added for special royal events, such as jubilees, coronations and royal weddings. In 2023, an extra bank holiday was held for the coronation of King Charles III. Many shops stay open, but some services run reduced timetables.