The Bank Holiday

[EngTeach]

I was wondering the reason for tje Bank holiday on Monday that everyone is so happy about, so i googled and all i could find was Summer bank holiday: Last Monday in August. Is there a reason for it or just a declared day off? (I am in US)

Just curious.

[zig.zag]

bout time we had a St George day to add to the list

[Buenchico]

If Wikipedia is to believed, the original date for the 'August Bank Holiday' (in England & Wales) was chosen because of the traditional dates of local cricket fixtures (which were played on the first Monday in August):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_holiday

The British government moved the date (for what was described as a 'trial period') in 1965, to the end of August. I know of no reasons for this, other than possibly trying to spread out public holidays more evenly throughout the year and (possibly) deciding that it would be a good idea if parents could spend some time with their kids towards the end of the school holidays.

The arrangement was formalised by Schedule 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971:
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegT ype=All+Legislation&title=banking&Year=1971&se archEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0 &blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNu mber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=1369155 &ActiveTextDocId=1369165&filesize=290

Chris

[JJy2k]

This government is anti English so it will never happen. They'd happily introduce EU day im sure.

[zig.zag]

its so true JJy2k
are you fasting next month?

lol

[EngTeach]

Thanks Chris, so the day is now just a day off to be enjoyed. What a nice concept. Though we have a lot of days here that would be the same as a bank holiday. Actuall now that I think of it we DO have a lot:
New Year's Day, Lincoln's Bday, Washington's Bday,, MLK day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. However our shops don't close for all. They usually have sales. I fear that if they ever declare sept.11 a national holiday, people will advertise used car sales that day, which would be so wrong.

Thanks for your answer Chris!

[Buenchico]

JJy2k: What an excellent idea. I always refuse to stands for the British National Anthem (or for the so-called 'Loyal toast' at formal ceremonies), but I'll proudly stand for the EU anthem. Let's have an EU Day. 'Ode to Joy' rocks, OK?

[zig.zag]

dont you have a bush day?

could be good for the ladies lol

just in case you didn't get that i'll re-phrase

a beaver day lmao

[Buenchico]

EngTeach: Thanks for your reply. (Sorry about the post for JJy2k. We Europhiles have an ongoing battle with our Europhobics; you'd have to live here to understand it!).

We've got a rather strange situation, here in England, where people use the terms 'bank holiday' and 'public holiday' interchangeably. There are officially 5 'bank holidays' (which are also 'public holidays') but Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day are simply 'public holidays'. None of them have any real legal status for anyone outside of the banking industry. For example, any employer has the right to say that they'll open their business on any 'holiday' (including, for example, Christmas Day) and expect their employees to meet their contractual obligation to attend for work at their normal pay rates. (Very few, if any, employers would do so but, basically, 'bank holidays' and 'public holidays' have no legal status here).

Chris

[imhotep]

Wouldn't it be good if ALL shops and wholesalers could also have the day off.All us employees who work for these big companies would love to have an extra day off,for a nice long weekend.
But,of course,all these shops just love profit making,and never think of employees welfare.Come on,big bosses,give us an extra day off,please.

[Buenchico]

A further point, EngTeach:

While the UK has fewer 'public holidays' than many other countries, including the USA, our entitlement to paid leave is higher than that in many other countries. At present, anyone here who works 5 days per week must receive a minimum of 24 days paid leave per year. (That includes any days when the business is closed, such as public holidays). That goes up to 28 days per year, from 1st April next year. My understanding is that those arrangements compare very favourably with those in the USA.

Chris

[Buenchico]

For both EngTeach and Imhotep:

Personally, I'd like to abolish all public holidays (except possibly over the Christmas period). The idea of everyone being on holiday at the same time is (to my mind) both outdated and (as Imhotep's post shows) impractical. I'm not suggesting that anyone should have their current holiday entitlement reduced but simply that we should abolish the (unworkable) idea that everyone takes a holiday at the same time.

Chris

[imhotep]

Good point there,Buenchico!!
A pity ,but there you go.We can but dream though.

It was worth a try!

[stewey]

I could never understand, even when I lived in the UK, why every holiday was called a "Bank Holiday". Use some bloody imagination and designate holidays with a meaningful term....for example, across the Pond we have these:
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/in dex_e.cfm

[Buenchico]

Meaningful, yes, Stewey but possibly controversial? Surely celebrating the birthday of a long-dead monarch of a former colonial power is hardly the best thing for a (rightly) proud and independent nation to do? ;-)

Chris

[stewey]

What, pray tell, happened to my input to this thread? I've been erased........ok; time for a holiday.

[stewey]

..and now my 2:05 response is back......strange!

[Buenchico]

Er, what, Stewey?

I think you must have drunk too much Molson (or possibly Moosehead?). Your post (and my reply) are still there on my screen.

[Buenchico]

Oh. Now we're agreeing. Anyway, my point still stands.

[stewey]

Chris, I kid you not. After reading your response to my list of Canadian holidays I went to answer you, and my post was gone: now it's back.....weird!. Why we celebrate "Victoria Day" I have no idea (government proclamation obviously). It's also observed in the Cayman Islands. What irritates me, somewhat, is that most younger people refer to the holiday as "May two-four": that's the number of bottles of beer in a large case: most of them never heard of Queen Victoria!....24 bottles, that is.