History
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 four: 1 May (May Day), 1 November (All Saints Day), Good Friday, and Christmas Day. In 1871, the first legislation relating to bank holidays was passed when Liberal politician and banker Sir John Lubbock introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871, which specified the days in the table set out below. The English people were so thankful that they called the first Bank Holidays St Lubbock's Days for a while. Scotland was treated separately because of its separate traditions; for example, New Year is a more important holiday there.
| England, Wales, Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | |
| Easter Monday | Good Friday |
| Whit Monday | First Monday in May |
| First Monday in August | First Monday in August |
| Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day | Christmas Day |
The act did not specify Good Friday and Christmas Day as bank holidays in England, Wales, and Ireland because they were already recognised as common law holidays, and because of common observance, they became customary holidays before records began.
In 1903, the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act added 17 March, Saint Patrick's Day, as a bank holiday for Ireland only. New Year's Day did not become a bank holiday in England until 1 January 1974.
Read more about this topic: Bank Holiday
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