How Public Holidays Work in the United Kingdom
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays. If one falls on a weekend, a "substitute day" is given on the next weekday.
Scotland has 9 (adds 2 January and St Andrew's Day, and moves the summer holiday to the first Monday of August). Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July).
Sources: UK bank holidays, GOV.UK, Public holidays in the United Kingdom (Wikipedia)
All United Kingdom Holidays in 2019
| Date | Holiday | About |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jan 1 | New Year's Day | First day of the year, following New Year's Eve (Hogmanay in Scotland). |
| Fri, Apr 19 | Good Friday | The Friday before Easter, marking the crucifixion; traditionally the day for hot cross buns. |
| Mon, Apr 22 | Easter Monday | The Monday after Easter Sunday, giving a four-day Easter weekend. |
| Mon, May 6 | Early May Bank Holiday | First Monday of May, rooted in traditional May Day celebrations. |
| Mon, May 27 | Spring Bank Holiday | Last Monday of May; replaced the old Whit Monday holiday in 1971. |
| Mon, Aug 26 | Summer Bank Holiday | Last Monday of August in England and Wales — the last long weekend before the school year. |
| Wed, Dec 25 | Christmas Day | Celebrates the birth of Jesus; the King's Christmas broadcast airs at 3pm. |
| Thu, Dec 26 | Boxing Day | Day after Christmas, named for "Christmas boxes" given to tradespeople; a major sports and shopping day. |
Click a date to see it on the monthly calendar.
Long Weekends in 2019
- New Year's Day bridge day: take Mon, Dec 31 offDec 29 – Jan 1 · 4 days
- Good Friday & Easter Monday Apr 19 – Apr 22 · 4 days
- Early May Bank Holiday May 4 – May 6 · 3 days
- Spring Bank Holiday May 25 – May 27 · 3 days
- Summer Bank Holiday Aug 24 – Aug 26 · 3 days
- Christmas Day & Boxing Day bridge day: take Fri, Dec 27 offDec 25 – Dec 29 · 5 days
With 2 vacation days on the bridge days above you get 9 days off in total.
Plan 2019 Around These Holidays
Add your vacation and bridge days to a calendar, then export it as a printable PDF. For the full year at a glance see the 2019 calendar.
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