If you are planning to
travel to Britain, you should be aware that the place is keen on public holidays. Well, they claim to have a few, but I find these holidays long compared to the ones in the United States. Anyway, one of the public holidays to anticipate for are bank holidays.
No, "bank" does not merely refer to financial institutions being closed for the day. Bank holidays originate from the 1800s, during the time when banks ceased their operations and thus, no trade took place. An act, particularly the 1871 act, calls for
bank holidays in the whole part of the United Kingdom, including Wales, Ireland, and England. For Wales and England, there are currently four bank holidays in a year.
So, when exactly do these holidays fall on? Apart from Good Friday and Christmas, bank holidays fall on Mondays when the weekend prior to that day is a regular holiday. This might sound confusing, but in essence, the holiday during the weekend is carried over to the following Monday. It is best to check your itinerary during these days because although some shops are open, many are closed to give way to workers who want to spend time with their families.
