The UK has eight bank holidays a year in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland. The exam may ask you to identify a holiday from a clue — for example "the day after Christmas" or "the festival celebrated on 5 November".
The fixed-date holidays
- New Year's Day — 1 January.
- St Patrick's Day — 17 March (Northern Ireland only).
- Christmas Day — 25 December.
- Boxing Day — 26 December.
Boxing Day takes its name from the Victorian custom of giving servants and tradespeople a "Christmas box" — a small gift or tip — on the first weekday after Christmas. Although the name is uniquely British, the custom of a post-Christmas day off is now widespread.
The moving holidays
- Good Friday — the Friday before Easter Sunday.
- Easter Monday — the day after Easter Sunday (not in Scotland).
- Early May bank holiday — first Monday in May.
- Spring bank holiday — last Monday in May.
- Summer bank holiday — last Monday in August (or first in Scotland).
- St Andrew's Day — 30 November (Scotland only).
- Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) — 12 July (Northern Ireland only).
Further reading: a related editorial guide on this topic opens in a new window for additional context.
Festivals that are not bank holidays
Several traditional dates are widely celebrated but are not days off work. Bonfire Night on 5 November remembers the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 in which Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Remembrance Sunday, on the second Sunday of November, honours those who died serving in armed conflicts. Saint George's Day (23 April), Saint David's Day (1 March) and Burns Night (25 January) are also widely observed.
How this comes up in the exam
Pay attention to which holidays are observed in which country. A common test question asks which of four listed dates is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland but not in England — the answer is St Patrick's Day. Another favourite is asking what is celebrated on 5 November (Bonfire Night).
Keep going
- Read the full study notes for Modern Society.
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- Sit a full 24-question timed mock.
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