August 31, 2009

Summer Holiday is a public holiday in the UK and Wales.

Summer holidays, alternatively termed as summer vacation or summer break, is a holiday session in the summer time taken mostly in the schools. Its timings mostly depend on the country and the district. In United Kingdom that is England and Wales, the last Monday in August is a bank holiday called the Summer Bank Holiday.

For majority of the people of England and Wales, who are not employed in any kind of essential service, this day is received as a holiday. This year the Summer Bank Holiday falls on 31st of August.

 

 

History of UK and Wales Summer Holiday

In Britain, Bank holidays are public holidays. On these days, banks are shut and no trading can take place on this day. The Bank Holidays are being recognized since 1871. The Bank Holidays were introduced by the Bank Holiday Act in 1871. This act designated four bank holidays or public holidays in United Kingdom that is in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Before 1834, there were thirty three saint’s days and religious festivals observed as holidays by the Bank of England.

However, in 1834, it was reduced to just four holidays. Sir John Lubbock, an English banker, politician, naturalist, archeologist and also an enthusiastic supporter of cricket, who believed that the bank employees should have an opportunity to attend and participate in cricket matches, introduced the act in 1871.

Initially the four holidays, those were declared in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1871, were the Easter Monday, the Whit Monday, the first Monday in the month of August, also called the Summer Bank Holiday, and the Boxing Day or St. Stephen’s day on 26th of December. These dates of Bank Holidays included the dates on which cricket was played between villages in the region where Sir John Lubbock was raised.

From 1972 onwards, the date of the Summer Bank Holiday was changed from the first Monday of August to the last Monday of August. It is however interesting to note that there were some years in which the Summer Bank Holiday fell on September instead of August. However, possibly to due a change in the method of determining the day, this no longer occurs.

 

UK and Wales Summer Holiday Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

On the Summer Bank Holiday, banks are not allowed to operate and hence the name Bank Holiday. Traditionally most of the shops and museums and several other places of public interest such as historic houses and sports centres remain closed.

However, it has been observed in recent times that some of the shops remain open even on a Bank Holiday. Traditionally, most of the businesses too remain closed on the Summer Bank Holiday. This time enables the employees to spend time with their families.

Some people spend this time on mini breaks and outings….yet this is How Gordon and Sarah Brown might look when they holiday in Southwold this summer

 

The significance of Bank Holidays over any other kind of holiday is that the Bank Holidays are secular and perpetual holidays. This is especially true in case of the Summer Bank Holiday which indeed has no religious bindings.