When is the August bank holiday 2021?
IT’S always good to know when the bank holidays are so you can plan ahead – and an August one is just around the corner.
The August bank holiday was first introduced just to give us all a bit more time to enjoy summer.
When is the August bank holiday 2021?
The next bank holiday across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2021 is the summer bank holiday on Monday, August 30.
Scotland has their August bank holiday at the beginning of the month – August 2.
The August bank holiday was introduced in the Bank Holidays Act 1871 to give bankers the opportunity to enjoy and participate in cricket.
Up until 1971 it always took place on the first Monday of August.
It was eventually moved as it clashed with the traditional two week shut down that many companies went through in the summer.
Below are all of 2021’s bank holidays in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
When are the bank holiday dates for 2020?
Bank holidays in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in 2021 are:
- Monday, August 30 – Summer bank holiday – or Monday, August 2, for those in Scotland
- Monday, December 27 – Christmas Day (substitute day)
- Tuesday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)
There is an additional day for those living in Scotland:
- St Andrews Day falls on Tuesday, November 30.
What is a bank holiday?
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the UK when most people are given an extra day off work.
They were given the name bank holidays as banks are closed – and if they can’t do business, no-one else can.
Similarly, schools are shut on bank holidays, and transport services are often scaled back.
Booking certain days off work can help your holiday allowance stretch further.
What are the Christmas dates for 2021?
In 2021, Christmas Day, December 25, is a Saturday.
Boxing Day, on December 26, is a Sunday.
As the traditional bank holiday dates are on a weekend, the UK has two substitute bank holidays on Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28, making it a long four-day weekend.
Christmas Eve, which is on the Friday before Christmas Day, is not a public holiday in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.