What is a bank holiday?
A bank holiday is when banks and many businesses close for the day.
What is a public holiday?
A public holiday is a holiday which has become a holiday through custom and practice.
List of 2012 public and bank holidays
- New Year's Day: Sunday, 1st January 2012
- New Year's Day: (substitute day) Monday, 2nd January 2012
- Good Friday: Friday, 6th April 2012
- Easter Monday: Monday, 9th April 2012
- Early May Day Bank Holiday: Monday, 7th May 2012
- Spring Bank Holiday: Monday, 4th June 2012
- Queen's Diamond Jubilee: Tuesday, 5th June 2012
- Late Summer Bank Holiday: Monday, 27th August 2012
- Christmas Day: Tuesday, 25th December 2012
- Boxing Day: Wednesday, 26th December 2012
The Bank Holidays Act 1871 named the first official bank holidays, however, these days the term bank holiday is used for public holidays which are not actually officially bank holidays, such as Good Friday.
There is no automatic right to time off on bank and public holidays however the majority of the UK population is given time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their terms of employment.
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