2015 Bank holidays in England

Bank holidays are public holidays in the United Kingdom, when banks and many other businesses are closed for the day. The expected dates of bank and public holidays in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are shown below:

There are currently six permanent bank holidays in England and Wales and an additional one in 2011 and 2012. Christmas Day and Good Friday are public holidays.

There are seven permanent bank holidays across the whole of Scotland. Christmas Day and Good Friday are public holidays. Since 2007, St Andrews Day has also been a permanent bank holiday.

* substitute day

Generally, public holidays include bank holidays, holidays by Royal Proclamation and 'common law holidays'. Banks are not allowed to operate on bank holidays. When public holidays in the Christmas and New Year period fall on Saturdays and Sundays, alternative week days are declared public holidays.

British bank holidays are Public Holidays and have been recognized since 1871. The name Bank Holiday comes from the time when banks were shut and so no trading could take place.

The 1871 Act designated four holidays in England, Wales and Ireland (then wholly part of the UK), and five in Scotland. (For an historical look at Bank Holidays, please visit our Project Britain Blog.)

There are currently a total of 8 permanent bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. These include Christmas Day and Good Friday, which in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are common law' holidays (they are not specified by law as bank holidays but have become customary holidays because of common observance).