Many people across the nation will be dreading going back to work this week after enjoying time off over Christmas and the New Year.
But with 2025 now upon us, you may not have had the time to check when this year’s bank holidays are yet. In England and Wales, there are eight dates designated as bank holidays, and we’ve just had our first on January 1. The next one will be in April.
The term ‘bank holiday’ refers to a public holiday on a weekday when banks are closed by law – but you should check with your employer as to whether they are included in your contract, as they are not legally required to give you the day off. There’s also currently a campaign to have an extra bank holiday granted in 2025 to mark a poignant anniversary in the nation’s history.
Here’s a list of all the bank holidays you can look forward to this year:
A campaign has recently been started to create another bank holiday this year to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, which was the end of World War II in Europe. As many as 73% people back a public holiday, according to a poll carried out by the Mirror, while just 13 percent were opposed to commemorating the day Nazi Germany finally surrendered to allied forces.
Commenting on the recent survey by the Mirror and Deltapoll, Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British troops in Afghanistan, said “The results of this survey are pretty positive because it shows people do think the end of the war is a significant day to remember. It is very important to mark these important occasions because memories fade as time goes by and people ought to appreciate what sacrifices were made at that time.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a VE Day bank holiday is going to happen. Last year, a spokesperson Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed that the official celebrations to commemorate VE day will not involve an extra bank holiday in 2025.
There is also a long-standing campaign by trade unions for an extra day off to be added to the calendar every year. England and Wales have fewer bank holidays compared to the rest of the UK and many other countries in Europe. Some have called for St George’s Day and St David’s Day to be turned into holidays, as is the case with St Andrew’s Day in Scotland.
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