The Bank holidays include those for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. All bank holiday dates are accurate at the time of publishing.
Please make sure you check any dates with your own countries Bank holidays before booking any holidays or arrangements.
Bank Holidays and Special Occasions – Their Meanings and Origins
New Years Day
(England , Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales )
New Years Day is celebrated all over the United Kingdom on 1 January each year.
Second of January
(Scotland)
Scotland also has a public holiday on the 2nd January each year.
St. Valentine’s Day
While St. Valentines Day is not a public holiday in the UK, it is celebrated throughout the country on February 14 each year by friends, lovers and secret admirers.
St David’s Day
(Wales)
St Davids Day celebrated on the 1st day of March each year and is the feast day of Saint David who was the patron saint of Wales. The 1st day of March was chosen to remember the death of Saint David because it holds that he died on that day in 589. In the 18th century, the date was declared a National Day of celebration within Wales. There is a great festival with children dressing in welsh costume for school and concerts being given all over Wales.
St Patricks Day
(Northern Ireland)
St Patricks Day is celebrated in Ireland each year on March 17.
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday in the UK is the equivalent of Mother’s Day in many other countries.
Easter
People celebrate the Easter holiday period according to their beliefs and their religious denominations.
May Day Holiday
(England , Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales)
May Day is a public holiday in England, Ireland Scotland and Wales and is observed on the 1st Monday in May each year.
Spring Bank Holiday
(England , Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales)
Spring Bank Holiday is a public holiday in England, Ireland Scotland and Wales and is observed on the last Monday in May each year.
Father’s Day
Father’s Day in the UK is celebrated in a similar way to how it is celebrated in the US.
Orangeman’s Day
(Ireland)
Orangeman’s Day is observed in Ireland on July 12 each year and is also known as the “Battle of Boyne”. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland (I) to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne
Summer Bank Holiday
Summer Bank Holiday is a public holiday in England, Ireland and Wales and is observed on the last Monday in August each year.*
The Summer Bank Holiday is observed in Scotland on the first Monday in August each year. (*Scotland)
Halloween
Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits. On October 31st, children dressed in costumes knock on their neighbours’ doors and yell, “Trick or Treat” when the door opens.
St Andrews Day
(Scotland)
St Andrew’s Day is observed in Scotland as a public holiday on November 30 each year.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is celebrated in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on December 25 each year.
New Years Eve
While New Years Eve is not a federal holiday in the UK it is a day to celebrate the end of one year and at the stroke of midnight, the beginning of a new year. To celebrate New Years Eve many British conduct parties and invite friends and family to them.
The holidays include those for England, Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales. All bank holiday dates are accurate at the time of publishing. Please make sure you check any dates with your own countries Bank holidays before booking any holidays or arrangements.
When is the next Bank Holiday in 2023?
2023 Bank Holidays and Special Occasions in the UK
Holiday/Occasion/Countries
| Date | Day | Bank Holiday/Occasion | Country |
| January | |||
| 2 Jan 2023 | Monday | New Year’s Day (substitute day) | National |
| 3 Jan 2023 | Tuesday | 2nd January (substitute day) | Scotland |
| February | |||
| 14 Feb 2023 | Tuesday | Valentine’s Day | Special Occasion |
| March | |||
| 17 Mar 2023 | Friday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland |
| 19 March 2023 | Sunday | Mothering Sunday | Special Occasion |
| April | |||
| 7 Apr 2023 | Friday | Good Friday | National |
| 10 Apr 2023 | Monday | Easter Monday | National except Scotland |
| 23 Apr 2023 | Saturday | Saint George’s Day | Special Occasion England |
| May | |||
| 1 May 2023 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday | National |
| 8 May 2023 | Monday | Coronation of King Charles III | |
| 29 May 2023 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday | National |
| June | |||
| 18 June 2023 | Sunday | Father’s Day | Special Occasion |
| July | |||
| 12 Jul 2023 | Wednesday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemans Day) | Northern Ireland |
| August | |||
| 7 Aug 2023 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | Scotland |
| 28 Aug 2023 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | National except Scotland |
| October | |||
| 31 Oct 2023 | Tuesday | Halloween | Special Occasion |
| November | |||
| 30 Nov 2023 | Thursday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland |
| December | |||
| 25 Dec 2023 | Monday | Christmas Day | National |
| 26 Dec 2023 | Monday | Boxing Day | National |
*Visit gov.uk for more information