Christmas Day Bank Holiday 2017

Older than the bank holidays
Christmas Day was not included in the Bank Holidays Act 1871 because it did not need to be. It was already a common law holiday in England, Wales and Ireland, kept by custom for centuries, and Parliament saw no reason to legislate for a day nobody worked.

Not always a holiday in Scotland
Scotland is the exception. After the Reformation the Kirk discouraged the celebration of Christmas, and for generations it was a normal working day north of the border. Christmas Day only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958, and Boxing Day in 1974. Hogmanay filled the gap in the meantime.

The strictest trading rules of the year
The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 bans large shops in England and Wales from opening at all on 25 December, a stricter rule than applies on any other day. Scotland has its own equivalent. Almost no trains run, and most bus networks close entirely.

Substitute days
Because it is fixed to 25 December, Christmas Day falls at the weekend about two years in seven. When it does, the bank holiday moves to the following Monday, and Boxing Day is pushed to the Tuesday, so the two are always taken as weekdays.

What happens on the day
Church services, the King's Christmas message at three o'clock, and the largest domestic meal of the year. Boxing Day the following day carries the sport and the sales.

UK bank holidays 2017