A bank holiday is a public holiday in both the United Kingdom and
Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the
majority of the population not employed in essential services (e.g. utilities, fire,
ambulance, police, transport, health care workers) receive them as holidays;
those employed in essential services usually receive extra pay for working on
these days. The first official bank holidays were the four days named in the Bank
Holiday Act 1871, but today the term is colloquially used for public holidays
which are not officially bank holidays, for example Good Friday and Christmas
Day.