Bank holidays and celebrations in the UK

The bank holidays in England and Wales: New Year's Day (1 January), Good Friday and Easter Monday in March or April, the Early May bank holiday on the first Monday in May, the Spring bank holiday on the last Monday in May, the Summer bank holiday on the last Monday in August, Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December).

• And in Scotland the 2 January holiday and another, and in Northern Ireland 17 March (St Patrick's) and 12 July.
• And if a holiday falls on a weekend it moves to the next working day (substitute day).
• The law does not oblige the employer to grant bank holidays as additional leave, and they may be counted within the 5.6 weeks, so check your contract.
• And GOV.UK publishes the holiday calendar for each year.

Christmas is the most important holiday of the year for many even if they are not religious: decorations, markets and adverts start from November, and Christmas trees are erected and street lights hung and school nativity plays and office Christmas parties are held and greeting cards are sent.

• On 25 December family members gather for a Christmas dinner of turkey, vegetables and pudding, and gifts are opened in the morning, and the King's speech is listened to in the afternoon.
• On 26 December Boxing Day is a holiday with big sales and football matches.
• New Year's Eve has celebrations and fireworks, especially in London and Edinburgh (Hogmanay).
• No one obliges you to celebrate if you are Muslim, but you may be invited, and it is enough to say Merry Christmas or Happy holidays and accept the invitation kindly.
• And public transport is closed on Christmas Day.

Easter in March or April with a four-day holiday from Friday to Monday, and in it chocolate eggs and hot cross buns (Good Friday buns) are eaten.

• Mothering Sunday is Mother's Day in March.
• Pancake Day is before Lent.
• Bonfire Night (5 November) commemorates the attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605 with torches, fires and fireworks.
• And Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November) and Armistice Day (11 November) commemorate those killed in wars, and people wear the red poppy and observe two minutes' silence.
• Halloween (31 October) is for children with costumes and sweets (trick or treat).
• Valentine's Day (14 February) for lovers.
• And Scotland celebrates Burns Night (25 January) and Northern Ireland St Patrick's.
• And there are summer festivals such as the Notting Hill Carnival in London (August) and the Edinburgh Fringe.

Muslims in Britain (about three million) celebrate Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and the month of Ramadan with prayers in mosques and large grounds, and open iftar tables (Open Iftar) to which Muslims invite their neighbours and colleagues, and family gatherings and foods.

• These festivals are not official holidays, so request annual leave from your employer early, and many understand and allow flexibility.
• And for schools there is a justified absence day for the religious festival (notify the school).
• And the date of Eid is announced according to moon sighting in mosques.
• And for Sikhs Vaisakhi (April) and Diwali (October or November) for Hindus and Sikhs, Hanukkah and Yom Kippur for Jews, and Chinese New Year and the Vesak festival for Buddhists.
• And cities celebrate the festivals publicly and processions are shown.
• And in Ramadan some companies adjust schedules.

To reconcile your festivals with reality: request your annual leave for Eid al-Fitr and al-Adha early (two months before), and ask about the company's policy on religious observance since some grant floating holidays.

• And in Ramadan request flexible hours or a short break for iftar and prayer, and under the Equality Act you may request reasonable adjustments.
• And at school tell the teacher of your child's festivals and request absence leave, and some schools hold an event for festivals.
• And there are prayer rooms in many universities and hospitals.
• And on bank holidays expect crowding at airports, trains and roads, and higher prices in hotels, so book early.
• And buy your needs before Christmas and Easter because shops close or shorten hours.
• And invite your neighbours on your festival so they learn your culture, since that warms hearts.

How many bank holidays in England?