The UK has several different national holidays, none of which have been given Bank Holiday status by the Government, but many Britons would have that change
St George’s Day has been celebrated for centuries, but it isn’t a Bank Holiday(Image: ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock)
St George’s Day will see Brits living in England celebrate the national day this Thursday, reigniting a longtime debate about its status in the Bank Holiday schedule.
The April 23 occasion marks the death of St George, the Christian martyr and English patron saint who was canonised for his refusal to denounce his religion and immortalised for heroically slaying a dragon. While being a national day for England, it has never been given Bank Holiday status – despite massive public demand.
The Government this week poured cold water on the accelerating demand for another day off, stating there were “no plans” to do so due to the massive potential financial costs.
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St George was made a martyr for refusing to denounce his faith(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking to the Express, the spokesperson said even a one-off additional Bank holiday – not unlike the one allowed for the King’s 2023 Coronation – would cost the Government up to £2 billion”. They said: “While we are proud to celebrate all of our patron saints, the current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established, and we have no plans to change it.”
If the above link doesn’t work for you, please click here to have your say on whether the occasion should be made a Bank Holiday.
St George’s Day has been celebrated as a major national holiday since as early as the 9th century, and debated across the UK for decades. Two new petitions calling on the Government to make it a Bank Holiday have come and gone in 2026 so far, and at one point they both ran concurrently.
The primary petition of the two, which was closed in March, called for the Bank Holiday in line with other countries who provide public days off for national days.
Campaigns have long sought to add St George’s Day to the country’s list of Bank Holidays(Image: Guy Bell/Shutterstock)
Proclaiming “England should be proud of St George’s Day”, the petition, which was signed by hundreds of people, stated: “We feel the Government should review England’s national holidays and that England should not be penalised. We feel that England, as a nation, should be able to celebrate their nation’s day.
“We feel that England should show more support towards this special day by making it a Bank Holiday so people can get together as a community and celebrate. We believe England should no longer be underprivileged.”
Dozens of countries around the world have Bank Holidays to celebrate major national days, many being former British Empire colonies that won their independence. In Europe, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands celebrate theirs, which are associated with unity, becoming a republic and celebrating the monarchy, between April and October.
The UK, as a united group of four nations, has several different national days, Wales has St David’s Day on March 1, and Scotland has St Andrew’s Day on November 30. However, none of these are celebrated as Bank Holidays.
