Bank holidays

So pleased for you crazyH . There’s nothing like a surprise visit to buck you up ?

How nice Crazy H.

Thanks Silverlining - yes, I did x

What a lovely surprise crazyH. My gc are too young now but wonder if they will visit us under their own steam when they are older. Hope you had a lovely time.

As someone earlier said, all the family are busy doing things with their young families. I feel so left out…Not that I’d want to join them on these hectic outings anyway. I was hoping my divorced daughter with grown-up children would do something with me but not a ‘peep’ from her.
BUT I had a surprise visit today from my sweet oldest grandson (20 years) - we had lunch together - that’s made my Bank Holiday weekend……..

Weather permitting were off to a very large car boot sale.
If not it will feel just like another Sunday,i can`t stand Sundays.

Fewest?

The UK has the least bank holidays certainly in Europe.i think it’s about 8.
Between May and Christmas there is just one, at the end of August. I think a day in October time would not come amiss.
Please no more in May where with Easter most of our few bank holidays bunch together. Feast and famine.

I stick to my usual routine, when I was at work it was different, of course. As many places have traffic jams and queues for everything (parking, tea, ice cream, toilets) I find it better to stay at home. When we lived by the sea we soon found out that sitting in the garden or visiting friends was best. Feet up, lots of tea and maybe a good film on the telly.

When DH was alive we always used to go out to a country pub for lunch, or go and watch the little planes at a nearby aerodrome - I really miss that.

Just another day for me, on my own as usual. If it's fine I may sit in the garden and read. Sometimes go to the cinema if there's something on I want to see.

Thoro

When I worked full time I loved them. Now I’m retired I prefer the routine of weekdays!

same, I like the routine of weekdays. I`ll just get busy on a sewing project and hop from meal to meal, with a bit of tv, reading, gardening and some cycling if the air is not too cold.

ElaineI

Nice to be paid extra when working them. It took a lot of arranging to ensure our patients were looked after and knew what to do in an emergency. Glad my family get them now and doesn't really bother me at all. We apparently have less than many countries.

In the UK, public holidays fall on a Monday, regardless of the actual date in question.

In some countries, they fall on a specific date... so the actual public holidays vary each year.

Not quite in the same vein, but in Norway, when you reach age 60, you are given a statutory extra week's paid holiday each year... Norwegians call it the "senile week" , but are very appreciative of it.

Elaine1 We apparently have less than many countries.

There was an article in our local paper here in Germany where, if 25 December, 3 October or 1 May (all public holidays) fall on a Sunday, it's just hard luck for the working population. There were mutterings about "why can't we have the Monday following it off like other countries do?" - until someone pointed out that Germany is almost top of the list after Spain for the number of days off we get a year.

These are the holidays we get - and may I remind you that shops and everything else (well, not hospitality) are SHUT on these days. You might get a bar of chocolate at a petrol station, or take a journey out on the motorway and get a fluffy toy or souvenir key ring at a transport café. Motorway driving is not bad as HGV are not allowed to use the roads on these days.

1 January
6 January (in some states)
Good Friday
Easter Monday
1 May
Ascension Day (always on Thursday)
Whit Monday
Corpus Christi (in some states - always on a Thursday)
15 August ( in some states)
3 October (used to be 17 June - national holiday)
31 October (in some Protestant states)
1 November (in some Catholic states)
Buss und Bettag - a Wednesday in mid-November in some Protestant states, used to be the whole country)
25 and 26 December

They do rather bunch up in May and June.

It's good for my ACs as they get an extra day off but for me everywhere is busy so it's not worth driving anywhere as you end up in queues.

I’m still working so I love them!

Yes it's one of those days you imagine everyone's having a better time than you. When in fact most people just spend it in the garden, going for walks, generally passing the time.

I've always hated Bank Holidays, even when I was working. I guess it's the lemming-like activity that they encourage, meaning there is no point trying to go anywhere because everywhere will be rammed. Also the fact that it disrupts the bin emptying timetable and makes me confused as to what day of the week it is. I have always felt it would be better to ditch them altogether and give people an equivalent amount of extra annual leave.

Fortunately, we live in a big town, so we can always wander in for a stroll and a drink, and there is a festival on this weekend, so it won't be too bad.

SueDonim

I dislike bank holidays, too. We don't go anywhere as we don't fancy getting stuck in traffic jams but I always imagine everyone else is out having a fine old time. Of course, they are not! We usually stay in the garden or go for a local walk but we're both glad when it's a normal weekday again. Must be even more depressing for those living alone.

I'm self employed so choose whether to work or not. If the forecast is good I tend not to work and go out with DH, for a long walk or similar. If it's going to rain all day I'll do lots of admin and have a day off another time.

A selection of DC and partners might visit or one might invite us to visit them.

It's miserable if it's a lonely day though

Time for a terrible joke! How do you get to Bury St Edmond? You dig a hole and tip him in - boom boom!

Nice to be paid extra when working them. It took a lot of arranging to ensure our patients were looked after and knew what to do in an emergency. Glad my family get them now and doesn't really bother me at all. We apparently have less than many countries.

I used to look forward to them when we were working, but now we've retired they're just like every other day.

We have far too many BHs crammed into spring, and not enough in the autumn.
Now lots of people think England's patron saint is the Turkish knight who probably never heard of England.
But before Edward III, it was St Edmund, that Bury St Edmunds is named for. And his saint's day is November 20th.
A much better BH

Apart from shopping once a week, I don't do anything on a Bank Holiday differently from the rest of the week.

Perhaps you could phone some friends to pass the time. People who, like you, are abandoned on such days, and who live too far away to pop out and visit for a day. That way you are brightening up the day for someone else as well.