UK Bank Holidays

The sale of arts and crafts at fairs and show has seasonal variations. If you are able to add a theme to your table that pertains to the appropriate time of year, you may see an increase in sales. Specific products will do better than generic products but just having an appropriate sign could work, e.g. Ideal Easter Gifts, Christmas Presents, Great for Fathers Day etc.

The tables below shows a collection of important dates in the UK calendar. If you are only interested in one type of event use the filter. Click on the link below each month to view the craft events calendar. If you would like to be notified of craft events in your region; the week before they take pace, sign up for the craft weekly newsletter.

Bank holidays

A bank holiday is in affect a public holiday. We use the word bank because they first appeared in the 19th century with the introduction of the Bank Holidays Act of 1871. In the act, there were four dates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and five in Scotland, they left out Christmas Day and Good Friday (and Sunday) as they were already traditional days off for Christian worship.

We have not seen any new bank holidays since the 1970s. A few were changed when the old act was replaced by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, then there was a change in 1973, 1974 and 1978.

Any new Bank holidays since 1971 would be appointed by Royal Proclamation. Except for in Northern Ireland where it is the role of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

National days

There are four national days in the UK. The dates stay the same each year and they are an opportunity to celebrate the patron saints of each nation - St David (Wales), St Patrick (Ireland), St George (England) and St Andrew (Scotland). Unfortunately, these are not bank holidays in either England or Wales - which is perhaps why they are not as well celebrated.

British Summer Time (BST)

Twice a year, (the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October) the clocks change. They spring forward an hour in March and go back an hour in October. This is sometimes known as Daylight Saving Time, which gives a better description of why we do it. It was introduced back in the early 20th century thanks to William Willet, who believed that the summer mornings were being lost whilst people slept.

The four seasons

The starting date for each season changes by a day or so each year. An equinox (March and September) is when the day and the night are of approximately the same length. A solstice is when the sun reaches its highest or lowest points in the sky at noon, which results in the longest and shortest days.

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the start of winter but it is a day to celebrate (20-23 December), as from then onwards the days will start to get lighter for longer. You may want to sit outside (cold) burning your Yule log, eating, telling tales, singing and perhaps drinking some mead. Interesting fact that Yuletide in Old Norse could be translated to Yule father, seems familiar.

The wheel of the Year includes eight ceremonial days, Imbolc - time for a spring clean (2 February), Ostara (19-22 March), Beltane (1 May), Midsummer (19-23 June), Lughnasadh (1 Aug), Mabon (21-24 September), Samhain (1 Nov) and Yule (20-23 Dec).

Special days or dates

Throughout the year there are lots of days that have a special meaning or significance like mothers day or bonfire night. They have normally come about due to popularity or historical significance.

Midsummer or St John the Baptists day (24 June) is an interesting date because it is set near to the Summer Solstice (the longest day - 19-23 June) and people celebrate Midsummers Eve, the eve of St Johns day.