Why isn’t St. George’s Day a bank holiday?

England’s patron saint, St. George, will be honored this weekend. St. George’s Day will be observed by Christians all across the world.

In recent years, St. George’s Day has grown in prominence. However, because St. George’s Day isn’t an English public holiday, we don’t get a day off.

Although public support for making St. George’s Day a bank holiday is growing, the government has yet to sign on. Why not declare St. George’s Day to be a national holiday?

The traditional date for St. George’s Day is April 23rd. This is thought to be the date of St George’s death in 303 AD.

However, according to Church of England guidelines, no saints’ days should fall between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, therefore the date can be shifted back.

Despite mounting calls for it to be, St. George’s Day is not a bank holiday in England. St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day are both bank holidays in Scotland and Ireland, however St David’s Day is not.

On April 23rd, all businesses, schools, and government offices must be open.

England observed St. George’s Day as a national holiday from 1415 through the 18th century.

After the Act of Union in 1707, which united England and Scotland, its significance diminished (Wales had been conquered in the 13th century).

St. George’s Day has not been a public holiday since then. According to polls, making St. George’s Day a bank holiday would be popular in England.