May Bank Holidays 2018: When are the bank holidays? Why are there two Bank Holidays in May
MAY is a month which historically heralds the start of the summer season despite the dour weather currently making a break in the gloom seem more like a futile wish than an impending inevitability. And with two Bank Holidays to enjoy, workers are hoping for some sun for their days off.
Going hand-in-hand with the improving climate and longer, brighter days are the much appreciated May Bank Holiday weekends, with workers enjoying two extra days off this month.
The first May Bank Holiday traditionally falls on May 1 – also known as May Day – but this year appears six days later on Monday, May 7.
And there is a second day off appearing in the calendar at the end of the month - this year falling on Monday, May 28.
This means that workers can enjoy a staggering ten days off in May thanks to two normal weekends and two three-day breaks.
Three-day weekends have been a part of modern British culture for decades, with May Day becoming an official Bank Holiday in England in 1978.
However, the roots of these summertime holidays reach far further back in history.
Why are there two Bank Holidays in May?
May 1 has been a traditional spring festival across vast swathes of the northern hemisphere for centuries, with ancient cultures celebrating the end of the long winter and the start of summer with joyful song and dance.
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The earliest recorded May Day celebrations appeared in the Roman Republic era sometime between 509 BC and 27 BC, with the masters of the classical age paying homage to Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers.
In the Pagan calendar, the festival was known as Beltane, most commonly held at the end of April to celebrate the first day of summer.
In 1871, the Bank Holidays Act was introduced in Britain, ensuring four days of the year would be treated as pubic holidays.
These initial holidays were Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first Monday in August, and Boxing Day.
The second May Bank Holiday - also known as Spring Bank Holiday - started off life as the Monday after Pentecost - also known as Whitsun or Whit Monday.
It became associated with International Workers’ Day back in 1890 when it was used by protestors to support the introduction of an eight-hour working day.
It was permanently moved to its current position at the end of the month in 1971 following a five-year trial period running between 1965 and 1970.
In 2011, Parliament debated moving the second May Bank Holiday to a date in October but these plans were scrapped.