A bank holiday is a public holiday in both the United Kingdom & Ireland. There is no automatic exact to time off on these days, even if the majority of the population not employed in essential services (e.g. utilities, fire, ambulance, police, health-care, public transport workers) obtain them as holidays; those in a job in essential services typically receive extra pay for working on these days.The first official bank holidays were the four days named in the Bank Holidays Act 1871, but today the term is colloquially used for public holidays which are not publicly bank holidays, for illustration Good Friday & Christmas Day.
