Bank Holidays in 2019-20: How Many Days Off Did You Really Get?

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Alright, let’s dive right into it. If you’re scratching your head trying to remember how many bank holidays we had during the 2019-20 financial year, you’re not alone. That period, which runs from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, was a bit of a mixed bag. Some holidays fell on weekends, some got shifted around, and there was even an extra one thrown in for the royal wedding that year. Let me break it down for you nice and easy.

For England and Wales, the total number of bank holidays in the 2019-20 financial year was 8. That’s right, 8 days off from work that were officially recognized. But hold up, I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, didn’t we have more than that?” Well, it depends on where you live. Scotland, for example, hits different on their holiday schedule. They had 9 bank holidays during that same period because they celebrate St. Andrew’s Day on November 30, which is a bank holiday up there. For Northern Ireland, they also had 9, thanks to St. Patrick’s Day being a big deal and an extra day for the Battle of the Boyne celebration in July.

Now, let’s talk specifics. The 2019-20 year started off strong with the usual Spring Bank Holiday on May 27, 2019. But that year, we also got the Early May Bank Holiday on May 6, which was originally scheduled for May 4 but moved to Monday to create a long weekend. The Summer Bank Holiday was August 26, 2019, and Christmas and Boxing Day landed on December 25 and 26, 2019 — both weekday, so no worries there. New Year’s Day 2020 was also a bank holiday, and then we had Good Friday (April 19, 2019) and Easter Monday (April 22, 2019), which fell into the 2019-20 year because the financial year starts in April.

Something interesting happened in 2019 too: there was a one-off bank holiday on December 27, 2019, but that was actually a “substitute day” because Christmas Day and Boxing Day fell on Wednesday and Thursday, so the government granted an extra day on Friday the 27th to make a four-day weekend. Wait, no, that’s not right — I’m mixing up years. For 2019, Christmas was on a Wednesday and Boxing Day on Thursday, so there was no substitute day. My bad. Let me double-check the facts.

Actually, here’s the real deal: In 2019, Christmas was on Wednesday, December 25, and Boxing Day was Thursday, December 26. There was no substitute bank holiday for the 2019-20 year because both fell on weekdays. The substitute day only happens when the holiday falls on a weekend. So for the 2019-20 financial year, the actual bank holidays in England and Wales were: Good Friday (April 19, 2019), Easter Monday (April 22, 2019), Early May Bank Holiday (May 6, 2019), Spring Bank Holiday (May 27, 2019), Summer Bank Holiday (August 26, 2019), Christmas Day (December 25, 2019), Boxing Day (December 26, 2019), and New Year’s Day (January 1, 2020). That makes 8 total.

But wait, there’s more! Some people might remember that there was an extra bank holiday in 2018 for the royal wedding, but in 2019-20, there was no such thing. So don’t let that confuse you. Also, for Scotland, they add St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) and they also celebrate the 2nd of January, which is a bank holiday in Scotland but not in England. So Scottish folks had 9 days off.

Questions related to bank holidays in 2019-20 financial year

Q: Did the 2019-20 financial year have more bank holidays than usual?
A: Not really. It was a standard year for England and Wales with 8 bank holidays. But if you lived in Scotland, you got 9 because of St. Andrew’s Day. So no extra goodies unless you’re up north. The only thing that stood out was that Good Friday and Easter Monday fell in April 2019, which counted toward the 2019-20 year since it starts in April. That gave you a nice Spring break early in the tax year.

Q: What about the bank holiday for the royal wedding? Was that in 2019-20?
A: Nope. The royal wedding bank holiday was in May 2018 for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. For the 2019-20 year, there were no special one-off bank holidays in the UK, except for some local variations like the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland. So don’t be expecting any extra days off unless the Queen decides to throw a last-minute party.

Q: How do bank holidays work in Scotland vs England during 2019-20?
A: Good question. Scotland operates their own set of bank holidays. While England and Wales had 8, Scotland had 9. The extra day was St. Andrew’s Day on November 30, which is a bank holiday up there. They also treat the 2nd of January as a holiday, but that’s not always a bank holiday — actually, it is a public holiday in Scotland, so you can count it. But for the 2019-20 financial year, Scotland had: New Year’s Day (January 1), 2nd January, Good Friday, Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, St. Andrew’s Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. That’s 9 if all fell on weekdays. And since Christmas and Boxing Day were on weekdays in 2019, no issues there.

Q: Did the 2019-20 bank holidays include a substitute day?
A: No substitute days were needed because no major bank holidays fell on a weekend. Christmas and Boxing Day were on Wednesday and Thursday, New Year’s Day was on a Wednesday, etc. So it was pretty straightforward. No need to shift anything around.

Q: Are there any bank holidays in March 2020 that counted toward the 2019-20 year?
A: No, the 2019-20 financial year ends on March 31, 2020, so the next bank holiday after New Year’s Day would be Good Friday, which actually fell on April 10, 2020. That’s in the 2020-21 financial year. So the last bank holiday in the 2019-20 year was New Year’s Day 2020. Simple as that.

To sum it up, if you lived in England or Wales, you got 8 bank holidays during the 2019-20 financial year. If you were in Scotland, you got 9. Northern Ireland also had 9 with St. Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne. No extra surprises, no royal weddings, just a standard, solid year of long weekends. So if you’re planning your budget or just trying to remember how many days you had off work, you can count on those 8 for most of the UK.

public holiday calendar.COM Thank you for reading, I hope this article can help you fully understand the number of bank holidays in the 2019-20 financial year. If you have more questions, such as what holidays are coming up or how they affect your pay, please contact us. We’re here to help you make the most of your days off!