How Many Bank Holiday Mondays Are There in the UK in 2021? A Complete Breakdown

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So, you’re trying to figure out exactly how many Bank Holiday Mondays there were in the UK back in 2021. Maybe you’re planning a vacation, looking back at your work schedule, or just curious about the public holiday calendar. I get it—bank holidays are precious days off, and knowing how many fall on a Monday matters because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love a long weekend? In 2021, the UK had a total of 8 Bank Holiday Mondays. That’s right, eight! But wait, it’s not as simple as just counting them off a list—there were some quirks and adjustments thanks to the pandemic and special events. Let me break it all down for you, region by region, because England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland don’t always see eye to eye on their holidays.

First off, the standard UK-wide Bank Holidays in 2021 included New Year’s Day (which fell on a Friday, so no Monday there), Good Friday (Friday), Easter Monday (Monday, April 5), Early May Bank Holiday (Monday, May 3), Spring Bank Holiday (Monday, May 31), Summer Bank Holiday (Monday, August 30 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; but in Scotland it’s the first Monday in August, which was August 2 in 2021), and then Christmas and Boxing Day (both fell on Saturday and Sunday in 2021, so the substitute holidays were Monday December 27 and Tuesday December 28). That’s a lot of moving parts.

But you specifically asked about Bank Holiday Mondays. So let’s list them clearly for 2021, taking into account the different nations:

For England and Wales:

Easter Monday – April 5, 2021
Early May Bank Holiday – May 3, 2021
Spring Bank Holiday – May 31, 2021
Summer Bank Holiday – August 30, 2021
Boxing Day substitute – December 27, 2021 (Monday)

That’s 5 Monday Bank Holidays for England and Wales. Plus, New Year’s Day 2021 was a Friday, so no Monday there. Christmas Day substitute was Tuesday December 28, not a Monday. So yes, five.

For Scotland:

Easter Monday – April 5, 2021 (though not all Scottish workers get Easter Monday off, it’s still a bank holiday)
Early May Bank Holiday – May 3, 2021
Spring Bank Holiday – May 31, 2021
Summer Bank Holiday – August 2, 2021 (first Monday in August)
Boxing Day substitute – December 27, 2021 (Monday)

That’s also 5 Monday Bank Holidays for Scotland. However, note that Scotland also has St Andrew’s Day on November 30, but that’s not a Monday in 2021 (it was a Tuesday).

For Northern Ireland:

Easter Monday – April 5, 2021
Early May Bank Holiday – May 3, 2021
Spring Bank Holiday – May 31, 2021
Summer Bank Holiday – August 30, 2021
Boxing Day substitute – December 27, 2021 (Monday)
St Patrick’s Day – March 17, 2021 (Wednesday, so not a Monday)
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) – July 12, 2021 (Monday, but it’s a specific Northern Ireland holiday)

Wait, July 12, 2021 was indeed a Monday! And it’s a bank holiday in Northern Ireland. So Northern Ireland actually has 6 Monday Bank Holidays in 2021: the five common ones plus the July 12 holiday. But careful—some people don’t count Easter Monday if they don’t work in a sector that observes it, but officially it’s a bank holiday.

Questions related to how many bank holiday mondays in 2021 uk

Now, you might be wondering: why are there differences? Well, bank holidays are devolved matters in the UK. Scotland, for example, has its own Summer Bank Holiday on the first Monday of August instead of the last Monday. And Northern Ireland has two extra ones (St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne) but they don’t always fall on Mondays. In 2021, only the Battle of the Boyne landed on a Monday.

Another common question: what about the Platinum Jubilee? That was in 2022, not 2021. So no extra Monday from that. Also, during the pandemic, some holidays were moved (like VE Day in 2020), but 2021 remained pretty standard.

And one more thing: if you’re calculating your days off, remember that many employers give you the substitute holiday if the actual bank holiday falls on a weekend. That’s why December 27 (Monday) was a bank holiday in place of Boxing Day (which was Sunday). So that Monday counts.

So, the final tally: England and Wales = 5 Monday bank holidays. Scotland = 5. Northern Ireland = 6. If you’re looking for the whole UK average, it’s around 5 to 6 depending on where you live.

Let’s not forget that some people also get Good Friday off (Friday) and Christmas Day (Saturday) but those aren’t Mondays. So the Monday list is what you wanted.

To sum it up, in 2021 the UK had a total of 8 bank holiday Mondays across all nations if you count overlapping ones separately, but if you just want the unique dates across the whole UK, it’s still 8 because they share many. The exact number for you depends on your region. Hope that clears things up!

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