National holidays.

[AlanC]

Since I started Transcribing I am surprised to see Births, Baptisms and Marriages performed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Years Day. I suspect the latter two are quite modern by comparison but I have entered multiple Events for the former that I often wandered if the poor Rector or Curate ever got home for his dinner.
Does anyone know when we introduced Public Holidays.

[Christine in Herts]

I think the main reason was that people didn't get paid if they didn't work. They didn't work on those days, so they were good days for events such as weddings.

In some cases I think there was a provision for waiving the fees on Christmas Day, as well.

Either or both of these could be urban myths - I haven't double-checked, though you may wish to do so.

Christine

[AlanC]

That explanation makes good sense Christine, thank you.

[Inahaystack]

Alan, there is some information here:-

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/bank-public-holidays/bank-public-holidays/page18882.html

Nina

[AlanC]

Thanks Nina.................checking it out.

[col48]

Historically, Christmas Day and Easter Day (and a number of other days) were Feast Days. I think Boxing Day and New Years Day are relatively modern as holidays. The following link says that between 1834 and 1871 the Bank of England observed Good Friday, 1 May, 1 Nov, and 25 Dec as holidays. When the banks were closed, no trading could take place. [Personally, I'm not sure why not!] There was a Bank Holiday Act in 1871 which increased the number of holidays and gave them a statutory basis.

https://www.whenis.co.uk/when-is/bank-holiday-dates.php

[AlanC]

Thanks for the link and input. The time frame is between 1870-1890 that I'm working on.

[Kate P]

I have the marriage cert of my great grandparents who married not just on a New Years Day, but on the first day of the century - 1st Jan 1900. The vicar of the church had obviously not recieved new registers because the 18__ space is neatly crossed out and 1900 penned in. I love this certificate for its little quirk, makes me smile every time and I often wonder if Samuel and Matilda felt the sense of optimism and opportunity that such a date might represent.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Many churches, particularly Cathedrals, waived their fees on Feast Days.

The Feast Days were also very often the only days off that working folk got.

When I lived in Scotland in the 1960s, Christmas Day had only recently become a public holiday!

OC