John Mitchell (6/2/2008)
majorbloodnock (6/2/2008)
For instance, I found out that, in the UK, when Christmas falls on a Saturday, the following Monday is the Boxing Day bank holiday and the bank holiday in lieu of Christmas Day occurs afterwards on the Tuesday :hehe:.I suppose that depends which way you look at it - you could say that Monday is in lieu of Christmas Day and Tuesday is in lieu of Boxing Day... or is there actually a rule somewhere that defines it in the way you say?
There is indeed. Boxing Day apparently derives from an old workplace tradition where a "collection" box was opened and the year's accumulated contents distributed amongst the employees, so strictly, Boxing Day is recognised officially as the first working day after Christmas Day (i.e. 25th December). Since our Government provides a bank holiday in lieu of Christmas when that day falls on a weekend, the bank holiday provided then rolls past the Boxing Day holiday and onto the next available working day. Hence, if the 25th falls on a Saturday, Boxing Day is celebrated on the Sunday, Boxing Day actually occurs on 27th (and people have a holiday as a result) and then the Christmas Day Bank Holiday comes last on 28th. Phew.
Semper in excretia, suus solum profundum variat