Why Are We Getting An Extra Bank Holiday?

2 hours ago 3

The extra day off will be to commemorate the 'Greatest Generation'

Bank holiday

There’s good news today for people all over the United Kingdom — next year we are set to get an extra bank holiday. Although nothing is official yet, there have been reports that we could be getting an extra four-day weekend in 2025.

The extra bank holiday will commemorate the 'Greatest Generation' – all those who lived through and fought in World War 2. Many have taken to X to praise the idea, with one supporter tweeting, ‘Excellent initiative this! Nice to see our government recognise the efforts of all those involved in WW2.’ Another commented, slightly less optimistically, ‘Extra bank holiday for the anniversary of WW2 before they send us into WW3,’ but you can’t please everyone these days.

Our last impromptu bank holiday was 8 May 2023, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. Before that, it was the day of the Queen’s funeral on 19 September 2022, and in June 2022 the nation celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years since her accession to the throne.

Here is all the info you need about this new possible bank holiday.

Why are we getting an extra bank holiday?

The new bank holiday is set to commemorate the 'Greatest Generation'. The extra day off will be some time next year on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2.

When is the UK’s extra bank holiday?

There are two options for this proposed new bank holiday. The first choice commemorates 8 May, also known as Victory in Europe Day, which marks the formal acceptance of Germany’s surrender in 1945. The second option is 15 August, which is also the 80th anniversary of the day Japan officially surrendered. Both days signalled the end of the war, so it’s currently unclear which they’ll choose. Therefore, government plans could reportedly either see Brits off work on May 9 and May 12, or the August bank holiday extended to include August 22.

Either way, the main point of the bank holiday is to give the public the chance to thank and commemorate the estimated 70,000 World War 2 veterans still with us in Great Britain.