In this publication, All-Holidays.Info covers the following topic: holidays in the UK 2024. We will list the national, local, unofficial holidays in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2024. We will provide descriptions of some of them so that you know what we are talking about.
January 1 (Monday) 2024 – New Year (public holiday).
January 2 (Tuesday) 2024 – New Year’s Day (public holiday), Scotland.
January 5 (Friday) 2024 – Twelfth Night (unofficial holiday, Christians).
January 6 (Saturday) 2024 – Epiphany (unofficial holiday, Christians).
January 7 (Sunday) 2024 – Orthodox Christmas (unofficial holiday, Orthodox).
January 8 (Monday) 2024 – Plow Monday (unofficial local holiday).
January 14 (Sunday) 2024 – Orthodox New Year / Old New Year (unofficial holiday, Orthodox).
January 25 (Thursday) 2024 – Tu Bishvat (unofficial holiday, Jews).
January 25 (Thursday) 2024 – Burns Night (public holiday), Scotland.
January 25 (Thursday) 2024 – St. Duinwen’s Day (unofficial local holiday), Wales.
What kind of holiday is Plow Monday?
Plow Monday is an English folk tradition that marks the beginning of the agricultural year. It falls on the first Monday after Twelfth Night. On Plow Monday, farmers pulled plows through village streets and collected money for “plow lanterns,” candles that burned in the parish church throughout the year. The custom dates back to the Middle Ages, but fell into decline in the 19th century. However, some villages in England still celebrate Plow Monday.
February
February 2 (Friday) 2024 – Candlemas Day (unofficial holiday).
February 7 (Wednesday) 2024 – Isra and Miraj (Muslim).
February 14 (Wednesday) 2024 – Valentine’s Day (unofficial holiday).
Candlemas Day or Meeting
Candlemas Day, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, marks the 40th day after Christmas, when Mary and Joseph carried the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. In pre-Christian times, it was a holiday known as Imbolc, marking the beginning of spring.
This holiday has been an important date in Britain since the Middle Ages. An old English proverb says: “If Candlemas is clear and bright, winter will have another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, winter will not come again.” This suggests that observers could predict the onset of winter or early spring by observing the weather at Candlemas.
March
1 March (Friday) 2024 – St David’s Day (public holiday), Wales.
March 5 (Tuesday) 2024 – St. Piran’s Day (unofficial local holiday), Cornwall.
March 8 (Friday) 2024 – Maha Shivaratri (unofficial holiday, Jews).
March 10 (Sunday) 2024 – Mother’s Day (unofficial holiday).
March 11 (Monday) 2024 – Beginning of Ramadan (tentative date, Muslim).
March 17 (Sunday) 2024 – St. Patrick’s Day (public holiday), Northern Ireland.
18 March (Monday) 2024 – St. Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday, Northern Ireland.
March 24 (Sunday) 2024 – Palm Sunday (unofficial holiday, Christians).
March 24 (Sunday) 2024 – Purim (unofficial holiday, Jews).
March 28 (Thursday) 2024 – Maundy Thursday (unofficial holiday, Christians).
March 29 (Friday) 2024 – Good Friday (public holiday).
March 30 (Saturday) 2024 – Holy Saturday (unofficial holiday, Christians).
March 31 (Sunday) 2024 – Easter Sunday (unofficial holiday, Christians).
Who was Saint Piran?
Saint Piran was the abbot and patron saint of tin miners in Cornwall, England. Here are some key facts about him:
Lived in the 5th or 6th century. Born in Ireland, but fled to Cornwall to escape persecution or to seek solitude.
St. Piran in Cornwall is believed to have discovered tin, causing the region to become a major mining area for the metal.
He is said to have lived as a hermit near Perranporth on the north coast of Cornwall, where he founded an oratory which later became a monastery.
Legend has it that Piran discovered tin when he lit fires on the black rocks during a storm. The white molten metal that leaked out turned out to be tin.
After his remains were discovered in the 12th century, he was officially accepted as the patron saint of Cornwall. His remains are kept in the church that bears his name.
May 6 (Monday) 2024 – Bank holiday at the beginning of May (public holiday).
May 9 (Thursday) 2024 – Ascension (unofficial holiday, Christians).
May 14 (Tuesday) 2024 – Yom Haatzmaut (unofficial holiday, Jews).
May 19 (Sunday) 2024 – Pentecost (unofficial holiday, Christians).
May 20 (Monday) 2024 – Spiritual Monday (unofficial holiday, Christians).
May 26 (Sunday) 2024 – Trinity Sunday (unofficial holiday, Christians).
May 26 (Sunday) 2024 – Lag B’Omer (unofficial holiday, Jews).
May 27 (Monday) 2024 – Spring Bank Holiday (public holiday).
May 29 (Wednesday) 2024 – Oak Apple Day (unofficial holiday).
May 30 (Thursday) 2024 – Corpus Christi (unofficial holiday, Christians).
Beltane
Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival traditionally celebrated on May 1st. Beltane marks the height of spring and the fertility of the coming summer. As a “liminal” time between seasons, Beltane was considered a time when fairies and spirits were especially active. Therefore, people lit fires and performed rituals to protect livestock and crops.
Cattle were driven between two fires to clean and protect the herd before being taken out to summer pastures. Other old Beltane customs include dancing around the maypole and decorating houses with greenery and yellow flowers such as primrose.
Oak Apple Day
Oak Apple Day, also known as Royal Oak Day, dates back to the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. The strange name of the holiday comes from an event in 1660, when Charles hid in an oak tree. So he wanted to escape from the troops of Oliver Cromwell after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester. After the restoration of the monarchy, this date was officially recognized as Oak Apple Day in honor of the king’s lucky escape.
June
June 12 (Wednesday) 2024 – Shavuot (unofficial holiday, Jews).
June 15 (Saturday) 2024 – King’s birthday (unofficial holiday).
June 15 (Saturday) 2024 – Bawming the Thorn, an unofficial local holiday, Appleton Thorn.
June 16 (Sunday) 2024 – Father’s Day (unofficial holiday).
June 17 (Monday) 2024 – Eid al-Fitr (tentative date, Muslim).
17 June (Monday) 2024 – Trooping Ceremony (unofficial local holiday), London.
June 22 (Saturday) 2024 – Windrush Day (unofficial holiday).
Bawming the Thorn
“Bawming the Thorn” is an old English custom that takes place in the village of Appleton Thorn in Cheshire. The tradition revolves around a thorn tree that has been growing on a hill in the village for several centuries. The custom is believed to have originated from pagan tree worship or apple harvest celebrations.
The villagers decorate the tree with ribbons, garlands and flowers and then dance around it while singing a special song, Bawming the Thorn. They carry baskets of flowers and apples and leave them at the foot of the tree as offerings.
July
July 8 (Monday) 2024 – Muharram / Islamic New Year (tentative date, Muslim).
12 July (Friday) 2024 – Battle of the Boyne / Orangeman’s Day (public holiday), Northern Ireland.
July 17 (Wednesday) 2024 – Ashura (tentative date, Muslim).
August
August 1 (Thursday) 2024 – Lammas / Loaf Day (unofficial holiday).
5 August (Monday) 2024 – Summer bank holiday (public holiday), Scotland.
August 13 (Tuesday) 2024 – Tisha B’Av (unofficial holiday, Jews).
August 15 (Thursday) 2024 – Dormition of the Virgin Mary (unofficial holiday, Christians).
25 August (Sunday) 2024 – Notting Hill Carnival (unofficial local holiday), Notting Hill.
August 26 (Monday) 2024 – Janmashtami (unofficial holiday, Jews).
26 August (Monday) 2024 – Summer Bank Holiday (public holiday), England, Wales, Northern Ireland.
September
September 6 (Friday) 2024 – Ganesh Chaturthi (unofficial holiday, Jews).
7 September (Saturday) 2024 (date may vary by location) – Rushbearing (unofficial local holiday), parts of Cumbria.
September 22 (Sunday) 2024 – Harvest festival, unofficial holiday.
Rushbearing
This is an old English church festival that dates back to the Middle Ages. Traditionally, villagers go out to cut the reeds and then take them to the parish church. The reeds were then spread across the floor of the church to provide fresh covering throughout the year. In some places, the reeds were twisted into intricate knotted mats before being laid on the floor. This was especially true for churches without stone floors.
October
October 3 (Thursday) 2024 – Rosh Hashanah (unofficial holiday, Jews).
October 4 (Friday) 2024 – Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (unofficial holiday, Christians).
October 12 (Saturday) 2024 – Yom Kippur (unofficial holiday, Jews).
October 17 (Thursday) 2024 – First day of Sukkot (unofficial holiday, Jews).
October 23 (Wednesday) 2024 – Hoshana Rabbah (unofficial holiday, Jews).
October 24 (Thursday) 2024 – Shemini Atzeret (unofficial holiday, Jews).
October 25 (Friday) 2024 – Simchat Torah (unofficial holiday, Jews).
October 31 (Thursday) 2024 – Halloween (unofficial holiday).
31 October (Thursday) 2024 – Punkie Night (unofficial local holiday), Somerset.
Punkie Night
Punkie Night is an autumn festival held in some communities in Somerset. Children carry jack-o’-lanterns, known as “punks,” and knock on doors to ask for money or candy. This is very similar to modern Halloween traditions, but the traditions are not related. Punkie Night’s roots lie in an ancient harvest festival that combines Christian and pagan traditions. The lanterns were originally mangelwurzel turnips carved into the shape of skulls with candles inside to ward off evil spirits before All Hallows’ Day.
November
November 1 (Friday) 2024 – All Saints’ Day (unofficial holiday, Christians).
November 1 (Friday) 2024 – Diwali (unofficial holiday, Jews).
November 2 (Saturday) 2024 – Day of the Dead (unofficial holiday, Christians).
November 5 (Tuesday) 2024 – Guy Fawkes Day (unofficial holiday).
November 10 (Sunday) 2024 – Funeral Sunday (unofficial holiday).
November 23 (Saturday) 2024 – St. Clement’s Day (unofficial holiday).
November 30 (Saturday) 2024 – St. Andrew’s Day (public holiday), Scotland.
Saint Clement, who is he?
Saint Clement was an early Christian leader and one of the first popes of the Catholic Church. Here are 5 key facts about him:
Lived in the 1st century AD, was Pope from 88 to 97 AD.
He was the third successor of Saint Peter as Bishop of Rome after Peter and Linus. This makes him the third Pope in the Catholic tradition.
Saint Clement is considered the patron saint of sailors because of the miracle he performed. According to legend, he calmed the stormy sea to save Christian sailors.
According to legend, he was expelled from Rome and died a martyr’s death. Clement was tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea by order of Emperor Trajan.
The apocryphal text known as the Second Letter of Clement is traditionally attributed to him. Although it has been proven that this is not his work, but is only attributed to him.
December
December 1 (Sunday) 2024 – First Sunday of Advent (unofficial holiday, Christians).
December 2 (Monday) 2024 – St. Andrew’s Day (public holiday), Scotland.
December 8 (Sunday) 2024 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception (unofficial holiday, Christians).
December 24 (Tuesday) 2024 – Christmas Eve (unofficial holiday, Christians).
December 25 (Wednesday) 2024 – Christmas (public holiday).
December 26 (Thursday) 2024 – First day of Hanukkah (unofficial holiday, Jews).
December 26 (Thursday) 2024 – Boxing Day (public holiday).
December 31 (Tuesday) 2024 – New Year’s Eve (unofficial holiday).
In this publication, All-Holidays.Info talked about holidays in the UK in 2024. We listed state, local and unofficial holidays in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Some little-known events were described. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends!
