Bank Holiday Definition
A Bank Holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland. Although there is no legal right to time off on these days, the majority of the population not employed in essential services (e.g. utilities, fire, ambulance, police, health-workers) receive them as holidays, though those employed in such services usually receive extra pay for working bank holidays. They are called bank holidays because they are days upon which banks are (or were) shut and therefore (traditionally) no other businesses could operate.