Public holiday

Public holiday

A public holiday, also known as a legal holiday or a national holiday, is a day on which most people do not have to go to work. It is usually a day of celebration or commemoration. Public holidays are established by law, usually by a country's government.

Overview

Public holidays are often national in nature, but they can also be specific to a region or a city. They can commemorate a specific event, such as a country's Independence Day, or they can be religious in nature, such as Christmas or Easter. Some public holidays are fixed and occur on the same date every year, while others may vary from year to year.

Types of public holidays

There are several types of public holidays:

• Statutory holidays are mandated by law. They usually include days such as New Year's Day, Labor Day, and Christmas Day.
• Non-statutory holidays are not mandated by law, but are widely observed. These can include days such as Valentine's Day or Halloween.
• Bank holidays are days when banks and other financial institutions are closed. These are often statutory holidays, but not always.

Public holidays around the world

Different countries have different public holidays. For example, in the United States, public holidays include Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In the United Kingdom, public holidays include Boxing Day, Easter Monday, and the Early May Bank Holiday.

See also

• List of public holidays by country
• Federal holidays in the United States
• Bank holiday

Public holiday Resources
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