Bank holidays 2015: When is the first UK day off this year?

There are 88 days to wait

There are 88 days until the next bank holiday in England, Scotland and Wales (Getty)

If you have just settled back into work today after many weeks basking in the glow of Christmas lights and the television, then get comfortable as your next bank holiday is not for a while yet.

Good Friday on 3 April will be the next bank holiday for those in England and Wales, which is 88 days away.

While Scots got an extra day off for New Year on 2 January, they will also have to wait another three months until the next time they can have an extended weekend without having to use up precious annual leave.

The next glorious spring day off will be on 25 May for England, Scotland and Wales. Scotland gets an extra day off labelled “summer bank holiday” on 3 August that unfortunately does not extend to the rest of the UK.

The official end of summer apparently falls on the last bank holiday of the season on Monday 31 August this year, which is also traditionally known as the second and last day of Notting Hill Carnival. Scotland does not get this day off, which probably explains why the country gets an extra day at the beginning of the month.

Lucky Scots are in for yet another treat as the country gets an additional bank holiday to everyone else on the 30 November for St Andrew’s Day to commemorate the patron saint. However, not all employers or institutions observe this date.

Then the next two dates of the bank holiday calendar for England, Scotland and Wales are Friday 25 and Monday 28 December for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. As the latter falls on a Saturday, an extra day is given during the week instead.

Then, to come full circle, all three regions get 1 January off for New Year’s Day and Scotland, again, gets an extra day off on 2 January for Hogmanay celebrations.

Bank holiday dates for the UK - 2015

1 January
2 January (Scotland only)
3 April
4 May
25 May
3 August (Scotland only)
31 August (excluding Scotland)
30 November (Scotland only)
25 December
28 December