2016 Bank Holidays in Europe

This list of European bank holidays for 2016 follows all of the dictates that are given by the Bank Holidays Act 1971.

However, when the act was written only 4 different days had the national holiday status and that meant that later on some additions had been added.

Also, the rules of the country state that if a holiday is on Sunday, then the holiday will be observed on the following Monday in order to allow people to fully celebrate the holidays.

• New Year’s Day – On this day people are given the day off to enjoy the start of the New Year. There are different traditions that are enjoyed on this day, depending on what country you live in. Some of them include First Footing or consuming symbolic foods. However, almost every single country arranges an amazing firework display that lights up the night sky when the clock chimes midnight as a way to say good-bye to the previous year and hello to the new one.

• Good Friday – This is a day of fasting that is considered to be holy by the Christians since it marks the crucifixion of their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. This holiday is also one of mourning and special services in the churches are organized to properly celebrate the holiday. In some countries there are prohibited activities to remind people that it isn’t a day for making merry, including prohibiting the sale of spirits on this day, which is done in Ireland.

• Easter Monday – This holiday comes on the day after Easter and is believed to be the 2^nd day of Bright Week by Christians. Various different countries have specific customs and traditions that are used to mark the holiday, but one of the most common is an egg rolling competition. Also, on this day people will sprinkle holy water on their food and houses that was blessed at the services on Easter Sunday.

• Labor Day – On this holiday the struggle of the workers and laborers is remembered and this struggle had led to the Labor unions being founded. It also helped to bring about better working conditions, minimum pay and shorter working hours. This is also the day that the laborers are paid tribute for their contributions to the economy.

• Anniversary of Robert Schuman’s Declaration – This holiday is named after the French Foreign Minister and this day is when the states of Europe had been organized into a “super national” community. This is thought to have been what led to the creation of the European Union.

• Ascension Day – This day is celebrated all over the world by Christians and it marks the occasion of when Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven. There are plenty of different traditions that are done on this day to mark the holiday, including blessings grapes and beans and beating the boundaries.

• Whit Monday – This holiday is also called the Monday of the Holy Spirit or Pentecost Monday and it is the day when the Christian church was founded. This is also the day when the Christians believe that Jesus visited the Apostles to give them the “gift of tongue”.

• Corpus Christi – This is a Christian feast that establishes that the blood and body of Jesus was found in the Eucharist. On this day many special church services are organized and numerous parades can also be found.

• Day of German Unity – On this day they celebrates Germany’s reunification in 1990 and it is full of festivities that mark the occasion.

• All Saints’ Day – This is also called the Feast of All Saints or Solemnity and this is the day when homage is paid to all of the Saints, regardless of whether or not they are known or unknown. One of the most common traditions is for the songs “For All the Saint” and “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” to be performed by the church choirs.

• Christmas Eve – This day marks the start of the Christmas season and people use this day off of work to finish up all of the last minutes preparations, including finalizing the plans for the feast, putting up and decorating the Christmas tree or any unfinished shopping. Most people attend Midnight Mass on this day that is held at most churches.

• Christmas Day – This is the day when most of the people in the European Union who are Christian celebrate as the birthday of Jesus Christ. There are huge celebrations in Europe and people attend church, enjoy the holiday decorations, feasts and spend time with friends and family to enjoy the joyous holiday.

• Christmas Holiday – This is the day after Christmas and is also called Boxing Day in other countries. This day was traditionally the day where Christmas presents were open and as a day off for the household help since they worked hard on Christmas day. Also, boxes full of food and other gifts were given by the employers, but now it is a day where homes and schedules are reorganized before going back to work after the long holiday.

• New Year’s Eve – This holiday is the last day of the year and people use it to make various preparations in order to welcome the upcoming New Year. On this day many balls, dances, banquets, parties and other forms of entertainment are planned to mark the holiday. When the clock chimes midnight, there are several different traditions that are adhered to depending on what region or country you are from.

List of 2016 Bank Holidays in Europe