Bank holidays hold an odd mixture of joy and pain in the hearts of the British. Lie-ins, rain sweeping over beaches, “six-packs of beer” as Blur once sang and traffic jams.
According to recent research from finance firm Mercer, England and Wales only have eight of these bank holidays a year to celebrate compared with a huge 18 in Colombia, 14 in Morocco and Spain and 12 in Brazil. Some of the public want St George’s Day, just passed of course, to be added to our list – but business leaders appear reluctant to support another day of empty offices, emails left unsent and meetings delayed. So if not St George’s Day, are there any other anniversaries or special events with which we can tempt our bosses to let us switch off our computer screens and celebrate? Here are seven of the most colourful national days-off around the globe for inspiration: (1) Albania Mother Theresa Day (October 19): The life of Albanian Mother Theresa, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who dedicated her life to the sick and poor, is celebrated by a day of mass and prayer. (2) Barbados Kadooment Day (August): This summer street festival celebrates the end of the sugar cane harvest. There is a “jump-up” to enjoy which is basically dancing through the streets to Calypso tunes. (3) Cambodia Royal Ploughing Ceremony (May): This is a day dedicated to predicting the weather and farming conditions for the rest of the year. Predictions are made based on which trays, containing rice, grass, corn, beans, water and wine, a group of oxen eat from. Read more about bank holidays:
(4) Japan Health and Sports Day (October): Created in 1966, two years after Tokyo held the Olympics, to promote sports and active lifestyles. Schools, businesses and towns hold special sports day events including three legged races, beanbag tosses and tug-of-war. (5) Turkmenistan Melon Day (August): A day dedicated to the “sunny fruit” of which 500 types are grown in Turkmenistan. Who knew? Melons are displayed all over the country and the nation’s best growers are showered with gifts. Prizes are available for “best golden melon” and “biggest watermelon”. (6) Bermuda Bermuda Day (May): This is when the public takes their first summer dip in the ocean and release their boats into the water. Everybody wears Bermuda shorts. (7) Bolivia Day of the Sea (March 23): Marks the loss of Bolivia’s Port of Calama to Chile in 1879 and officially in 1904 when Bolivia ceded its coastal territories to its South American neighbour. On a solemn day for the now land-locked nation Bolivians listen to recordings of seagulls and ship’s horns. Image: Shutterstock
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
