Why is Easter Tuesday a public holiday in NI?

waltsalt

I know this has been asked on this forum before and there were a few answers suggested but nothing overly definitive.

How come we get the Tuesday off in NI rather then the Friday the way most places in GB get?

Just hoping somebody might have some new insight into this.

HeadAboveWater

Think it maybe depends on the employer?? We get the Mon and Tue here.

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/bank-holidays

warmhands.coldheart

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

Think it maybe depends on the employer?? We get the Mon and Tue here.

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/bank-holidays

Love how they call the 12th "Orangeman's Day" :rotfl:

We always got Monday and Tuesday off here too but they changd it to Friday and Monday now.... NOt good as we only work till 3:30 on a Friday anyway so they now get an extra 1 1/2 hrs work out of us for nothing :mad:

HeadAboveWater

I didn't even notice!! :rotfl:

Yet St Patrick's Day isn't called 'Greenman's Day'?!

Oh that's sneaky :mad:

We get the 12th and 13th July off but not the hol at the end of August. Never makes sense to me

waltsalt

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/bank-holidays

Yeah, strange that the official days seem to be the Friday and Monday when so many businesses (private and public) seem to give the Monday and Tuesday.

NAR

Been discussed here before: -

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/31472659#Comment_31472659

No solution found at that time.

Mistral001

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

Think it maybe depends on the employer?? We get the Mon and Tue here.

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/bank-holidays

This is good information. But remember there is no statuary right for employees to have public holidays and perhaps this list only applies to some government departments and other employers who choose to follow it.

Minimum holiday entitlement is 28 days per year and "bank and public holidays can be included in your minimum entitlement". See following link: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/employment/employment-terms-and-conditions/time-off-and-holidays/holiday-entitlements.htm

So that gives employers lots of leeway in setting holidays.

The Monday and Tuesday instead of Friday and Monday question has also always puzzled me. Maybe it is because many pubs are closed on Friday and having it on Mon/Tue means more drinking time.

GlynD

I'm sure Paddy's Day wasn't a Bank Holday when I was a cub during the old Stormont Parliament. Methinks the inclusion into the schedule these days is part of the GFA concensus. I personally think it's a good idea but I think it should be extended to the 18th to allow recovery time.

Easter's a churchy thing. So they've probably included it to give us more time to pray.

leftieM

I received the following from an academic in Irish history.
Back in 1922 when they were setting up the Northern Irish Parliament it was decided that, although Good Friday is an important religious occasion for Protestants, it is the main religious occasion for Catholics. So Easter Tuesday was chosen as a public holiday instead of Good Friday to not be seen as supporting or assisting this religious practice.
Every other Christian country has the holidays on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The bank holiday is Good Friday. Easter Tuesday is not a Bank holiday, even in NI.
Patrick's Day is a bank holiday but not a public holiday and has been since I first came to NI in the 80s, so not a GFA 'deal'. It is given in the public sector but state schools and many businesses still do not close on March 17th.

GlynD

leftieM wrote: »

I received the following from an academic in Irish history.
Back in 1922 when they were setting up the Northern Irish Parliament it was decided that, although Good Friday is an important religious occasion for Protestants, it is the main religious occasion for Catholics. So Easter Tuesday was chosen as a public holiday instead of Good Friday to not be seen as supporting or assisting this religious practice.
Every other Christian country has the holidays on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The bank holiday is Good Friday. Easter Tuesday is not a Bank holiday, even in NI.
Patrick's Day is a bank holiday but not a public holiday and has been since I first came to NI in the 80s, so not a GFA 'deal'. It is given in the public sector but state schools and many businesses still do not close on March 17th.

The 1922 argument rings true for me as regards the Easter holiday but I still don't remember Paddy's Day being a holiday of any description when I was at school, mind you that was in the 1960's so well before you arrived on the scene. I can't be sure however because it is such a long time ago. My thoughts are drawn again to your 1922 facts however and I believe that the two are inextricably linked. Paddy's Day was seen as essentially an Irish thing and the old Stormont Government would have died choking if anyone had suggested making Paddy's Day a holiday.

A bit odd though that Paddy's Day and shamrock were quite important in many non RC houses in the 60's. The Irish units of the armed forces also celebrated it with shamrock being worn in hats and tunics etc.

leftieM

It may have been your school rather than Paddys day not being a holiday for anyone. My children's school doesn't close on Patrick's Day. I don't know though - it was probably a bank holiday for a long time as the banks were cross border so would have closed on the same day for convenience.