Someone in the
Parliament has suggested that the term "bank holiday" be changed back to
St Lubbock Days in reference to Sir John Lubbock.
Ah, but the Catholics of old knew how to fast and how to feast. We have lost the art of feasting, or at least the English have. Celebrations were public, like the recent celebrations for the Queen, but these happened 30 times a years, at least.
Under the Puritains, feasting ended. Fun was "out" and "seriousness" was in. England never recovered the mirth of the old days.
At least now there are more holidays than under Oliver Cromwell. However, it seems to me that whether these are called bank holidays or Lubbock holidays, the country would be better off going back to the old ways of holy days, doncha think?
Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed about 30 saints' days and religious festivals as holidays but in 1834 this was reduced to just four.The 1871 Act specified the four days to be regarded as bank holidays - in addition to separate public holidays such as Christmas Day and Good Friday.
There are currently six permanent bank holidays, with an extra one in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee.
I mean, can you imagine England having all the holy days of old? Here is a possible list including saints' days and the high holy days honoring Our Lord: not in order, by the way....I invite commentators to add to the list below....there were many more days of merryment.
Christmas, Childermass Day, Epiphany (including the twelve days between-Twelfth Night and Christmas), St. Thomas Day, Candlemas, Shrove Tuesday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension, Corpus Christi, St. Mark's Day, Whitsunday, Michaelmas, Hocktide, Mayday, Midsummer called St. John's Day, Lammas or St. Peter's Day, All Hallows, St, Matthias Day, St. Martin's Day and more.
