Patron saints' days in the UK

The four days, 2026 to 2030

Two bank holidays, two working days

St Patrick's Day was made a bank holiday in Ireland in 1903, before partition, and Northern Ireland kept it: it appears in the Northern Ireland part of Schedule 1 to the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. St Andrew's Day became a bank holiday much later, through the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007, passed by the Scottish Parliament. Section 1 of that Act also provides the weekend rule: 30 November on a Saturday or Sunday gives a holiday on the next Monday, as in 2030 and 2031.

England and Wales have no national day off. The power to add one lies with the UK Government, which appoints bank holidays by proclamation; for Wales, the Welsh Government has asked for St David's Day several times, and the request has been declined. Campaigners for St George's Day often point out that England is one of the few countries without a public holiday on its national day.

The saints in the calendar

The Church of England calendar lists all four as festivals. St George's Day is transferred when 23 April falls in Holy Week or the week after Easter, which happens with a late Easter, as in 2028. These church moves do not change the civil dates or the Northern Ireland bank holiday.

Celebrations

St David's Day brings daffodils, Welsh cakes and school eisteddfodau. St Patrick's Day is the biggest of the four internationally, with parades in Belfast, Armagh and Downpatrick, where the saint is said to be buried. St George's Day sees red cross flags and, in some places, mummers' plays. St Andrew's Day marks the start of Scotland's winter festival season, which runs through Hogmanay to Burns Night. The simulator under the summary gives the Northern Ireland dates of St Patrick's Day and the Twelfth for any year.

For a business with staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the two national bank holidays fall eight months apart, in March and November, so they rarely affect the same projects.

The four flags combine in the Union Flag: the cross of St George, the saltire of St Andrew and the saltire attributed to St Patrick. Wales, a principality, is not represented in it, which is one reason St David's Day is often marked with the Welsh dragon flag alongside the daffodil.

The simulator above gives the weekday of each day for any year, so that parades, school events and dinners can be planned ahead. When a national day falls on a Sunday, most public celebrations move to the Saturday before or the Monday after.