Bank holidays 1981
There were 9 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 11 in Northern Ireland in 1981. Below were the bank holidays 1981 dates for every nation, with weekdays, substitute days and long weekends.
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Wednesday | Royal Wedding bank holidayOne-offWedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Friday | 2nd January | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Wednesday | Royal Wedding bank holidayOne-offWedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Tuesday | St Patrick's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | |
| Wednesday | Royal Wedding bank holidayOne-offWedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
Dates follow the official GOV.UK bank holiday list where published. Later years are calculated from the statutory rules and can change if a holiday is added or moved by royal proclamation.
Bank holidays that did not fall on their usual date in 1981, and any one-off extras.
Substitute day
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day): the usual date fell on a weekend.
N. Ireland
One-off bank holiday
Royal Wedding bank holiday. Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
All of the UK
Substitute day
Boxing Day: the usual date fell on a weekend.
All of the UK
Easter Sunday was 19 April 1981. Good Friday was Friday 17 April 1981, a bank holiday across the UK.
Easter Monday was Monday 20 April 1981, a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in Scotland. The Easter weekend 1981 ran from 17 April to 20 April.
The Early May bank holiday was Monday 4 May 1981 and the Spring bank holiday was Monday 25 May 1981.
The August bank holiday was Monday 31 August 1981 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Monday 3 August 1981 in Scotland.
The Christmas Day bank holiday was Friday 25 December 1981 and the Boxing Day bank holiday was Monday 28 December 1981, giving 4 days off in a row with the weekend.
New Year's Day followed on Friday 1 January 1982, with Scotland's 2 January holiday on Monday 4 January 1982.
Every 1981 bank holiday in date order and which parts of the UK had it.
| Date | Bank holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2nd January | No | Yes | No | |
| St Patrick's Day | No | No | Yes | |
| Good Friday | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Easter Monday | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Early May bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Spring bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | No | No | Yes | |
| Royal Wedding bank holidayOne-off | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Summer bank holiday | No | Yes | No | |
| Summer bank holiday | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Christmas Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Boxing DaySubstitute day | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Total bank holidays in 1981 | 9 | 9 | 11 | |
The 1981 bank holidays grouped by month.
· New Year's Day
All of the UK
· 2nd January
Scotland
No bank holidays.
· St Patrick's Day
N. Ireland
· Good Friday
All of the UK
· Easter Monday
England & WalesN. Ireland
· Early May bank holiday
All of the UK
· Spring bank holiday
All of the UK
No bank holidays.
· Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) (substitute)
N. Ireland
· Royal Wedding bank holiday
All of the UK
· Summer bank holiday
Scotland
· Summer bank holiday
England & WalesN. Ireland
No bank holidays.
No bank holidays.
No bank holidays.
· Christmas Day
All of the UK
· Boxing Day (substitute)
All of the UK
Bank holidays are filled in green. Use the print button at the top of the page for a paper copy.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
How the 1981 bank holidays joined up with weekends in England and Wales.
1days off
Thu 1 Jan
New Year's Day
4days off
Fri 17 Apr – Mon 20 Apr
Good Friday + Easter Monday
3days off
Sat 2 May – Mon 4 May
Early May bank holiday
3days off
Sat 23 May – Mon 25 May
Spring bank holiday
1days off
Wed 29 Jul
Royal Wedding bank holiday
3days off
Sat 29 Aug – Mon 31 Aug
Summer bank holiday
4days off
Fri 25 Dec – Mon 28 Dec
Christmas Day + Boxing Day
If your holiday year runs from 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982, these were the bank holidays that fall inside it.
There were 9 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 11 in Northern Ireland in 1981.
Easter Sunday was 19 April 1981. Good Friday was Friday 17 April 1981 and Easter Monday was Monday 20 April 1981. Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland.
Good Friday 1981 was Friday 17 April 1981. It is a bank holiday in every part of the UK.
The Early May bank holiday was Monday 4 May 1981 and the Spring bank holiday was Monday 25 May 1981.
The Summer bank holiday was Monday 31 August 1981 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Monday 3 August 1981 in Scotland.
The Christmas Day bank holiday was Friday 25 December 1981 and the Boxing Day bank holiday was Monday 28 December 1981 (a substitute day).
Yes. The Boxing Day bank holiday in 1981 was Monday 28 December 1981, a substitute day because 26 December falls on a weekend.
Yes. In England and Wales the Christmas bank holidays and the weekend gave 4 days off in a row, from Friday 25 December 1981 to Monday 28 December 1981.
Yes. Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) was observed on Monday 13 July 1981 in Northern Ireland; Boxing Day was observed on Monday 28 December 1981 in the whole UK.
Yes, in Northern Ireland. Monday 13 July 1981 was the substitute day for Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day), which fell on a weekend.
Yes, in the whole UK. Monday 28 December 1981 was the substitute day for Boxing Day, which fell on a weekend.
Yes. Royal Wedding bank holiday on Wednesday 29 July 1981 in the whole UK (Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer).
In the leave year from 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982 there were 9 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 11 in Northern Ireland.
Some do. Easter moves by up to five weeks, and the May and August bank holidays are tied to a Monday rather than a date. Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day are fixed, but the day off moves to a weekday when they fall on a weekend.