Good Friday not a Bank Holiday?

Lawrence1895

I was just wondering, it's Good Friday. The bins were emptied, apart from Off Licences all shops seem to be open, the postman was walking around.

I only know from Germany, where religion does not play such a vital role (compared to Ireland), that Good Friday is taken much more serious. As far as I can remember, no shops are open, no public service (like bin collections) whatsoever and some City Councils even impose a fine on you for washing your car.

So I don't know, if Good Friday is such an important day for Christians, and The Roman Catholic Church plays such a vital role in Ireland, why is it not a Bank Holiday?

The Tesco delivery man even told me yesterday, the next thing to come is having the pubs open on Good Friday

liah

Currently in Germany and my friend just left for work and I heard a bunch of cars leave this morning so it can't be that big a deal here either.

Yahew

try shopping in Germany today.

Yahew

Most English private sector workers are off today as well - Good Friday in Ireland is the worst of both worlds - the private sector works, and the pubs are closed.

28064212

The difference is that Good Friday is a public holiday in Germany. It is not one here (although it is a bank holiday, which is not the same thing)

Popel

I´m also in Germany, and it is taken very seriously here. The reason being that Good Friday, not Easter Sunday, is the most important day of celebration in the Evangelical church. And the majority of the German population are Evangelical. Easter Sunday is the big day for the Catholics, and therefore the Easter Sunday is also a bank holiday here.

Morgase

I think it's a bank holiday here, and not a public holiday. So people who are off work are being made to take the day out of their annual leave.

But it's a strange one, I think it's a public holiday in the UK like you say it is in Germany (if I'm picking you up right).

Roll on pubs and off-licenses opening on Bad Friday. Did my weekly shop this morning and couldn't buy my couple of bottles of beer nor my treat of the Tesco Finest meal deal (which includes wine).

Hogzy

.

Yahew

I'm quoting this anyway

hogzye wrote:

Such a balls the way Easter Sunday is always a Sunday. Why cant it be Easter Tuesday?

Yeah, and on the continent most public holidays dont transfer to the next working day. So thats totally useless, except I suppose for Public workers who normally work Sunday.

This year Christmas was crap for german workers.

EDIT: although Easter Monday does.

Lawrence1895

Morgase wrote: »

I think it's a bank holiday here, and not a public holiday. So people who are off work are being made to take the day out of their annual leave.

But it's a strange one, I think it's a public holiday in the UK like you say it is in Germany (if I'm picking you up right).

Roll on pubs and off-licenses opening on Bad Friday. Did my weekly shop this morning and couldn't buy my couple of bottles of beer nor my treat of the Tesco Finest meal deal (which includes wine).

I'm not working today, but I was working the previous years...and I didn't get any premium payment. Might be an issue with my employer then, considering there should be some sort of bonus when somebody works on a Bank Holiday?

ronaneire

Good Friday is not a "Public" holiday how ever the banks are shut. "Bank" holidays and "Public" holidays are two different things.

pigeonbutler

28064212 wrote: »

The difference is that Good Friday is a public holiday in Germany. It is not one here (although it is a bank holiday, which is not the same thing)

What exactly is the difference between a bank holiday and a public holiday?

As for the shops, I'm sure the OP notices a big contrast with Germany every Sunday when he sees how many retail outlets open here. In my experience of Germany (mostly in Bavaria which I know is more conservative) very very few places open on Sundays - partially due to custom and tradition but partly due to legal restrictions I think.

Morgase

Sorry Lars1916, I doubt you'd be entitled to anything seeing as it's a bank holiday and not a public holiday. Public holidays are the ones you're entitled to have off, not bank holidays

Yahew

Just looking at the German public holidays - which are mostly determined by the States - 12 out of 16 are religious, the exceptions being New Years, May Day , Peace Festival(?) and German Unity day.

Newaglish

Lars1916 wrote: »

I'm not working today, but I was working the previous years...and I didn't get any premium payment. Might be an issue with my employer then, considering there should be some sort of bonus when somebody works on a Bank Holiday?

Nope - a bank holiday isn't really a thing defined in legislation in Ireland, it just refers to a day where banks are closed.

Public holidays however (such as Easter Monday) would require that those working are compensated by their employer for doing so (additional day's leave, additional pay, etc.)

liah

I do have to say it's basically impossible to shop here in Germany on Sundays and that bothers me. Ireland was bad for shopping later in the evening and on Sundays, too, though not as bad as here.

I miss North America where basically everywhere is open til 10-11pm or 24 hrs a day irrespective of the day of the week.

..probably about the only thing I miss though, tbf

Yahew

liah wrote: »

I do have to say it's basically impossible to shop here in Germany on Sundays and that bothers me. Ireland was bad for shopping later in the evening and on Sundays, too, though not as bad as here.

I miss North America where basically everywhere is open til 10-11pm or 24 hrs a day irrespective of the day of the week.

..probably about the only thing I miss though, tbf

When I lived in America, I regularly did a weekly shop past midnight. It felt weird to me.

Weird but good.

28064212

Lars1916 wrote: »

I'm not working today, but I was working the previous years...and I didn't get any premium payment. Might be an issue with my employer then, considering there should be some sort of bonus when somebody works on a Bank Holiday?

No. Public holidays are the only days you are entitled to have off, Good Friday is not one here. If your employer has given you today off, it's by choice, not by legislation

pigeonbutler wrote: »

What exactly is the difference between a bank holiday and a public holiday?

As for the shops, I'm sure the OP notices a big contrast with Germany every Sunday when he sees how many retail outlets open here. In my experience of Germany (mostly in Bavaria which I know is more conservative) very very few places open on Sundays - partially due to custom and tradition but partly due to legal restrictions I think.

Bank holidays are days that the banks have agreed to close. It's a pretty informal term. There's a PDF with a list of them here. They have no meaning outside of banks, although some companies can choose to close, just like they can choose to close any other day.

Public holidays are defined in legislation (details here). You are legally entitled to one of the following:

1. The day off
2. A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
3. An additional day of annual leave
4. An additional day's pay
5. The nearest church holiday to the public holiday as a paid day off

sink

You mean the annual anniversary of the first zombie uprising of 33AD.

Matthew 23 wrote:

[51] At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split [52] and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. [53] They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

I reckon we should have a zombie parade on Easter Monday to properly commemorate this glorious event, we can all dress up as dead holy folk, sort of like a public nativity play.

Yahew

sink wrote: »

You mean the annual anniversary of the first zombie uprising of 33AD.

You bore.

magicbastarder

germans have a terrible habit of having public holidays on a thursday, which means most tak friday off as a 'bridging day'.

pinkypinky

Every year I notice these sort of discussions about Good Friday.

Of course, it's not a public holiday. And a bank holiday is not defined in law. If your employer wants you to work, you have to, unless you want to take annual leave. But, at the same time, you would be hard pushed to find a State organisation open today. Museums, galleries, schools and banks will all be closed. The sale of alcohol is prohibited. No post will be delivered. In every real sense, it is a holiday.

It's time for the State to call a spade a spade. It should either become our 10th public holiday or State and public organisations should be open for business.

kylith

I've been enjoying reading Christian's opinions of Athiests being only too happy to have Good Friday off, and wondering if they really believe that anyone would argue with their boss about it: "No, boss. I don't want a four day weekend! I insist on coming in even though the shop is closed". As it is I know some Athiests are ticked off about having to use a holiday day for because it's not a public holiday.

Bloody Good Friday. I barely drink, but all day I've had the idea of sitting in my hammock this evening and having a beer, and I can't

Maybe I'll just mix Sake and grape juice. What could possibly go wrong?

Galvasean

Yahew wrote: »

When I lived in America, I regularly did a weekly shop past midnight. It felt weird to me.

Weird but good.

Done it a few times in Tesco over here. Nice to do shopping without the sound of screaming orks children.

Doctor DooM

A total aside- but as someone who worked for quite a long time in shops, I think the German insistence to not shop on Sunday but to spend it out with the family is a great thing, not a bad.

Lawrence1895

pinkypinky wrote: »

Every year I notice these sort of discussions about Good Friday.

Of course, it's not a public holiday. And a bank holiday is not defined in law. If your employer wants you to work, you have to, unless you want to take annual leave. But, at the same time, you would be hard pushed to find a State organisation open today. Museums, galleries, schools and banks will all be closed. The sale of alcohol is prohibited. No post will be delivered. In every real sense, it is a holiday.

It's time for the State to call a spade a spade. It should either become our 10th public holiday or State and public organisations should be open for business.

Sorry, but I just joined Boards in November last year, so I didn't know, a discussion like this already existed

Anyway, those 'bridging days' are something, you can get used to. And most employers in Germany allocate them on a rota base, so that every employee gets a fair share of the cake.