Bank Holiday Monday
May 7th, 2007
Today it is Bank Holiday Monday and also my birthday and I am at work.
Therefore it seems appropriate to share with you the history of the great British bank holiday.
The term “Bank Holiday” is a corrupted form of the olde English “barn collar day”, an event that happened once or twice a year in the summer. Hundreds of medieval folk would take a break from toiling in the fields, put on their smartest clothes – the only ones they owned that had a collar – and danced around a ceremonial barn, usually for upwards of sixteen hours at a time. A hog was roasted and there would also usually be vegetarian lasagne, Wotsits and Tizer.
As the tradition grew older, large communal barns were set up on beaches around the country, allowing as many as 50,000 medieval serfs to revel at once. On the Saturday before Barn Collar Day, thousands of them would get stuck in traffic jams on the motorway trying to get to the seaside for the party.
The practice was outlawed by the Victorians as part of the wide-ranging Enjoyment Prevention Act (1838) and Barn Collar Days were replaced by days off in which the public was expected to sit at home and give thanks to god by being quiet.
The modern idea of a Bank Holiday began in 1859, when those who were unhappy with staying indoors decided to use the day to have a holiday in a bank’s foyer, filling in forms and queueing to speak to cashiers through those little perforated windows. The intention was to get out and have a change of scenery, but by doing it in a bank they could be sure that they didn’t actually enjoy themselves. The practice spread and by 1886, every single person in Britain could be found in a bank every Bank Holiday.
In 1957 Cliff Richard sang a special concert to celebrate the demolition of the Enjoyment Prevention Act, and it is now commemorated every Bank Holiday when millions of people try to get to the seaside on what is guaranteed to be the most miserable day of the summer and have no fun whatsoever.
Entry Filed under: Chris,Great,Random Thought
16 Comments
1. Ian Mac Mac Mac Mac McIver | May 8th, 2007 at 07:05
I think you’re the new Jon Snow.
2. Chris | May 8th, 2007 at 10:15
I think I am too. At first I wondered if it was just one of those dreams where you wake up afterwards and think it’s real. But actually, I think you’re right, I am the new Jon Snow.
Need to get myself some shiny ties.
3. Kevil | May 8th, 2007 at 12:16
and a swing-o-meter
4. Chris | May 8th, 2007 at 13:30
OH YES!
5. Kevil | May 8th, 2007 at 14:19
I missed the start of that. I was unaware of the date of your birth, hence my lack of forthcoming merryment. I hope you had a wonderous day sir…. and got lots of goodies.
6. Chris | May 8th, 2007 at 14:27
I got a moderate amount of goodies and had moderate merriment. I therefore had an adequate birthday. Thank you for your greetings.
7. Ian Mac Mac Mac Mac McIver | May 9th, 2007 at 07:01
AH! I didn’t see that. Shit 🙁 I’ve missed it again, I think that’s like twenty-three or four in a row. Why didn’t you playfully remind us you goit?
I shall have to see The Saint King about this. You signed up before your birthday so technically you’ll be entitled to certain goodies methinks.
8. Chris | May 9th, 2007 at 12:58
Ah, youse guys! I’m now officially 23 Earth years old but I said nothing because I know you both love me (if not actually adore or worship me) and there’s no need to confirm that with material wealth.
On the other hand I like presents and I don’t know when your birthdays are either.
9. Saint King | May 10th, 2007 at 08:28
The Saint King has no birthday… that upsets him very much 🙁
10. Ian Mac Mac Mac Mac McIver | May 10th, 2007 at 08:31
I only remember things when I put them in my diary. I have therefore put yours in for future reference. For your future reference my birthday is 17th November and Kev’s is 31st July. Ooobey Doo!
11. Chris | May 10th, 2007 at 10:47
Spinky dinky dee! I put that information into my obviation calibrator and it came out with a usefulness rating of 7.6!
12. Kevil | May 10th, 2007 at 11:35
My detecting elbows gave that a rating of 7.5… odd, i may need re-calibrating
13. Chris | May 10th, 2007 at 13:44
Don’t forget the obviation calibrator adds on an additional birthdate weighting checksum which can cause it to read marginally higher than the traditional elbow gauges.
14. Ian Mac Mac Mac Mac McIver | May 14th, 2007 at 08:41
Think about the spatchcocks though! Won’t somebody PLEASE think about the spatchcocks!
15. Chris | May 14th, 2007 at 12:12
I’ll be thinking about the spatchcocks for about twelve minutes this afternoon, just after evensong prayers.
16. Ian Mac Mac Mac Mac McIver | May 15th, 2007 at 07:01
It’s very reassuring when you read words such as yours sir. It re-establishes my faith in humanity.
God bless the spatchcocks.