Miscellaneous Thanksgiving in the UK?

[jbtsax]

"Bank holiday" is a term I have not heard before. I assume it means a day banks are closed. Do other businesses and services close as well? On our "national holidays" the postal service is closed. Some businesses also close to allow their employees to spend time with their families, but it seems fewer shops are doing this all the time. The "almighty dollar" takes precedence over everything else.

 

[Alice]

I also found the argument about “which parents to visit when” a little strange. We have 2 bank holidays in the space of one week. Ideal for visiting 2 lots of parents if that’s what you want to do. But personally why can’t you visit your parents as & when you fancy it.

Don’t forget that the whole of the Uk could fit into the state of Texas a few times over. Naturally, it wouldn’t occur to UK residents to give much thought to travelling to see their parents but in the USA it’s a different matter.

 

[Dibbs]

"Bank holiday" is a term I have not heard before. I assume it means a day banks are closed. Do other businesses and services close as well? On our "national holidays" the postal service is closed. Some businesses also close to allow their employees to spend time with their families, but it seems fewer shops are doing this all the time. The "almighty dollar" takes precedence over everything else.

Yes, it's the same as a your national holiday. Back in the 19th century banks couldn't close for public holidays for some technical/legal reason. The Bank Holidays act was passed so that they could* and the name is still with us.

* It's probably mandatory for banks to close. I don't know the details.

 

[Targa]

Maybe there was an original thanksgiving in the UK in 1620.
Give thanks we've got rid of those miserable Puritans to the other side of the Atlantic, we won't be hearing from them again.

 

[Jeanette]

That's a bit harsh!

Jx

 

[Targa]

That's a bit harsh!

Jx

And, considering the effects they have had on our society and the world at large, somewhat erroneous.

 

[Veggie Dave]

That's a bit harsh!

Not really. The pilgrims were in fact religious extremists who left Britain because Britain wouldn't tolerate their extremist version of Christianity. To use an Islamic word, they wanted to create a Christian caliphate where they would be free to persecute any and every person who didn't follow their specific version of Christianity.

It's nigh-on impossible to explore this subject beyond the Disneyfied revisionist version we have today without talking about politics, religion, genocide, racism and historical revisionism, so I won't. 😉

The Smithsonian mentions this in an article about religion and revisionism in the US in this interesting article:
America's True History of Religious Tolerance | History | Smithsonian

 

[Stephen Howard]

Maybe there was an original thanksgiving in the UK in 1620.
Give thanks we've got rid of those miserable Puritans to the other side of the Atlantic, we won't be hearing from them again.

Wanna bet?
In the UK we've got new alcohol advisories based on skewed data, sugar is the new tobacco, some folks want to ban 2-4-1 deals on pizzas and no-platforming is replacing the concept of free speech. So if you enjoy a drink, a smoke, a pizza and a dessert...followed by a bit of a rant, your days are numbered.

 

[MandyH]

Don’t forget that the whole of the Uk could fit into the state of Texas a few times over. Naturally, it wouldn’t occur to UK residents to give much thought to travelling to see their parents but in the USA it’s a different matter.

That’s a fair comment (about distances travelled) but do US citizens really fly significant distance for a one day public holiday in the middle of the week?

I assume most of our Bank Holidays are Mondays for that very reason - to combine it with a weekend and so you can plan to get away somewhere if you wish.

Of course, when your birthday is always on a Bank Holiday and the postman NEVER comes on your birthday ... 🙁🙁

 

[BigMartin]

That’s a fair comment (about distances travelled) but do US citizens really fly significant distance for a one day public holiday in the middle of the week?

You get the Friday off too, so it's effectively a long weekend. Unless you work in a shop (store) of course, then the Friday is probably the worst day of your year.

 

[Tenor Viol]

In the UK, the banking system - especially the clearing and payments systems - are obliged to run Monday to Friday by law and to settle with the Bank of England. So a public holiday is called a bank holiday as it is one in which the banking system is officially 'closed', which as noted earlier was brought in through an Act of Parliament (1881? possibly same time as the Bill of Exchange Act?).

 

[Tenor Viol]

As indeed it is next year - Easter Sunday is 21st April!

Ah... that would mean that payments and similar things due on Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and putative St. George's day, and the Wednesday, would all happen the previous Thursday... That would probably break quite a few IT systems...

 

[David Dorning]

Don’t forget that the whole of the Uk could fit into the state of Texas a few times over. Naturally, it wouldn’t occur to UK residents to give much thought to travelling to see their parents but in the USA it’s a different matter.

Reminds me of the old saying that to the British 100 miles is a long way and to the Americans 100 years is a long time.

 

[GCinCT]

You get the Friday off too, so it's effectively a long weekend. Unless you work in a shop (store) of course, then the Friday is probably the worst day of your year.

With the ridiculous "Black Friday" sales, some shops are open Thanksgiving afternoon, so that is the worst day of the year. Commercialism just runs unchecked.

 

[JazzMatt]

Not really. The pilgrims were in fact religious extremists who left Britain because Britain wouldn't tolerate their extremist version of Christianity. To use an Islamic word, they wanted to create a Christian caliphate where they would be free to persecute any and every person who didn't follow their specific version of Christianity.

It's nigh-on impossible to explore this subject beyond the Disneyfied revisionist version we have today without talking about politics, religion, genocide, racism and historical revisionism, so I won't. 😉

The Smithsonian mentions this in an article about religion and revisionism in the US in this interesting article:
America's True History of Religious Tolerance | History | Smithsonian

My alcohol addled brain is a bit hazy, but didn't the puritans head to the Netherlands first and were booted out of there, so went to America?

 

[Targa]

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[Alice]

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[GCinCT]

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[Halfers]

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[Alice]

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