please empty your brain below
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Longer gaps than 34 weeks were possible before 1965, when the August Bank Holiday was the first Monday in August, rather than the last as it is now.
Timbo | 21.04.25 - 7:11 a.m. | #
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Indeed. A 37 week gap occurred in 1930, 1935, 1946 and 1957 before the August Bank Holiday was shifted to the end of the month.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.04.25 - 7:27 a.m. | #
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What are the calculations for your Scottish and Northern Irish readers?
Robert Butlin | 21.04.25 - 7:30 a.m. | #
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In Scotland the Late Summer Bank Holiday remains at the start of August so there are still 37 week gaps. But only when Easter is on 21 April, as happened in 2019 and will happen again in 2030.
(It would have been 38 weeks this year, except the St Andrew's Day holiday filled the gap)
In Northern Ireland the gap never exceeds 29 weeks, because either Christmas or St Patrick's Day fills the winter gap.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.04.25 - 7:40 a.m. | #
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Never mind 3784.
Will it last until 2038.
After that, don't care.
Still Anon | 21.04.25 - 7:56 a.m. | #
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Looking forward to seeing the retraction in 3784.
Lmm | 21.04.25 - 8:34 a.m. | #
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If I remember rightly in England up until the early seventies the late spring bank holiday was actually Whitsun, which is fixed to Easter and not always the last monday in May. I assume this would nudge the results a little.
I live a catholic federal state in Germany and we get more holidays than the protestant states like Corpus Christi and All Saints day so I guess you can blame Henry VIII for the dearth in England.
Keith the Kraut | 21.04.25 - 8:58 a.m. | #
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Whitsun doesn’t nudge the longest gap because the longest gap starts in August and ends at Easter.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.04.25 - 9:28 a.m. | #
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If ISO week numbers are still in use in 3784 some people will also get a shock when Easter is in week 17 instead of between 12 and 16.
Sprout Eater | 21.04.25 - 9:44 a.m. | #
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By 3784 an adjustment will be needed to the Gregorian calendar, as it is only accurate to about one day in 3200 years.
Timbo | 21.04.25 - 10:12 a.m. | #
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Fascinating analysis. I'm glad you put the time in to work this out!
WoodfordWanderer | 21.04.25 - 10:17 a.m. | #
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Irrelevant, but 1666 doesn’t divide exactly by 4.
dg writes: Hugely relevant. Updated, thanks.
miker | 21.04.25 - 10:29 a.m. | #
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The discussions about years with the longest gap are somewhat confused by the fact that the gap contains a year-end. So is a gap from August to spring denoted by the calendar year of the August, or that of the spring?
A different analysis, slightly simpler, arises if you take away the concentration on Mondays. A bank holiday is a bank holiday, on any day of the week.
Malcolm of Kent | 21.04.25 - 10:40 a.m. | #
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The longest possible gap between bank holidays (of any kind) is 4 months, from 25 August to 25 December. This happens in 2025.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.04.25 - 11:01 a.m. | #
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Here in the Republic of Ireland it's a little different.
We share the easter and early May Bank Holidays with you (as well as new year and Christmas, obviously)
Our early summer bank Holiday is the first Monday in June.
Our August Bank Holiday is the first Monday in August.
Then we have three additional that you don't have:
17th March (or nearest Monday)
1st Monday in February
Last Monday in October.
So the only months which *never* have a bank holiday are July, September, and November.
Steve
Steve Conway | 21.04.25 - 11:33 a.m. | #
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It may be the longest possible gap between Bank Holidays, but I still have work today! :/
Cornish Cockney | 21.04.25 - 11:55 a.m. | #
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What's the last time a Pope died on an Easter Monday?
Bruce Perkins | 21.04.25 - 12:49 p.m. | #
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If Wikipedia is right about the dates of the Popes, and the calculations I have relied on are correct, Pope Victor IV died on Easter Monday (April 20th) in 1164
Also Gregory XI died on Good Friday 1378, Gregory VIII on the Wednesday after Easter in 1121, Benedict VIII on the Friday after Easter in 1024 and John Paul II on the Saturday after Easter in 2005.
I cannot find dates of Easter before 1000AD
Timbo | 21.04.25 - 7:12 p.m. | #
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Just popping in to pedantically point out that Christmas Day is not a bank holiday if it is on a Monday, because it is not defined in law as a bank holiday but a public holiday. (See also Good Friday)
As far as I know, the closest it comes to being defined in law as a holiday is in the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004.
Kirk | 22.04.25 - 6:21 p.m. | #
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