The August Bank Holiday
Dear Kansas City. Today is a national holiday in Ireland where I am now.
It’s the August Bank Holiday, and it’s very quiet.
Unlike American holidays such as Labor Day or Presidents Day where people have to wonder why it is they are celebrating a national holiday and how might be a good way to do that, many Irish national holidays have nothing attached to them whatoever other than the fact that the banks are closed.
Given that the banks in Ireland traditionally open when you have no chance of getting to them even if you work flexible hours (they might open at 10am and close at 3pm or 4pm with many also closing for lunch lest you thought you’d nip in then), Irish people are given to celebrating rather a lot.
Despite what you might read about me elsewhere, I do actually work, and that includes holidays because I want the banks to know that I wouldn’t visit them even if they were open. Not all of my work is on the computer however so you won’t see too many updates here today though I will be checking in a few times as I’m expecting to hear from Irish fest Executive Director Keli Wenzel.
More on Holidays in Ireland and America:
• Valentine’s Day
• New Year’s Eve
• Fathers’ Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Easter Sunday
• Halloween
• MLK Day
• Fourth of July
• Columbus Day
• Christmas
• The Twelfth
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
