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New Year Holiday - Friday 1 January |
| Celebrating the New Year on 1st January is standard across most of the world, with many places putting on dramatic firework displays at the stroke of midnight. In Scotland, new year celebrations are known as Hogmanay, with a number of old, pre-Christian traditions, such as "first footing", persisting in many Scottish communities. |
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Bank Holiday (Scotland) - Monday 4 January |
| There are slight differences in Bank Holiday dates between England and Scotland. The 30th November, St Andrew's Day, is an optional Bank Holiday in Scotland, and 2nd January (or the following Monday if it falls on a weekend) is an official bank holiday and widely observed. Easter Monday is not an official Bank Holiday in Scotland but it is often observed by Scottish banks and retailers. |
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Robert Burns' Birthday - Monday 25 January |
| A national hero in Scotland, and much admired further afield, Robert Burns was an 18th century poet and lyricist. He was best known for writing in the Scots language, encompassing themes of politics, love, and Scottish social identity. He was born on 25th January 1759, and his birthday is celebrated on that date each year, traditionally by means of the "Burns supper". This generally involves haggis being served, and the recital of Burns' poetry. |
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St Valentine's Day - Sunday 14 February |
| Valentine's Day takes place every 14th February, and is celebrated in much of the world as a day to express romantic love (though in some places it is expanded to be a general greetings card holiday). There were several early Christian martyrs called Valentine, and it is believed that the St Valentine in question is an amalgamation of two different Roman priests. The holiday did not become associated with romantic love until the Middle Ages, and the tradition of giving cards did not flourish until the 19th Century. |
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Shrove Tuesday - Tuesday 16 February |
| Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent begins. The word "shrove" is the past tense for the old English word "shrive", which means to obtain absolution for sins. In many countries, including the UK, it is also known as "pancake day" or "pancake Tuesday", as it is traditional to eat pancakes - which use up milk and eggs, commonly given up for Lent - on this day. In other countries, including the USA, the day is more popularly known as Mardi Gras, with carnival festivities being a common means of celebrating. |
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Ash Wednesday - Wednesday 17 February |
| Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a period of fasting which lasts 46 days and culminates in Easter. In Christian tradition it is a day of repentance, and the practice of marking parishioners with ashes (sometimes mixed with a little water or oil) in the shape of a cross, usually on the forehead, probably has its origins in the ancient use of ashes in mourning. In this way, the participant expresses sorrow for their sins. Members of the Roman Catholic Church engage in fasting and repentant prayer on this day. |
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St David's Day - Monday 1 March |
| St David is the patron saint of Wales, and is a national day of celebration in the country. The date apparently marks the death of St David in the year 589. The day is celebrated with parades, the largest being held in the Welsh capital Cardiff. It is also usual for celebrations to take the form of parties, dinners, and concerts, and individuals often mark the day by wearing either a leek or a daffodil; both are national emblems. |
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Mothering Sunday - Sunday 14 March |
| Mothering Sunday is primarily a Christian festival, celebrated throughout Europe in mid-March. Although the date on which the festival falls in modern times is set by the Christian calendar, there has been a religious celebration of motherhood in Europe since ancient times, with the Roman equivalent also taking place in mid-March. Mothering Sunday is increasingly known as "Mother's Day" in the UK, and is celebrated as a secular equivalent to the US holiday of the same name. |
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St Patrick's Day - Wednesday 17 March |
| St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and the day is taken as a public holiday in the country. Historically St Patrick was a Christian missionary, British born, who preached in Ireland, probably in the latter half of the fifth century. Popular legend credits him with ridding Ireland of snakes, though it has been suggested that the "snakes" are a metaphor for the pre-Christian druidic religious leaders. The day is still marked as a Christian festival, but is also a secular celebration all over the world of Ireland or "Irishness" itself. |
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British Summer Time Starts - Sunday 28 March |
| British Summer Time (BST) is the time during the summer months in the United Kingdom during which the clocks are put forward from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) by one hour.It was first established by the Summer Time Act of 1916, and is now defined by the Summer Time Order of 2002. It officially begins at 1am, Greenwich Mean Time, on the morning of the last Sunday in March. |
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Good Friday - Friday 2 April |
| Good Friday - also known as "Black Friday", "Holy Friday", or "Great Friday" - is part of the Christian festival of Easter, and also a public holiday in the UK and Ireland. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and involves a variety of different traditions throughout the Christian world. Fasting, prayers, special church services, and symbolic reconstructions of the crucifixion are all common practices. The crucifixion is generally regarded to be an actual historical event, though the timing of Easter (as set by the vernal equinox) may be related to ancient pagan festivals. |
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Easter Sunday - Sunday 4 April |
| Easter Sunday - also "Resurrection Sunday" or "Resurrection Day" - occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox (in the modern Western calendar set at 21st March), and as such takes place between 22nd March and 25th April. It marks the end of the fasting period of Lent. Although it is primarily a Christian festival, it is also celebrated by many non-religious people, and has become, to an extent, a secular festival as well as a religious one. Eggs, rabbits, and other spring-related symbols, probably have their roots in pre-Christian festivals. |
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Easter Monday - Monday 5 April |
| Easter Monday is a public holiday in the UK, except in Scotland. After the fasting of Lent and religious observation of Easter weekend, Easter Monday is generally considered to be a day of celebration, and there is a wide variety of local traditions which take place, often involving special food and games. Prior to the 19th Century, the whole week following Easter Sunday was taken as a secular celebration, before being reduced to just one day. |
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Edinburgh International Science Festival - Saturday 3 April until Saturday 17 April |
| The Edinburgh International Science Festival takes place annually for 12 days in April, in various venues all over the city. The festival first took place in 1989, so is a comparatively new member of the city's festival season. There is particular emphasis on engendering enthusiasm for science and technology in children, and the festival includes many interactive features along with hundreds of talks, workshops and exhibitions. |
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St George's Day - Friday 23 April |
| St George is the patron saint of several countries, including England, where it is celebrated as the national day on 23rd April (which is generally accepted to be the date of St George's death, in the year 303). Although historically it is likely that such a man did exist, his life has been deeply entrenched in legend. The day was a major celebration in England from the early 15th century, but became less prominent after the forming of the union with Scotland. There is some evidence that its popularity is once again on the rise. |
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May Day Bank Holiday - Monday 3 May |
| May Day, as celebrated in many Northern Hemisphere countries, is the 1st May. The public holiday takes place on the first Monday in the month. In modern times it is primarily a secular celebration, but its origins lie in the pre-Christian pagan religions of Western Europe, most notably the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic Walpurgisnacht. These pagan festivals marked the end of the winter period and welcomed the summer months. Some ancient May Day traditions are still observed in today's secular holiday, such as dancing round the Maypole and crowning the Queen of May. |
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Summer Solstice - Monday 21 June |
| Summer Solstice marks the point of the year when the Earth is tilted at its closest point to the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere it is officially standardised as 21st June, though the exact date varies year on year. It is regarded as either the beginning or middle of summer, in different cultures. It is the longest day of the year, and the days that follow become increasingly short. In pre-Christian times it had religious significance, and today the neo-pagan movement has reclaimed the date as a religious festival. |
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Edinburgh International Film Festival - Wednesday 16 June until Sunday 27 June |
| The first Edinburgh International Film Festival took place in 1947, alongside the Edinburgh International Festival in August. It began with a programme made up solely of documentary films, but soon branched out into fiction, shorts and documentaries. The official partner and hub of the festival is the Filmhouse cinema, but showings occur in a number of cinemas in the city. As well as screening films, including premieres, the festival also puts on workshops and talks, and presents a number of awards. In 2008 the EIFF moved from its traditional slot in August, and has since taken place in June. |
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Father's Day - Sunday 20 June |
| Father's Day was introduced in the early 20th century as a complementary celebration to the much older Mother's Day holiday. The origin of the day observed by the UK and USA was a church in West Virginia, though it was a number of years before it was officially accepted on a par with Mother's Day. The UK/USA version is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, but there are versions of the day all over the world which occur on different dates. Though it originally had some religious connotations, the day is now, like Mother's Day, a mostly secular holiday. |
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Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh - Thursday 24 June until Sunday 27 June |
| The Royal Highland Show runs for four days over the last weekend in June, and is Scotland's main agricultural event. It attracts a vast number of visitors and exhibitors, who come to market, buy and sell products, and to show livestock. As well as produce, a number of agricultural and environmental organisations also bring exhibits to the show. Livestock is a large part of the event, with showing competitions for cattle, sheep, poultry, horses and others. The show is dominated by Scottish companies, but exhibitors also come from the rest of the UK, and from Europe. |
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Open Golf Championship, St Andrews - Thursday 15 July until Sunday 18 July |
| The British Open is the oldest of the four major professional golf championships running today, and the only one of the four to be held outside the USA. There are nine links courses in Scotland and England on the competition rota, each used alternately on a yearly basis. The prize money for winning the competition varies, but comes to several million pounds. There is a long history of golf in Scotland, and the Old Course at St Andrews, where the Open is to be held in 2010, is the oldest golf course in the world. |
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Edinburgh Military Tattoo - Friday 6 August until Saturday 28 August |
| The Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs nightly for most of the month of August, taking place on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. It is performed by the British Armed Forces and the Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams. It is included under the umbrella term "Edinburgh Festival" (which encompasses the numerous festivals which run in the city, specifically during August), but is a separate organisation in itself. The Tattoo is an impressive and hugely popular event, and always sells out in advance. |
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Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade - Sunday 8 August |
| The Edinburgh Festivals' Cavalcade is the traditional parade which marks the beginning of the Edinburgh Festival each August. Previews for the Fringe Festival often begin the week before, but the Cavalcade marks the official opening. The parade is made up of performers from the International Festival, Festival Fringe, Military Tattoo and participants from the local community. The Cavalcade usually runs along Princes Street, but in 2009 the ongoing tram works meant it was moved to Holyrood Park. It always attracts a large audience, whatever the weather. |
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Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Friday 6 August until Monday 30 August |
| The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the many independent festivals that run during August in Scotland's capital city. It was first established in 1947 and has grown to become the world's largest arts festival. It owes much of its success to the fact that anyone can perform in it, in contrast to the Edinburgh International Festival; many famous faces have performed at the festival before finding fame, and many continue to do so throughout their careers. |
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Edinburgh International Book Festival - Saturday 14 August until Monday 30 August |
| The Edinburgh International Book Festival runs as part of the August Edinburgh Festival, and has done since 1983. For the duration of the Book Festival Charlotte Square is taken over with events, including talks, workshops, and panel discussions covering issues in the literature world. In addition to adult-orientated events, the festival also runs a children's programme providing specifically for young people and children's literature. The festival is prestigious and regularly attracts world-renowned authors and speakers to take part. |
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Edinburgh International Festival - Friday 13 August until Sunday 5 September |
| The Edinburgh International Festival began in August 1947, and has continued to run every year since. Its programme welcomes various art forms, including theatre, opera, dance, and music. As well as performances it hosts exhibitions, workshops and talks relating to all genres present at the festival. Although it shares a number of themes with the Festival Fringe (dance and theatre make up a large part of both), the International Festival has a more structured programme. A number of venues throughout the city are used for the festival. |
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International Talk Like A Pirate Day - Saturday 19 September |
| International Talk Like a Pirate Day (ITLAPD) is a parodic holiday invented in 1995 by John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy), of Albany, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate. For example, an observer of this holiday would greet friends not with "Hello," but with "Ahoy, me hearty!" The holiday, and its observance, springs from a romanticized view of the Golden Age of Piracy... Yarrrr! |
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Hallowe'en - Sunday 31 October |
| Hallowe'en - from "All hallows' eve" - is a holiday celebrated in a number of western countries on the 31st October. Its origins are a mix of pre-Christian pagan festivals like Samhain and the Christian All Saints' Day. Despite religious overtones, it is essentially a secular holiday, but with strong cultural traditions such as carving pumpkins, trick or treating, and lighting bonfires. The Celts believed this to be the one night of the year when the "veil" between the worlds of the living and the dead disappeared, which is undoubtedly where traditions such as recounting ghost stories originated. |
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British Summer Time Ends |
| The end of British Summer Time is officially set as being at 1am, Greenwich Mean Time, on the last Sunday in October. At this point the clocks are set back one hour, in practical terms gaining the hour which is "lost" when British Summer Time begins in March. There remain some objectors to the existence of BST, many favouring GMT all year round, and others campaigning for BST to be kept for the whole year, with "double summer time" during the summer months. |
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Guy Fawkes' Night - Friday 5 November |
| Guy Fawkes' Night, also known as Bonfire Night, is British in origin but is also celebrated in some former British colonies. It marks the foiling the "Gunpowder Plot" on the 5th November in 1605, where a group of Catholic conspirators (including Guy Fawkes) formulated a plan to displace the protestant government of the time by blowing up the Houses of Parliament. It is celebrated by bonfires and firework displays, both amateur and professional, though other traditions - such as collecting firewood or money for firewood door-to-door - have essentially died out. |
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Remembrance Day - Thursday 11 November, Remembrance Sunday - Sunday 14 November |
| Remembrance Day (also known as "Poppy Day", "Armistice Day", or "Veterans' Day") commemorates the ending of the First World War, which was officially ended on the 11th November 1918 at 11am. It is traditional to wear a poppy (usually artificial) on this day, a symbol taken from the fact that poppies flowered extensively on battlefields following the end of WWI. In the UK, Remembrance Sunday is the main day of observance, taking place on the nearest Sunday to the 11th. Both days are marked with a two minute silence. |
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St Andrew's Day - Tuesday 30 November |
| St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. The 30th November was designated an optional public holiday by the Scottish government in 2006, but it is at the discretion of individual businesses whether they wish to take it. St Andrew was one of the Christian Apostles, the brother of St Peter, and is believed to have been martyred by crucifixion. He is also the patron saint of Greece, Romania, and Russia. Since 2002 the day is marked in Scotland by the flying of the Saltire (the Scottish flag) on public buildings. |
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Winter Solstice - Tuesday 21 December |
| The winter solstice is the point at which the Earth is tiltedat its furthest from the sun. The exact date varies each year, but has been standardised in the Northern Hemisphere as 21st December. It is the day of the year with the least daylight hours; after this point the length of each day gradually increases until the summer solstice. The term "solstice" technically refers to a single moment, but is used colloquially to mean the whole 24 hour period during which the solstice occurs. |
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Christmas Day - Saturday 25 December (Monday 27 December in lieu) |
| Christmas Day is a public holiday in the UK and in numerous Christian countries. When it falls on a weekend the following Monday is given as holiday. Like many modern holidays in the west, its traditions are a mix of Christian and pre-Christian pagan. In Christian tradition it marks the birth of Jesus Christ in Nazareth, and is celebrated with church services and various cultural traditions such as nativity plays. A lot of Christmas practices and symbols - like Christmas trees, holly, mistletoe, and the time of year it is celebrated - have their roots in Celtic or European pagan belief systems. |
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Boxing Day - Sunday 26 December (Tuesday 28 December in lieu) |
| Boxing Day is usually the day after Christmas Day, and is a public holiday in the UK and many other countries. As with Christmas Day, if it falls on a weekend the holiday is given on the next available weekday. A common explanation for the origin of the name is that it refers to the tradition of giving gift boxes to less fortunate members of society. In some countries which do not celebrate Boxing Day, the day after Christmas is celebrated instead as St Stephen's Day. |
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Hogmanay - Friday 31 December |
| Hogmanay is the name for the Scottish New Year. The New Year is celebrated in numerous countries, often with elaborate fireworks displays. It is customary all over the world to sing the Scottish song "Auld Lang Syne" on the arrival of the New Year. In Edinburgh the Hogmanay festivities take place over several days, with events culminating on New Year's Eve in a street party and concert on Princes Street and within Princes Street Gardens, and fireworks on the stroke of midnight. Other parts of Scotland have their own Hogmanay customs, such as the fireball swinging in Stonehaven. |
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