TOMORROW Wales celebrates our patron saint for St David's Day.
Although it’s a Welsh tradition to celebrate St David on March 1 – with youngsters wearing traditional Welsh clothes and costumes to school and people tucking into Welsh cakes - the day is not a bank holiday.
Although St Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland, and St Andrew's Day is a bank holiday in Scotland - although banks are not required to close if they don’t wish to - Wales and England do not have a bank holiday to celebrate their patron saints: St David and St George.
For more than two decades there's been divided opinion on whether St David's Day should be made a bank holiday - we asked our readers via Facebook what they should and there was a mixed response.
Many people simply said "yes" while others offered a bit more elaboration on their support.
Daphne Herapath wrote:
“Why not? We are in Wales and Welsh also”
Sarah Wells added: “100 per cent yes – it should be a day of national celebration!”
Some commenters recalled that when they were young they would have a half day off school to celebrate St David’s Day, which could be a compromise.
Although many were in favour, there were also people against the idea.
Beryl Davies wrote:
“And a day off for Grandparent Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the Queen’s birthday, Charles’ birthday, etc. Why work at all? Any excuse for a day off. When I was young we worked a 42 hour week – it did not hurt me.”
Tom Risdale added “any lame excuse for a bank holiday these days” while Rob Edwards argued that there is “too much time off already in this country”.
Some opposed the move with a focus on schools, rather than work.
Stephanie Yates wrote “schools get enough time [off] as it is” while Marina Sutton said:
“No, children love a chance to wear Welsh shirts and have Welsh flags. The little look so cute in the Welsh dresses – great day at school, keep it going a happy day”.
Meanwhile, some people suggested that a bank holiday would not make a difference to many workers.
Gareth James wrote:
“I work bank holidays anyway, so it makes no difference whatsoever to me and many others”.
Jonesy Jones added: “Only problem with that is that some people are forced to use bank holidays out of their holiday allowance and that’s not fair”.
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