In countries where they have proper holidays instead of pointless, meaningless “celebrations” of the mere fact that the banks are shut, it is unthinkable that the shops would be open on those days. But over here, heaven forfend that the little people might have a day off, too.
John Major, who liked to portray himself as the voice and guardian of Old England, was defeated by one vote when he tried to make 25th December a normal shopping day. Good Friday and Easter Monday increasingly are, so expect Christmas to be next. Why, it is asked, should they be different from other “Bank Holidays”?
This sort of thing is inconceivable anywhere else. Whatever you may think of the American Declaration of Independence, or the storming of the Bastille, or any of the liturgical festivals that are public holidays in various parts of the Continent, they do at least have meanings beyond merely being this or that Monday in this or that month and, er, that’s it.
So when they are holidays, everyone realistically expects to keep them as such.
Yes, even shop assistants and delivery drivers. Imagine!
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I posted here the other week to say that my employer requires me to work today, despite the fact that it's a bank holiday. I'm office-based, not in the retail sector. Just thought you'd be interested to know that when I went out at lunchtime to try to get a sandwich, I found the vast majority of the shops on my central London street closed - I had to walk a long way to find one open.
ReplyDeleteAll the broadcasters appear to be working, though.
"I posted here the other week to say that my employer requires me to work today, despite the fact that it's a bank holiday."
ReplyDeleteWhich simply wouldn't happen in countries with proper holidays. As much as anything else, it would never occur to your employer not to have the day off.
"All the broadcasters appear to be working, though."
Yes, I've noticed this. Bring back the days when they just played 'The Sound of Music' or something.