Bank and Public holidays in Scotland are
determined under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and the St
Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. Unlike the rest of United
Kingdom, most bank holidays are not recognised in Scotland, as most public
holidays are generally determined by 32 local authorities across Scotland. Some
of these may be taken in lieu of statutory holidays while others may be
additional holidays, although many companies, including Royal Mail, do not
follow all the holidays listed below, and many swap between English and local
holidays. Many large retails and supermarkets continue to operate normally
during public holidays, especial since there are no restrictions such as Sunday
Trading rules in Scotland.
Since
Easter 1996 the Scottish clearing banks have harmonised the days on which they
are closed with those in England and Wales, and are therefore closed on Easter
Monday and the last Monday in August (rather than the first). This has resulted
in a number of local authorities creating a public holiday on Easter Monday.
Previously Easter Monday had not been a public holiday in Scotland. There have
been many protests about banks opening on 2 January since this decision was
taken. This has resulted in many banks now providing only a limited service on
2 January, with most members of staff still entitled to the holiday.
For the Church of England, and Catholic Church as well, today is Basil the Great Day. Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great, was the Greek bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia Minor. He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies of the early Christian church, fighting against both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea. His ability to balance his theological convictions with his political connections made Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene position.In addition to his work as a theologian, Basil was known for his care of the poor and underprivileged. Basil established guidelines for monastic life which focus on community life, liturgical prayer, and manual labour. Together with Pachomius he is remembered as a father of communal monasticism in Eastern Christianity. He is considered a saint by the traditions of both Eastern and Western Christianity.
ReplyDeleteSt Basil was given the title Doctor of the Church for his contributions to the debate initiated by the Arian controversy regarding the nature of the Trinity, and especially the question of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Basil was responsible for defining the terms "ousia" (essence/substance) and "hypostasis" (person/reality), and for defining the classic formulation of three Persons in one Nature. His single greatest contribution was his insistence on the divinity and consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son.
Saint Basil died on January 1, and the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day together with that of the Feast of the Circumcision on that day.In Greek tradition, he brings gifts to children every January 1 (St Basil's Day) — unlike other traditions where Father Christmas arrives either on December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day) or on Christmas Eve (December 24). It is traditional on St Basil's Day to serve vasilopita, a rich bread baked with a coin inside. It is customary on his feast day to visit the homes of friends and relatives, to sing New Year's carols, and to set an extra place at the table for Saint Basil. Basil, being born into a wealthy family, gave away all his possessions to the poor, the underprivileged, those in need, and children.
The Church of England celebrates Saint Basil's feast on January 2.
Some events on this day:
ReplyDelete1818 – The British Institution of Civil Engineers was founded.
1911 – A gun battle in the East End of London left two dead men and sparked a political row over the involvement of then-Home Secretary Winston Churchill.
1981 – One of the largest investigations by a British police force ended when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, who also known as "Yorkshire Ripper", was arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.