Do your work colleagues actually know it's Easter this weekend and that Friday and Monday are Bank Holidays?

Obviously, there will be exceptions, but no, not really. I do think Easter, and bank holidays in general are culturally slightly different in Scotland.

My Friday meeting has representatives from three companies, and no one has objected.

Due to differences in bank/local holidays between different council areas, and the different ways that private sector employers treat bank holidays, it's just not the same "everyone is off" event. Some things will be closed, but lots will be open. Only xmas and new year is treated as important really.

My in-laws moved to Scotland from England and were shocked that Easter just wasn't significant in the same way here. It is just a normal sunday for me, and before kids I genuinely would have no idea when it was, and couldn't have cared less.

Obviously that is different for church goers.

For those saying ‘but I don’t have kids’, have you not noticed the shit tonne of chocolate eggs in every store you enter and hot cross buns bobbing up all over the place. And has not that led you to wonder ‘hmm, it must be Easter soon?’.

So what? I can think of much better things to do with a long weekend than waste time listening to someone drone on about a god I don’t believe in!

Following a particular religion - or a religion at all - is, thankfully, not compulsory in this country. A happy state of affairs, not a sad one.

The only person I know who does either of those things is a minister in a church.

I genuinely don't know a single other person who goes to church and I certainly don't know anyone who gives something up for lent.

That's been the case for a good twenty years, at least.

I mean, I don't know anyone who would describe themselves as 'Christian' in any way, or who go to church ever. I guess it's partly geographical, partly generational. Some of my friends were forced to church for special events as children, but none go now.

I think the weather has been so shit it doesn't feel like spring or that the clocks are about to change. I haven't done any Easter prep at all, just not feeling it!

I'm not Christian but I know that alot of people who 'aren't Christians' (do you mean 'practicing Christians?' )do go to easter Sunday or the nativity and Christmas Eve mass. I used to with DH (who is CofE) when the Dcs were young and it was about the only time he stepped into a church. Usually the Easter dawn service was packed to the gills.

I don't know anyone who observes lent or goes to church, I know we're technically a Christian country but I don't know any Christians.

I echo what everyone says- the early easter has taken everyone by surprise.

For my new workplace we need alot of emergency cover over the long weekend so there was a bit of a scramble to diarise it last week. No extra pay as far as I am aware- just everyone has to take their turn.

I've been aware for ages as I have booked a nice long weekend away from it all and I can't wait!

I have had to remind a couple of colleagues that it's the Easter weekend coming up and to plan accordingly as there were a few people who didn't seem to be aware, some of whom have kids.

Sad state of affairs for a Christian country. Means no Lent observance, no going to church, etc.

It was mentioned in the office yesterday and there was a good handful of us shocked to realise it was this weekend. I knew it was coming up (Easter eggs have been in the shops for the last couple of months) but didn't think it was so soon. We don't have children though, and the general consensus in the office was that only those with young children do anything for Easter.

Yes, they know. We don't get them off though, so it doesn't make much difference.

Sorry, I just think it is weird, and I've never heard of anyone not knowing when Easter is, or any holiday really, whether people are working or not. Are people really so disengaged from what is happening in life these days?

Also, I know Easter eggs have been for sale since just after Christmas, but Easter sales and specials generally happen much nearer the time.

Yes but they start doing that weeks in advance, especially if Easter is late. If I went into a shop with a huge display of Easter eggs and decorations and then checked my phone to find that Easter wasn't for another two weeks I wouldn't be surprised.

Whether people are working or not I don't understand that anyone can't know it is Easter! Here there are adverts everywhere for Easter sales and specials, and of course people are buying eggs like there's no tomorrow.

That's a whole other thread, but I'll screen shot you as exhibit A on the "IT'S NOT BLOODY HALF TERM!" Thread, which is a split three ways between people getting pedantically wound up about it, people saying to get a grip because it doesn't matter, and people saying "this thread is silly, surely nobody actually says that!"

It does seem to have come out of nowhere this year.

"You can tell the people who are burned out from their jobs, yes!

What kind of halfwit would love their job so much they would want to work bank holidays?!"

The kind who get a set number of bank holidays added to their annual holiday allowance and therefore can take them when they want?

I've not worked somewhere that closed for bank holidays, other than Christmas, for at least 15 years. Instead I can take the time when it suits me. Much better for me.

I was vaguely aware that Easter was soon but only if I thought about it. I don't usually work a Friday but typically swapped my days to help out this week. Also had an opticians appointment booked for Friday.

Banks may be shut but little else locally is.

Love that some people assume no-one will be working. Most people I know work bank holidays, the country doesn't shut down. So yes we've forgotten! The kids are on half term anyway so the back holidays are just amongst that.

The civil service takes bank holidays in accordance with the UK constituent countries bank holidays.

Most are common but England & Wales have the same and Northern Ireland & Scotland have their own bank holidays

People across the UK work accordingly, if services need to be national then staff get alternate leave days instead, and also there are people who don’t get bank holidays off - only their annual leave contract that may be the statutory minimum

Yes. Especially as some have chosen to work it, and others have not.

True! 4 times out of 11 just doesn't seem that unusual to me.

Cake you're quite right. I've no idea what I was thinking when I posted. I definitely wasn't thinking straight.

Note to self don't post when dog- tired.

😔