The Guardian view on bank holidays: give us a break | Editorial

Governments should choose wisely what we should celebrate and when. They seldom doThere is an argument that bank holidays are more trouble than they are worth. In Northern Ireland, for instance, who could possibly contend that it was sensible to make 12 July – the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne – a bank holiday? It is a red rag, or rather an orange one, to half the population. Then there are the endless arguments over whether May Day should be celebrated. Next year it will be