Read the text quickly and think of a title for it. Do you remember the difference between the words ‘holiday’ and ‘festival’?

The British have eight public holidays. They are called ‘bank holidays’, probably because banks as well as most shops and offices are closed. These holidays are: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. New Year’s Day became a holiday only when the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973.
The patron saints’ days are not celebrated with a holiday. They are St. David’s Day in Wales on March 1, St. George’s Day in England on April 23, and St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland on November 30. Only Ireland, both North and South, has a holiday on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. However, there are many widely celebrated festivals that are not holidays.