Its a Bank Holiday Monday, a time to have a lie-in, enjoy the lovely British weather (for many this will probably be rain) maybe on the beach and forget all about work.
The BBC consider the concept of the Bank Holiday today in its online magazine. BBC correspondents from Seoul, Los Angeles, Rome, Calcutta and Moscow provide a worldwide view on how Bank Holidays are marked.
Seoul
South Koreans work and work and work some more, their working hours are some of the longest in the world. Bank Holidays are seen a chance of a break to freedom. As a quarter of the nation's population lives in Seoul, this break for freedom ends up in many having a long day in a traffic jam. On summer bank holidays, some of the jams clogging the roads out of town are spectacular enough to make the front pages of the newspapers. Poor South Koreans.
United States
The average American gets less than three weeks' paid holiday a year. So when a public holiday comes around it is embraced with relish. For most Americans, the major bank holidays signpost the year (not that they're known as "bank" holidays here).
Italy
The great thing about Italian bank holidays is that they aren't tied to Mondays. In Rome - during the holidays in spring - there is a strong tradition of getting out beyond the city's ancient walls. It's a time for picnicking in the cool of the hills.
India
For hundreds of millions of Indians, a bank holiday is just another day, because they cannot afford to stop working if they want to survive. Here in the world's largest democracy, bank holidays are for the rich. For the poor they are just another day.
Russia
Millions of Russians spend their May bank holidays enjoying the fresh air. Either on allotments - the so-called ogorody - where they plant fruits and berries and vegetables - or, if they're lucky enough to have one, at their country cottages, or dachas.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22655033
The BBC consider the concept of the Bank Holiday today in its online magazine. BBC correspondents from Seoul, Los Angeles, Rome, Calcutta and Moscow provide a worldwide view on how Bank Holidays are marked.
Seoul
South Koreans work and work and work some more, their working hours are some of the longest in the world. Bank Holidays are seen a chance of a break to freedom. As a quarter of the nation's population lives in Seoul, this break for freedom ends up in many having a long day in a traffic jam. On summer bank holidays, some of the jams clogging the roads out of town are spectacular enough to make the front pages of the newspapers. Poor South Koreans.
United States
The average American gets less than three weeks' paid holiday a year. So when a public holiday comes around it is embraced with relish. For most Americans, the major bank holidays signpost the year (not that they're known as "bank" holidays here).
Italy
The great thing about Italian bank holidays is that they aren't tied to Mondays. In Rome - during the holidays in spring - there is a strong tradition of getting out beyond the city's ancient walls. It's a time for picnicking in the cool of the hills.
India
For hundreds of millions of Indians, a bank holiday is just another day, because they cannot afford to stop working if they want to survive. Here in the world's largest democracy, bank holidays are for the rich. For the poor they are just another day.
Russia
Millions of Russians spend their May bank holidays enjoying the fresh air. Either on allotments - the so-called ogorody - where they plant fruits and berries and vegetables - or, if they're lucky enough to have one, at their country cottages, or dachas.
