Peter Jackson column
Jun 7 2007 By Peter Jackson, The Journal
Some Italian lawmakers want almost to double the number of national holidays.
Italians already get 12 days - more than most other EU countries - but, to increase religious observance in an increasingly secular country and boost patriotism, some parliamentarians are proposing seven new national days off.
They would include various Catholic holy days and days to mark significant events in Italian history.
If this happened, Italy would hold the EU record for national holidays, elbowing aside the current title holder Spain, which boasts 15 national holidays.
In fact, it would give Italy more national holidays than any other country in the world, surpassing Hong Kong, which enjoys 17 - surprising in that one always thought of that city's inhabitants as so industrious.
In the UK, of course, we get a measly eight annual bank holidays, which is three fewer than the EU average and only one more than the Dutch, who have the fewest. However, all this could be about to change.
It is reported that Gordon Brown - worried about the growing influence of the SNP and the possible effects of his own obvious Scottishness on English voters - is considering the introduction of a new "British Day" to build a greater sense of patriotism.
This is supported by the TUC and various volunteering organisation umbrella groups, which want a new bank holiday to promote British "community activity and involvement".
It is said that he is against making it a "full bank holiday" because of the economic costs, but I'm not sure what other kind of bank holiday there could be, nor what possible point there could be to it if it was not a holiday. That would also seem to me to be such a typically Scottish attitude to take.
The favoured time for the day is towards the end of October to coincide with the half-term break and to fill what is currently the longest gap between public holidays as the days shorten and winter tightens its grip.
Personally I would go for October 21, which, being Trafalgar Day, would have the added advantage of annoying the French.
