Bank Holidays, red days in Italy

One of the things that amaze me is that here in Italy, they don't seem to have as a bank holiday, Good Friday? Is there a reason for this does anybody know ?

V

Probably as a Catholic Country, celebrating the Crucifixion of Jesus is not the done thing.

Good Friday, in the Italian calendar, is classified as an "observance" day and not a holiday, so it is optional. My theory is that, because the banks' only true God is Money, they do not feel obliged to observe this holiday  

Well the banks and other financial institutions may be closed but otherwise it's largely business as usual in the UK.

Didntn used to be though Ghiro, when I was a lad the UK shut on Good Friday - I think it was an Anglican thing, and very much a Quaker thing - Boots remained shut on Friday till not that long ago.   Here they get more excited about the resurrection than about dying for the sins of the world etc - The Italians take their catholicism in a very peripatetic way.

Many traditions have changed a lot, not only in Italy, but in most countries. Good Friday was a strict mourning day,with fasting and abstinence included. Everything was black and you would not dare listening to music (except classical religious) or watch a movie. At 3:00 pm there was total silence, out of respect. And I am talking about strict Catholic countries. All this has changed. The spirit of the Holy Week has vanished with the incense and the smoke of the candles, and the mourning processions have become "parades" photographed by tourists in shorts as a curiosity.

... I think it's just a guilt thing here....    

Well, they kept on saying that Jesus died for our sins, so the guilt component has always been there    On the other hand, the Easter message conveys redemption and happiness, so people prefer to concentrate on the positive, rather than the negative. Only natural!  

Ah yes religion, very positive being crucified now and then...

Good Friday has been a normal working day in the Netherlands for well over 20 years.  We had the day off today though…*ps* we have the least public holidays in Europe  

Casa Monal wrote:Good Friday has been a normal working day in the Netherlands for well over 20 years.  We had the day off today though…*ps* we have the least public holidays in Europe  

Pagans, should all be flogged...    But in reality how many public holidays days do your average workers get off..... Never mind the official days off! Of course we lucky people have every day off... now where is the smirk emoticon...

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:

Casa Monal wrote:Good Friday has been a normal working day in the Netherlands for well over 20 years.  We had the day off today though…*ps* we have the least public holidays in Europe  

Pagans, should all be flogged...    But in reality how many public holidays days do your average workers get off..... Never mind the official days off! Of course we lucky people have every day off... now where is the smirk emoticon...

   I think nine, will have to count.  We don't get Good Friday but we do get Queens Day on the 30th April which is now Kings Day as the Dutch queen had the good sense to retire last year