Roger, I found some information here. Several years ago (in my lifetime) 5 (or 6) were made national holidays, incorporating a Monday so that workers could have a three-day weekend. This may be like your "bank holiday." I'm a little skeptical of the whole thing because it seems like government workers are the main ones who get off. But because so many offices are closed, others take off too. It seems a bit convenient that the days are spaced throughout the year. (Is it true that the Queen's birthday is a holiday for you, and if she happens to have a yucky month, chooses another?) Anyway, Memorial Day, in addition to being a remembrance day for those who have served our country, also is a day for remembering family and loved ones who have died. In many of the rural areas people visit cemetaries and put flowers on the graves of loved ones.