Cyprus has most bank holidays in Europe

Cyprus tops the list of EU countries with the most bank holidays according to a survey by a UK-based company.

An interactive map produced by Esri UK that develops mapping software – published by Mail online – shows that Cyprus and Slovakia have 15 bank holidays which is the most among EU member states. It also said that on average, a working week in Cyprus is 41.6 hours.

In addition to the Easter, Christmas and other religious holidays, Labour Day, and its impendence day, Cyprus marks the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821, the anniversary of the launch of the Eoka struggle against British rule, and Ochi Day which marks Greek resistance against the Axis powers, which resulted in Greece entering WWII.

Greece, Malta and Lithuania follow with 14 bank holidays.

England and Wales have eight bank holidays which is the fewest among the EU bloc, and work on average 42.1 hours a week which is more than in the other member states. Scotland and Ireland have nine bank holidays.

Cyprus is second as regards working hours, with Austria third with 41.3 hours and Greece and Portugal with 41 hours. Denmark, at 37.8 hours, has the shortest working week.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.