It’s the first of two bank holidays this month, with many people enjoying an extra day of freedom. An American man in London has spotted a major change among British people over the bank holiday weekend
An American man currently in London has noticed one striking difference in British behaviour when a bank holiday rolls around. May boasts two bank holidays for people to enjoy – one at the beginning of the month and another towards the end.
Bank holidays are a much-anticipated fixture in the calendar, with banks, businesses and schools closing their doors and granting workers – and children – a well-earned extra day off. They are designated under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, or by Royal Proclamation.
They typically fall on a Monday, resulting in a long weekend, with eight days in total throughout 2026 in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. They remain an enormously popular feature of British life – after all, who doesn’t love to get an extra day away from work?
One American man, who posts online under the name Kjordy, regularly produces content on social media centered around his travel exploits. In a recent Instagram video, he documented the joy of a bank holiday weekend – and how noticeably cheerful everybody appeared to be.
Kjordy filmed himself strolling through London, with a brilliant blue sky behind him, and spoke directly to the camera.
He began: “I don’t know what it is about a bank holiday but London is a different vibe right now. For my Americans that don’t know, a couple times a year, you get a Monday off so the Friday before, everyone’s in such a good mood because they get one more day of freedom.”
Kjordy went on to describe the happiness radiating from Londoners this bank holiday weekend. He continued: “And today is just hitting different.
“I mean, I think it helps that it’s probably like 24 degrees – it’s the first time we saw the sun in Lord knows how long – but they are happy.
“I don’t think y’all are deep in this; people are walking around with a smile on their face. I can’t tell you the last time I saw a random stranger smile at me. A granny blew a kiss at me, I kid you not, a granny blew a kiss at me.
“Today’s gonna be a good day. I’m seeing people drinking Aperol Spritz outside of places and [carrying] ice bags walking down Clapham Common. You know it’s a vibe, man.”
He went on: “I don’t know about y’all but I’m gonna have the disco bumping this weekend. I’m about to hop on the tube but I really think this is the mood boost that London needed, bro.”
The footage then switched to a man asking for a photo with him. Kjordy overlaid the clip with the text which read “sees a guy off camera looking joyous” to give viewers some context, before describing the man as “one of the nicest guys ever”.
In the comments, fellow Instagram users were eager to weigh in, with many concurring that the bank holiday weekend had brought about a noticeable lift in spirits across the capital.
One person said: “Canadian living in London and it’s my first summer bank holiday and I love it!!!!”
Another joked: “England is the most bipolar country I swear” while a third said: “Vibes are unmatched when the sun’s out in London”.
A fourth added: “I love this analysis, it’s basically stuff we Brits already know but just hearing you telling us what we already know is a gift”.
