Life in the UK Test: Holidays, Festivals and Patron Saints
Updated October 27, 2026
Questions on holidays, festivals and patron saints come up often on the Life in the UK Test, and they’re easy marks once you’ve learned the dates. Here’s a summary from the official handbook, followed by free practice questions.
Patron saints’ days
| Country | Patron saint | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Wales | St David | 1 March |
| Northern Ireland | St Patrick | 17 March |
| England | St George | 23 April |
| Scotland | St Andrew | 30 November |
Only Scotland and Northern Ireland have their patron saint’s day as an official holiday.
Festivals and traditions
| Day | What it is |
|---|---|
| Christmas Day, 25 December | Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ; a public holiday |
| Boxing Day, 26 December | A public holiday |
| New Year’s Day, 1 January | A public holiday everywhere; in Scotland, 2 January is too |
| Hogmanay, 31 December | The Scottish name for New Year’s Eve |
| Valentine’s Day, 14 February | Lovers exchange cards and gifts |
| Mothering Sunday | The Sunday three weeks before Easter |
| Shrove Tuesday | Pancake Day, the day before Lent starts |
| Halloween, 31 October | Rooted in an ancient pagan festival marking the start of winter |
| Bonfire Night, 5 November | Remembers the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 |
| Remembrance Day, 11 November | Remembers those who died in wars, with a two-minute silence at 11am |
Other religious festivals
- Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs, usually in October or November.
- Hannukah is a Jewish festival in November or December, celebrated for eight days.
- Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan.
- Vaisakhi is a Sikh festival on 14 April.
Free practice questions
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When is St David's Day?Answer: ASt David is the patron saint of Wales, and his day is 1 March.
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Who is the patron saint of Scotland?Answer: CSt Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St Andrew's Day, 30 November, is an official holiday there.
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What does Bonfire Night remember?Answer: DBonfire Night marks the failure of a group led by Guy Fawkes to kill the king with a bomb in the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
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What is Hogmanay?Answer: AHogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve, 31 December.
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At what time is the two-minute silence held on Remembrance Day?Answer: BThe two-minute silence is held at 11am on 11 November, the time the First World War ended.
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Which festival is known as the Festival of Lights and celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs?Answer: CDiwali, usually in October or November, is often called the Festival of Lights and is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs.
Pass the Life in the UK Test on your first try
- All 338 questions on British values, the countries of the UK, history, modern society, and government and the law
- An explanation for every answer, with the handbook chapter it comes from
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