- The UK is historically a Christian country.
- In the 2011 Census, 59% of people identified themselves as Christian.
- Much smaller proportions identified themselves as Muslim (4.8%), Hindu (1.5%), Sikh (0.8%) and Jewish or Buddhist (both less than 0.5%).
- There are religious buildings for other religions all over the UK.
- This includes Islamic mosques, Hindu temples, Jewish synagogues, Sikh gurdwaras and Buddhist temples.
- However, everyone has the legal right to choose their religion, or to choose not to practise a religion.
- In the 2011 census, 25% of people said that they had no religion.
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Christian churches
- In England, there is a constitutional link between Church and state.
- The official Church of the state is the Church of England (called the Anglican Church in other countries and the Episcopal Church in Scotland and the United States).
- It is a Protestant Church and has existed since the Reformation in the 1530s.
- The monarch is the head of the Church of England.
- The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
- The monarch has the right to select the Archbishop and other senior church officials, but usually the choice is made by the Prime Minister and a committee appointed by the Church.
- Several Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords.
- In Scotland, the national Church is the Church of Scotland, which is a Presbyterian Church.
- It is governed by ministers and elders.
- The chairperson of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the Moderator, who is appointed for one year only and often speaks on behalf of that Church.
- There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Other Protestant Christian groups in the UK are Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Quakers.
- There are also other denominations of Christianity, the biggest of which is Roman Catholic.
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Patron saints’ days
- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint, called a patron saint.
- Each saint has a special day: 1 March: St David’s Day, Wales, 17 March: St Patrick’s Day, Northern Ireland, 23 April: St George’s Day, England, 30 November: St Andrew’s Day, Scotland.
- Only Scotland and Northern Ireland have their patron saint’s day as an official holiday (although in Scotland not all businesses and offices will close).
- Events are held across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the rest of the country, especially where there are a lot of people of Scottish, Northern Irish and Irish heritage.
- While the patron saints’ days are no longer public holidays in England and Wales, they are still celebrated.
- Parades and small festivals are held all over the two countries.
✅ Self-check — can you explain each of these?