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In British and Irish tradition, the quarter days were the four dates in each year on which servants were hired, and rents and rates were due. They fell on four religious festivals roughly three months apart.

The significance of quarter days is now limited, although leasehold payments and rents for business premises in England are often still due on the old English quarter days.

The English quarter days (also observed in Wales) are:

• Lady Day (March 25)
• Midsummer Day (June 24)
• Michaelmas (September 29)
• Christmas (December 25)

Lady Day was also the first day of the year in the British Empire until 1752. The British tax year still starts on 'Old' Lady Day (6 April under the Gregorian calendar corresponded to 25 March under the Julian calendar).

The English term cross-quarter days refers to holidays derived from the Celtic calendar. They are Candlemas, May Day (May 1), Lammas, and All Hallows (November 1).

There is a mnemonic for remembering on which day of the month the first three quarter days fall (Christmas should be easy enough to recall): The second digit of the day of the month equals the number of letters in the month's name; i.e. Lady Day is 25 March, and March has five letters; similarly June has four letters and September nine, so Midsummer Day and Michaelmas fall on the 24th and 29th.

The Irish quarter days were observed on the same days as in England. They are no longer generally observed.

The Old Scottish term days are:

• Candlemas (February 2)
• Whitsunday (legislatively fixed for this purpose on May 15)
• Lammas (August 1)
• Martinmas (November 11).

The Term & Quarter Days (Scotland) Act 1990 redefined the Scottish term days, at least in official use, as the 28th of February, May, August and November respectively.