Christmas Bank Holidays 2026
Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. Here are all the Christmas and New Year bank holidays for every part of the UK, what is and is not a bank holiday, and what it means for your work and pay.
The Christmas bank holidays 2026 are Friday 25 December (Christmas Day) and Monday 28 December, the substitute day for Boxing Day, which falls on a Saturday. New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is also a bank holiday, and Scotland adds Monday 4 January 2027. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are not bank holidays.
Christmas and New Year bank holidays 2026 by nation
England, Wales and Northern Ireland have three bank holidays over Christmas and New Year 2026. Scotland has four, because it keeps 2 January as a holiday too.
| Date | Bank holiday | England and Wales | Scotland | N Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fri 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 4 January 2027 | 2nd January (substitute day) | No | Yes | No |
Why the Boxing Day bank holiday has changed in 2026
Boxing Day is always 26 December, and in 2026 that is a Saturday. When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, the next available weekday becomes a substitute day, so the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December 2026. Christmas Day is on a Friday, so it stays where it is.
The substitute date is set each year by the government and published on GOV.UK. It is not a new rule or a one-off change. The same pattern happened in 2015 and 2020, when Christmas Day was also a Friday. In 2027 both Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend, so both move, to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.
Is Boxing Day a bank holiday everywhere in the UK?
Yes. Boxing Day, or its substitute, is a bank holiday in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is one technical difference: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Christmas Day and Good Friday are traditional "common law" holidays rather than bank holidays set by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. In practice they are treated the same way, and GOV.UK lists them alongside the other bank holidays.
Is Christmas Eve a bank holiday?
No. Christmas Eve is not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK. In 2026 it is Thursday 24 December, a normal working day. Many employers close early or give it as an extra day off, but that comes from your contract or company policy, not the law.
Is New Year's Eve a bank holiday?
No. New Year's Eve, Thursday 31 December 2026, is also a normal working day. The bank holiday is New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, across the UK.
Is 2 January a bank holiday?
Only in Scotland. In 2027, 2 January is a Saturday, so Scotland's bank holiday moves to Monday 4 January 2027. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, that Monday is a normal working day. See all Scotland bank holidays.
The three-day week between Christmas and New Year 2026
With Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January both bank holidays, the week between them has only three working days: Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 December. Book those three days off and you are off for 10 days in a row, from Friday 25 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. In Scotland it runs to Monday 4 January, which makes 11.
Add Christmas Eve and it becomes 11 days, or 12 in Scotland, for 4 days of leave. The same thing happens again at Christmas 2027. Our guide to the UK three-day week explains both years.
Working at Christmas: pay and your rights
Bank holidays are not an extra legal entitlement. Almost every worker gets 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for a five-day week, and employers can count Christmas Day, the Boxing Day substitute and New Year's Day as part of it. What happens over Christmas depends on your contract:
- Working on a bank holiday: there is no legal right to extra pay or a day off in lieu. Time and a half, double time or a day back later only apply if your contract or staff handbook says so.
- Being told to take leave: your employer can require you to take holiday on set days, such as a Christmas shutdown, if they give notice of at least twice the length of the leave. Three days of shutdown needs at least six days' notice.
- Part-time workers: should get bank holidays pro rata. Someone who never works Mondays or Fridays would otherwise miss out on all three Christmas bank holidays in 2026. The Part-Time Holiday Calculator works out a fair share.
- Holiday pay: a paid bank holiday is paid at your normal rate. The Holiday Pay Calculator shows what a day of leave is worth, including for irregular hours.
To check how much leave you have left before the holidays, use the Holiday Entitlement Calculator. If your leave year ends on 31 December, unused days may be lost, so it is worth checking now.
Are shops and banks open over Christmas 2026?
Shops: in England and Wales, large shops of more than 280 square metres must by law stay closed on Christmas Day. In Scotland, large shops cannot open on Christmas Day or New Year's Day. Smaller shops can open, and Boxing Day opening is up to each retailer.
Banks: bank branches close on the bank holidays, so they are shut on Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January. Most open on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and the days in between, often with shorter hours, so check your own branch. Cards, online banking and Faster Payments keep working throughout.
Payday: Bacs, which most employers use to pay salaries, does not process payments at weekends or on bank holidays. If your usual payday falls on 25 or 28 December, you will normally be paid on the last working day before, usually Thursday 24 December. Many employers pay earlier in December anyway, so check your payslip dates.
Christmas bank holidays 2027 and 2028
GOV.UK has already published the next two Christmases:
| Year | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | New Year's Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fri 25 Dec | Mon 28 Dec (substitute) | Fri 1 Jan 2027 |
| 2027 | Mon 27 Dec (substitute) | Tue 28 Dec (substitute) | Mon 3 Jan 2028 (substitute) |
| 2028 | Mon 25 Dec | Tue 26 Dec | Not yet published |
For every date next year, including Easter and the May bank holidays, see UK bank holidays 2027, or check when the next bank holiday is.
Working days in December 2026 and January 2027
For a Monday to Friday worker, December 2026 has 21 working days in every part of the UK, after the two Christmas bank holidays. January 2027 has 20 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 19 in Scotland.
Sources
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, 2026 to 2028
- GOV.UK, Holiday entitlement: bank and public holidays
- Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004
- Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007
- The Working Time Regulations 1998, regulation 15
Christmas bank holidays: frequently asked questions
Quick answers for Christmas and New Year 2026.
When is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026?
Monday 28 December 2026. Boxing Day itself falls on Saturday 26 December, so the bank holiday moves to the next weekday. It applies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Why has the Boxing Day bank holiday changed?
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is given instead. Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, so Monday 28 December is the substitute day. It is not a new law. The same thing happened in 2015 and 2020, and it happens again in 2027, when both Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend.
Is Christmas Eve a bank holiday in the UK?
No. Christmas Eve is not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK. In 2026 it falls on Thursday 24 December and is a normal working day, although some employers give it off or close early.
Is New Year's Eve a bank holiday?
No. New Year's Eve is not a bank holiday in the UK. In 2026 it falls on Thursday 31 December and is a normal working day. New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a bank holiday.
Is New Year's Day 2027 a bank holiday?
Yes. New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a bank holiday in every part of the UK. Scotland also has 2 January as a bank holiday, which moves to Monday 4 January 2027 because 2 January is a Saturday.
Is 2 January a bank holiday?
Only in Scotland. In 2027, 2 January is a Saturday, so the Scottish bank holiday is Monday 4 January 2027. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 4 January is a normal working day.
Are banks open between Christmas and New Year?
Bank branches close on the bank holidays: Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January. They normally open on the working days in between, 29 to 31 December, and on Christmas Eve, often with shorter hours. Card payments and Faster Payments work every day.
Do I get paid extra for working on a bank holiday at Christmas?
Only if your contract says so. There is no legal right to extra pay or a day off in lieu for working on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or any other bank holiday. Many employers do pay time and a half or double time, so check your contract or staff handbook.