Boxing Day 2026 in Canada: Saturday, Dec. 26, and Who Gets Monday, Dec. 28 Off

Boxing Day 2026 falls on Saturday, Dec. 26, and the Canada Labour Code lists it as one of 10 general holidays for federally regulated workplaces, according to the Justice Laws Website of the Government of Canada. Whether you get a weekday off depends on your employer’s province or territory, and on whether Saturday is a working day for you.

This story gives the rule for each province and territory that we could confirm, the federal “day before or after” wording that many calendars misstate as “always Monday”, and the Canada Post closure on Monday, Dec. 28. A one-page printable is attached. For the date alone, see when is Boxing Day.

Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in Canada in 2026?

It is a holiday in some places and not in others. The table lists what each government’s page says about Dec. 26, and what it says for a year when Dec. 26 is a Saturday. Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Nunavut are not confirmed here: their official pages were blocked to us, so check the labour standards office of that province or territory.

Province or territory	Is Dec. 26 a stat holiday?	What the page says about a Saturday	Source
Federal (Canada Labour Code)	Yes, a general holiday	A holiday with pay on the working day immediately before or after, if Saturday is a non-working day	Justice Laws, s. 193(2)
Ontario	Yes, “Boxing Day (December 26)”	Substitute holiday with pay, or public holiday pay if agreed in writing	ontario.ca
British Columbia	No	Not a statutory holiday	gov.bc.ca
Alberta	No, listed as an optional general holiday	Not a general holiday	alberta.ca
Saskatchewan	No, the 2026 list has no Boxing Day	Not applicable	saskatchewan.ca
Manitoba	No, “not a general holiday”	Not applicable	gov.mb.ca
New Brunswick	No, a prescribed day of rest, not a paid public holiday	Not applicable	gnb.ca
Nova Scotia	No, not one of the six general holidays	Not applicable	novascotia.ca
Northwest Territories	No, not addressed as a statutory holiday	Not applicable	ece.gov.nt.ca
Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Nunavut	Not confirmed here	Not confirmed here	Check the labour standards office

What does the federal rule say when Boxing Day is on a Saturday?

Section 193(2) of the Canada Labour Code says that when Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls “on a Sunday or Saturday that is a non-working day, the employee is entitled to and shall be granted a holiday with pay on the working day immediately preceding or following the general holiday.” The federal government’s holidays page says the same in plainer words: a holiday with pay on the scheduled work day immediately before or after.

For a Monday-to-Friday employee in 2026, Christmas Day is Friday, Dec. 25, a working day, so Christmas is the holiday itself. The Boxing Day holiday moves to the working day immediately before or after, which is Thursday, Dec. 24, or Monday, Dec. 28. The law allows either. It does not say Monday, so a calendar that always shows Dec. 28 for federal workers goes further than the text. Ask your employer which day applies to you.

What about Ontario and the other provinces?

Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) guide lists “Boxing Day (December 26)” as a public holiday. If a public holiday falls on a day that is not ordinarily a working day for the employee, the guide says the employee gets a substitute holiday off with public holiday pay or, if agreed in writing, public holiday pay for the holiday. The substitute day must be no later than three months after the holiday.

British Columbia’s page says “Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in B.C.” Alberta lists Boxing Day under “Optional general holidays”, not as a general holiday. Saskatchewan’s 2026 list has no Boxing Day, and Manitoba says it is “not a general holiday”. New Brunswick names it as one of “three prescribed days of rest that are not considered ‘paid public holidays’”. Nova Scotia’s six general holidays do not include it, and the Northwest Territories says Boxing Day is not addressed as a statutory holiday under its Employment Standards Act.

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) lists “Boxing Day | Monday, December 28, 2026” in its 2026 paid holidays for provincial government employees. That is the provincial public service, not a rule for private employers.

What happens in Quebec on Dec. 26?

Quebec’s store-hours page says that on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2026, stores may not open before 1 p.m. We did not confirm Quebec’s labour rules for the day, so check Quebec’s labour standards office or your employer for pay and days off.

Is Canada Post closed on Dec. 28, 2026?

Yes. Canada Post’s 2026 holiday list shows “Christmas Day (National)” on Dec. 25 and “Boxing Day (National)” observed on Monday, Dec. 28. Canada Post is closed both days. Our story on Canada Post Christmas shipping deadlines has the mailing dates.

What is not yet announced?

The federal public service has not published, in the sources we saw, which day it designates for Boxing Day in 2026, and we have no bank closure dates. We will update this story when they are published. Our Canada statutory holidays 2027 story covers the federal list for next year, and the UK treats this Saturday differently: see UK Christmas bank holidays 2026.

Where can I mark these dates?

Print the attached December 2026 sheet, or use the December 2026 printable calendar for the full month. More dates are on our Canada holidays page.