Fresh Calendars

UK & Canada

Christmas Bank Holidays 2026 in the UK: Boxing Day Moves to Monday, Dec. 28

Boxing Day 2026 is a bank holiday on Monday, Dec. 28, because Dec. 26 is a Saturday, GOV.UK says. See a leave planner, New Year dates and Royal Mail dates.

By

Published 4 min read

Christmas angel lights hang over Regent Street in London as shoppers fill the pavements
Christmas lights on Regent Street, London. Boxing Day 2026 moves to Monday, Dec. 28. Photo: Christine Matthews / Wikimedia Commons, cropped, edited · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0

Key date

  1. Dec 28MonUK Boxing Day bank holiday (substitute day)In 63 days+ Google

Add this date to Apple Calendar or Outlook (.ics)

1 free printable below ↓

In this article
  1. Is Dec. 28, 2026, a bank holiday?
  2. What are the Christmas and New Year bank holidays in 2026 and 2027?
  3. How can I plan leave around Christmas and New Year?
  4. Do I get the bank holidays off?
  5. What do Royal Mail’s Christmas posting dates look like?
  6. What happens in 2027?
  7. Where can I mark these dates?

Boxing Day 2026 is a bank holiday on Monday, Dec. 28, because Dec. 26 is a Saturday, according to the GOV.UK list of United Kingdom (UK) bank holidays. Christmas Day is Friday, Dec. 25, 2026, and New Year’s Day is Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. GOV.UK lists all three for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The leave planner below shows each day from Dec. 24 to Jan. 4 and which days our computation says can be bridged with three days of annual leave. A one-page version is attached as a printable.

Checked Oct. 25, 2026. The bank holiday dates come from GOV.UK. The Royal Mail dates further down are pending confirmation, and we will update this story.

Is Dec. 28, 2026, a bank holiday?

Yes. GOV.UK’s bank holidays page and its data file list “Boxing Day (substitute day)” on Monday, Dec. 28, 2026, in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Dec. 26 falls on a Saturday this year, so the holiday moves to a weekday. For the date question on its own, see when is Boxing Day in the UK and when is Christmas Day.

What are the Christmas and New Year bank holidays in 2026 and 2027?

HolidayDateWhere (GOV.UK)
Christmas DayFriday, Dec. 25, 2026England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Boxing Day (substitute day)Monday, Dec. 28, 2026England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
New Year’s DayFriday, Jan. 1, 2027England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
2nd January (substitute day)Monday, Jan. 4, 2027Scotland only

Jan. 2, 2027, is a Saturday, which is why Scotland’s extra holiday moves to Monday, Jan. 4. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have no bank holiday on Jan. 4. Our UK bank holidays 2027 story lists the full 2027 year.

How can I plan leave around Christmas and New Year?

This table is our computation from the GOV.UK dates, for a standard Monday-to-Friday week.

DateWeekdayEngland and WalesScotlandNorthern IrelandLeave planning
Dec. 24, 2026ThursdayNoNoNoChristmas Eve
Dec. 25, 2026FridayBank holidayBank holidayBank holidayChristmas Day
Dec. 26, 2026SaturdayWeekendWeekendWeekendBoxing Day date
Dec. 27, 2026SundayWeekendWeekendWeekend
Dec. 28, 2026MondayBank holidayBank holidayBank holidayBoxing Day substitute
Dec. 29, 2026TuesdayNoNoNoLeave day to bridge
Dec. 30, 2026WednesdayNoNoNoLeave day to bridge
Dec. 31, 2026ThursdayNoNoNoLeave day to bridge
Jan. 1, 2027FridayBank holidayBank holidayBank holidayNew Year’s Day
Jan. 2, 2027SaturdayWeekendWeekendWeekend
Jan. 3, 2027SundayWeekendWeekendWeekend
Jan. 4, 2027MondayNoBank holidayNoScotland’s 2nd January substitute

From Friday, Dec. 25, to Monday, Dec. 28, a Monday-to-Friday worker gets four days off in a row. New Year gives a three-day weekend, Friday, Jan. 1, to Sunday, Jan. 3, in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland, and four days in Scotland, Friday, Jan. 1, to Monday, Jan. 4.

Taking annual leave on Dec. 29, 30 and 31 joins the two blocks. In England and Wales that gives 10 days off, Dec. 25 to Jan. 3. In Scotland the same three days give 11 days, Dec. 25 to Jan. 4. The same dates apply in Northern Ireland as in England and Wales.

Do I get the bank holidays off?

Check your contract or ask your employer. This story lists the days GOV.UK names as bank holidays and does not set out what any worker is owed.

What do Royal Mail’s Christmas posting dates look like?

Royal Mail’s “Get ready for Christmas 2026” page lists recommended last posting dates for delivery within the UK before Christmas. Our research saw them only in a search listing, because the page blocked automated access. Treat them as listed by Royal Mail, check the page before posting, and expect that they may change.

ServiceLast posting date, as listed by Royal Mail
2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed ForFriday, Dec. 18
Royal Mail Tracked 48Saturday, Dec. 19
1st Class, 1st Class Signed For and Tracked 24Monday, Dec. 21
Special Delivery GuaranteedWednesday, Dec. 23
Letters to SantaWednesday, Dec. 9, 2026

We have not confirmed these dates on Royal Mail’s own page and will update this story when we do. We also have no confirmed bank or Post Office opening hours for the holiday days, so check with your branch.

What happens in 2027?

Christmas Day 2027 falls on a Saturday. GOV.UK’s data lists Monday, Dec. 27, 2027, as the Christmas Day substitute day and Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2027, as the Boxing Day substitute day in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland.

Where can I mark these dates?

Add the days to your own planner with the printable attached to this story. For another Scottish date this autumn, see our story on St Andrew’s Day 2026. To count down to the day, use the Christmas 2026 calendar and countdown, and see when is New Year’s Eve for Thursday, Dec. 31.

Free printable downloads

Every template is free, needs no sign-up and prints on US Letter paper. Choose PDF for printing or PNG for screens and documents.

UK Christmas and New Year Leave Planner printables

  • Printable planner of UK bank holidays from Dec. 24, 2026, to Jan. 4, 2027, with leave days marked.

    UK Christmas and New Year Leave Planner, 2026 to 2027

    A one-page planner for the December 2026 and January 2027 UK bank holidays, with the three leave days that bridge them.

    PDF · 1 page · US Letter

    Download PDFPNGSave
Back to top ↑

Frequently asked questions

Is Dec. 28, 2026, a bank holiday?

Yes. GOV.UK lists Monday, Dec. 28, 2026, as the Boxing Day substitute day in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, because Dec. 26 is a Saturday.

Is Boxing Day on Dec. 26 a bank holiday in 2026?

No. Dec. 26, 2026, is a Saturday, and GOV.UK lists the substitute weekday, Monday, Dec. 28, as the bank holiday.

Is Jan. 4, 2027, a bank holiday?

In Scotland, yes. GOV.UK lists a 2nd January substitute day on Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have no bank holiday on Jan. 4.

Do I get the bank holidays off work?

Check your contract or ask your employer. This story does not set out your entitlement.

Sources

  1. UK bank holidays (GOV.UK)
  2. UK bank holidays data, JSON (GOV.UK)
  3. Get ready for Christmas 2026: last posting dates (Royal Mail)

More in UK & Canada

All UK & Canada stories →
  1. Bonfire Night 2026: Fireworks Rules on Thursday, Nov. 5, Cut-Off Times and Buying Dates
  2. Remembrance Day 2026: Which Provinces Give Nov. 11 Off, and UK Remembrance Sunday on Nov. 8
  3. Canada Statutory Holidays 2027: The 10 Federal General Holidays and What Happens When Christmas Hits a Weekend
  4. UK and Europe Turn Clocks Back Oct. 25, a Week Before the U.S.: What Happens to the Time Difference