Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in Canada? Federal and provincial answers, and what 2026 changes
Reviewed 4 November 2026
It depends on the jurisdiction. Boxing Day, December 26, is a general holiday under the Canada Labour Code, for federally regulated workplaces, and a public holiday under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. In Alberta it is only an optional holiday that an employer may choose to recognize, and the B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia sources do not list it as a statutory or general holiday. Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, 2026, and on Sunday, December 26, 2027.
On a Saturday: the Canada Labour Code, section 193(2), gives a holiday with pay on the working day immediately preceding or following when the Saturday is a non-working day. The Ontario and Alberta sources print December 26 and name no moved date. The full 2027 lists are on Statutory holidays 2027 in Canada, and a checker for any date is on Is today a stat holiday?.
Where Boxing Day is a statutory holiday, and where it is not
Federal (Canada Labour Code): listed as a general holiday
Boxing Day is one of the Canada Labour Code’s general holidays, for federally regulated workplaces.
“general holiday means New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is observed on September 30, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and includes any day substituted for any such holiday under section 195;”
Ontario: listed as a public holiday
The Employment Standards Act, 2000 lists December 26 as the eighth of its public holidays, and Ontario’s guide names it as Boxing Day (December 26).
““public holiday” means any of the following: 1. New Year’s Day. 1.1 Family Day, being the third Monday in February. 2. Good Friday. 3. Victoria Day. 4. Canada Day. 5. Labour Day. 6. Thanksgiving Day. 7. Christmas Day. 8. December 26. 9. Any day prescribed as a public holiday;”
Alberta: not a general holiday; an optional holiday an employer may recognize
Alberta’s page counts 9 general holidays and Boxing Day is not one of them. It appears in the page’s table of optional holidays, which employers can choose to recognize.
“There are 9 general holidays, also referred to as statutory holidays, in Alberta but employers can choose to recognize additional days as holidays.”
“Boxing Day | December 26 | December 26 | December 26 | December 26”
British Columbia: not a statutory holiday
B.C.’s statutory holidays page says Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday in B.C.
“Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in B.C.”
Manitoba: not a general holiday
Manitoba’s fact sheet says Boxing Day is not a general holiday.
“Employees who do not work on Easter Sunday, Terry Fox Day, and Boxing Day do not have to be paid because these are not general holidays. Although Remembrance Day is not a general holiday, there are restrictions for operating businesses and special requirements for paying employees who work that day.”
Saskatchewan: not on the Act’s list of public holidays
The Saskatchewan Employment Act lists ten public holidays and Boxing Day is not among them.
“For the purposes of this Part, the following are public holidays in Saskatchewan: (a) New Year’s Day; (b) Family Day; (c) Good Friday; (d) Victoria Day; (e) Canada Day; (f) Saskatchewan Day; (g) Labour Day; (h) Thanksgiving Day; (i) Remembrance Day; (j) Christmas Day.”
Nova Scotia: not among the six holidays with pay
Nova Scotia’s page names six holidays with pay under the Labour Standards Code, and Boxing Day is not one of them.
“The Labour Standards Code gives employees who qualify six holidays with pay: New Year’s Day, Nova Scotia Heritage Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, and Christmas Day.”
When December 26 falls on a Saturday, as in 2026
December 26, 2026 is a Saturday. Each source is read for what it says about a Saturday, and nothing is moved unless the source says so.
Federal: a day with pay on the working day before or after
“Except as otherwise provided by this Division, when New Year’s Day, Canada Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day, 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.”
Ontario: the date is not moved; some employees get a substitute holiday or public holiday pay
The Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Ontario’s guide give December 26 and name no other date for a Saturday. For an employee who does not ordinarily work that day, Ontario’s guide says:
“When a public holiday falls on a day that is not ordinarily a working day for an employee, or during the employee's vacation, the employee is entitled to either: a substitute holiday off with public holiday pay; or public holiday pay for the public holiday, if the employee agrees to this electronically or in writing (in this case, the employee will not be given a substitute day off).”
Alberta: the date is not moved
Alberta’s table prints December 26 for 2026 and says nothing about a different day for an optional holiday. If an employer recognizes Boxing Day, Alberta’s page says all employment standards rules related to holiday pay apply to it.
“Employers can choose to recognize additional days as holidays. If an employer recognizes an additional holiday, all employment standards rules related to holiday pay apply to these additional holidays.”
Canada Post: Dec. 28 in 2026
Canada Post lists Boxing Day (National) on Dec. 28 in 2026. That is Canada Post’s own schedule, not an employment-standards rule; see Canada Post holidays.
“When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it may be applied to the next business day. As such, post offices will be closed, and there will be no collection or delivery of mail.”
Jurisdictions without a checked source
No answer is given for these jurisdictions.
- Quebec: Source not yet checked.
- New Brunswick: Source not yet checked.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Source not yet checked.
- Prince Edward Island: Source not yet checked.
- Yukon: Source not yet checked.
- Northwest Territories: Source not yet checked.
- Nunavut: Source not yet checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in Canada?
It depends on the jurisdiction. The Canada Labour Code includes Boxing Day in its definition of general holiday for federally regulated workplaces, and Ontario’s Employment Standards Act lists December 26 as a public holiday. Alberta’s page lists Boxing Day only as an optional holiday, and B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia do not list it as a statutory or general holiday.
Is Boxing Day a statutory holiday in Ontario?
Yes, on Ontario’s list. The Employment Standards Act, 2000 lists December 26 among its public holidays, and Ontario’s guide to the Act names “Boxing Day (December 26)” as one of nine public holidays.
Is Boxing Day a general holiday in Alberta?
No. Alberta’s general holidays page says “There are 9 general holidays, also referred to as statutory holidays, in Alberta but employers can choose to recognize additional days as holidays.” Boxing Day is in the page’s table of optional holidays, so it is a holiday only if the employer recognizes it.
Is Boxing Day a statutory holiday in B.C.?
No. B.C.’s statutory holidays page says “Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in B.C.”, and the B.C. Employment Standards Act definition of statutory holiday does not name Boxing Day.
Is Boxing Day a general holiday in Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia?
No, on each source. Manitoba’s fact sheet says employees who do not work on Boxing Day do not have to be paid “because these are not general holidays”. The Saskatchewan Employment Act’s list of ten public holidays and Nova Scotia’s list of six holidays with pay do not include Boxing Day.
What happens when Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026?
December 26, 2026 is a Saturday. The Canada Labour Code, section 193(2), says that when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday or Saturday that is a non-working day, the employee is entitled to “a holiday with pay on the working day immediately preceding or following the general holiday”. Ontario’s Employment Standards Act and guide print December 26 and name no moved date; Ontario’s guide gives a substitute holiday or public holiday pay to an employee for whom the day is not ordinarily a working day. Alberta’s page prints December 26 for 2026 and no other date.
What weekday is Boxing Day in 2026 and 2027?
December 26 is a Saturday in 2026 and a Sunday in 2027. The Canada Labour Code and Ontario’s Employment Standards Act name the day as December 26 and do not print weekdays.
When is Boxing Day for Canada Post in 2026?
Canada Post’s holiday schedule lists Boxing Day (National) on Dec. 28 in 2026, not Dec. 26, which is a Saturday. The schedule says that when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, “it may be applied to the next business day”.
More Canada pages
- Statutory holidays 2027: federal and provincial
- Ontario public holidays 2027
- Alberta general holidays 2027
- B.C. statutory holidays 2027
- Manitoba general holidays 2027
- Is today a stat holiday? Checker
- Are banks open today? What the law says
- Canada Post holidays
- Is Remembrance Day a stat holiday?
- Family Day 2027
- U.S. bank holidays 2027 (a different country’s list)
Sources
- Canada Labour Code (Justice Laws), general holidays
- Canada.ca: Annual vacations and general holidays for employees of federally regulated employers
- Interpretation Act (Justice Laws), definition of “holiday”
- Ontario: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, Public holidays
- Ontario: Employment Standards Act, 2000
- Alberta: Alberta general holidays
- B.C.: Statutory holidays, Internet Archive exact capture of 3 October 2026
- B.C.: Statutory holidays (original page; gave no usable response to plain curl)
- B.C.: Employment Standards Act (BC Laws)
- Manitoba: General Holidays fact sheet
- Saskatchewan: List of Saskatchewan Public Holidays
- Saskatchewan: The Saskatchewan Employment Act (section 2-30)
- Nova Scotia: Holiday Pay (Labour Standards Code)
- Bills of Exchange Act (Justice Laws)
- Canada Post: Canada Post holiday schedule
- Canada Post: Mail and parcel delivery hours and days
Reviewed 4 November 2026 against the sources in the list. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with the Government of Canada, any province or territory, or Canada Post; the sources in the list are the official sources, and any later change they publish overrides this site. Pages fetched with plain curl were retrieved on 3 November 2026 (UTC); the B.C. page is an Internet Archive exact capture of 3 October 2026.