Is Boxing Day a bank holiday in the UK?

Yes. GOV.UK lists Boxing Day as a bank holiday in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. When 26 December is a weekend day, GOV.UK lists a substitute day: 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, and GOV.UK lists Boxing Day as a substitute day on Monday 28 December 2026 in all three.

Christmas Day is on Friday 25 December 2026 in 2026. In 2027, 25 December 2027 is a Saturday and 26 December 2027 is a Sunday; GOV.UK lists Christmas Day as a substitute day on Monday 27 December 2027 and Boxing Day as a substitute day on Tuesday 28 December 2027. The weekdays are calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement; the dates are copied from GOV.UK's bank holidays data as retrieved on 7 November 2026.

Boxing Day and Christmas Day in each nation, 2026 and 2027

GOV.UK publishes a separate list for each nation. For Boxing Day, the 2026 and 2027 entries are on the same dates with the same substitute-day marking in all three lists.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2026 and 2027 by nation, from GOV.UK
NationDateDayGOV.UK entry
England and Wales25 December 2026FridayChristmas Day
England and Wales28 December 2026MondayBoxing Day (substitute day)
England and Wales27 December 2027MondayChristmas Day (substitute day)
England and Wales28 December 2027TuesdayBoxing Day (substitute day)
Scotland25 December 2026FridayChristmas Day
Scotland28 December 2026MondayBoxing Day (substitute day)
Scotland27 December 2027MondayChristmas Day (substitute day)
Scotland28 December 2027TuesdayBoxing Day (substitute day)
Northern Ireland25 December 2026FridayChristmas Day
Northern Ireland28 December 2026MondayBoxing Day (substitute day)
Northern Ireland27 December 2027MondayChristmas Day (substitute day)
Northern Ireland28 December 2027TuesdayBoxing Day (substitute day)

The full 2026 lists are on UK bank holidays 2026 and the 2027 lists on UK bank holidays 2027.

Why the date moves

GOV.UK says:

“If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.”

GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (gov.uk/bank-holidays), retrieved 7 November 2026

GOV.UK marks the 2026 and 2027 Boxing Day entries as "Substitute day" in its data. To see whether a particular date is a bank holiday where you are, or when the next one is, use the bank holiday checker.

Pay, post and opening hours

GOV.UK says:

“Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays.”

GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (gov.uk/bank-holidays), retrieved 7 November 2026

“Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid.”

GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (gov.uk/bank-holidays), retrieved 7 November 2026

GOV.UK's page and data give dates and substitute days only; they do not give shop, branch or office opening hours. For post, see Royal Mail and bank holidays.

Frequently asked questions

Is Boxing Day a bank holiday in the UK?

Yes. GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 7 November 2026, lists Boxing Day as a bank holiday for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028.

What date is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists Boxing Day as a substitute day on Monday 28 December 2026 in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, which is calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement. Christmas Day is listed on Friday 25 December 2026.

What date is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2027?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists Boxing Day as a substitute day on Tuesday 28 December 2027 and Christmas Day as a substitute day on Monday 27 December 2027 in all three. 25 December 2027 is a Saturday and 26 December 2027 is a Sunday, which is calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement.

Why is the Boxing Day bank holiday on a different day when 26 December is a weekend?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays page says: “If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.” GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) marks the 2026 and 2027 Boxing Day entries as "Substitute day".

Is Boxing Day a bank holiday in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Yes. GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) has a Boxing Day entry in the Scotland list and in the Northern Ireland list, as well as the England and Wales list, and the 2026 and 2027 dates are the same in all three.

Does an employer have to give paid leave on Boxing Day?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays page says: “Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays.” It also says: “Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid.”

More UK pages

Sources

Reviewed 7 November 2026 against the GOV.UK page and data in the sources list. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with GOV.UK or the UK Government; GOV.UK is the official source, and any later change it publishes overrides this site.