Christmas Day and Boxing Day will both fall on a weekend in 2027, moving their associated bank holidays to Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28. The change will give people in England and Wales two consecutive weekday holidays after Christmas.
Why Christmas 2027 Will Have Different Bank Holiday Dates
Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027, followed by Boxing Day on Sunday, December 26. Under the UK’s bank holiday system, public holidays that fall on weekends can be replaced by designated weekdays.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the government has confirmed that Monday, December 27, will serve as the substitute bank holiday for Christmas Day, while Tuesday, December 28, will replace Boxing Day.
The arrangement creates a four-day period from Saturday through Tuesday, although the amount of time individual workers receive off will depend on their employment contracts and usual working schedules.
The same substitution system applies to New Year’s Day when January 1 falls on a weekend. It ensures that the designated bank holidays appear on weekdays rather than disappearing from the annual calendar.
The Full List of Bank Holidays in England and Wales for 2027
England and Wales will have eight scheduled bank holidays in 2027, spread across the year from January through December.
The year begins with New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1, followed by Good Friday on March 26 and Easter Monday on March 29.
The spring holidays continue with the Early May Bank Holiday on Monday, May 3, and the Spring Bank Holiday on Monday, May 31. The Summer Bank Holiday falls on Monday, August 30.
The final two bank holidays arrive at the end of December, with Christmas Day observed on Monday, December 27, and Boxing Day observed on Tuesday, December 28.
The calendar includes several opportunities for extended weekends. Good Friday and Easter Monday fall on either side of the Easter weekend, while the May and August bank holidays fall on Mondays.
The Christmas arrangement is different because two separate holidays require replacement dates, placing both observed bank holidays immediately after the weekend.
How the 2027 Arrangement Compares With Christmas 2026
The final bank holidays of 2026 follow a slightly different pattern.
Christmas Day falls on Friday, December 25, 2026, meaning it remains a bank holiday on its usual date. Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, so its substitute holiday moves to Monday, December 28.
That produces a four-day period from Friday through Monday for people who do not normally work weekends.
In 2027, the four-day period instead runs from Saturday through Tuesday. Employees who usually work Monday to Friday may therefore find the two consecutive substitute holidays particularly useful when planning annual leave.
A bank holiday does not automatically guarantee paid time off. Entitlement depends on employment terms, and employers can include bank holidays within a worker’s statutory annual leave allowance.
Could More Bank Holidays Be Added in 2027?
The United Kingdom has occasionally introduced additional bank holidays to mark major national events.
In 2022, an extra bank holiday took place on June 3 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Another was observed on September 19 for her state funeral.
An additional holiday was also discussed ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in May 2025, but no extra bank holiday was introduced for that anniversary.
Bank holiday arrangements also vary across the UK’s constituent nations. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schedules, which differ from those in England and Wales.
The published 2027 calendar for England and Wales lists eight bank holidays, with the final two scheduled for Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28.
