UKChristmas2026
For a Monday-to-Friday worker, propose 29–31 December 2026. If those dates are approved and the relevant national bank holidays are confirmed off, the break runs for 10 calendar days—or 11 in Scotland.
Check my region and workdaysThe exact answer
GOV.UK lists Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December (the Boxing Day substitute), and Friday 1 January as national bank holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For a standard Monday-to-Friday pattern, three approved leave days connect Friday 25 December through Sunday 3 January: 10 consecutive calendar days.
Scotland has the same three dates plus Monday 4 January as the substitute bank holiday for 2 January. Under the same work pattern and confirmed-off assumption, the identical request connects 11 days.
National bank-holiday dates do not guarantee paid leave or closure. Use the calculator only after choosing the treatment that matches your workplace.
Request-ready calculator
The search is deliberately bounded to 19 December 2026–4 January 2027. It finds the longest continuous span inside that window without using more than the selected leave allowance.
All calculation stays in this browser. The site stores only daily aggregate counters by bounded event name, page path, coarse source category and A/B variant—not your region, weekdays, settings or result.
Your bounded result · England and Wales
Crawlable exact plans
England, Wales & Northern Ireland · Mon–Fri
3 → 10 daysRequest 29, 30 and 31 December 2026
If approved and the three relevant bank holidays are confirmed off, the continuous span is Friday 25 December 2026 through Sunday 3 January 2027.
7 → 16 daysAlso request 21, 22, 23 and 24 December
The seven-date proposal connects Saturday 19 December through Sunday 3 January.
Scotland · Mon–Fri
3 → 11 daysRequest 29, 30 and 31 December 2026
Scotland’s 2 January substitute on Monday 4 January extends the same approved proposal through that Monday.
7 → 17 daysAlso request 21, 22, 23 and 24 December
The seven-date proposal connects Saturday 19 December through Monday 4 January.
Only the dates this plan uses
| Date | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | |
| Boxing Day substitute | Boxing Day substitute | Boxing Day substitute | |
| New Year’s Day | New Year’s Day | New Year’s Day | |
| Not a national bank holiday | 2 January substitute | Not a national bank holiday |
Dates checked against the GOV.UK regional calendars on 29 August 2026. For the complete April 2026–March 2027 ledger, use the 2026/27 bank-holiday checker.
Before making plans
For a Monday-to-Friday worker whose relevant national bank holidays are confirmed non-working days, propose 29, 30 and 31 December 2026. If approved, those three dates connect 25 December through 3 January in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or through 4 January in Scotland.
No. Thursday 24 December 2026 is not listed as a national bank holiday by GOV.UK. A workplace may close or offer another arrangement, but that is employer-specific.
Scotland has a national substitute bank holiday on Monday 4 January 2027 for 2 January. Under the confirmed-off assumption, it extends the same three-day leave proposal by one calendar day.
Yes. Annual leave remains subject to the workplace booking process, notice, staffing and contract rules. Treat every date on this page as a proposal until the employer approves it.
Sources and limits
The national dates come from the GOV.UK bank-holiday calendar, checked on 29 August 2026. GOV.UK’s booking-time-off guidance explains that an employer can refuse or cancel leave under the applicable notice rules.
Acas guidance on bank holidays and Christmas explains that bank holidays do not automatically have to be given as paid leave and may be included within statutory entitlement. Local holidays, school dates, shutdowns, rotas, part-day shifts and employer-specific closure rules are outside this model.
Do not book non-refundable travel from this result alone. Confirm the holiday treatment, leave balance and approval first. Read the calculation method and privacy boundary, or build a full 2027 plan.