In 2027, both Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend, meaning substitute bank holidays will take place on Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December in England and Wales.
Although Christmas Day and Boxing Day always fall on December 25 and 26, the associated bank holidays can change. If those two days land on a weekend, the Government can allocate what is known as a 'substitute bank holiday'.
How Many Bank Holidays Are There?
Most years, England and Wales celebrate eight bank holidays, with Scotland recognising nine and Northern Ireland celebrating ten. There are exemptions to this on special occasions when extra bank holidays get added.
One example was in 2022 when the UK had two extra bank holidays - one on 3 June 2022 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, and another on 19 September for her funeral.
Past and Potential Extra Bank Holidays
There was some speculation last year that the UK might have had an extra bank holiday in 2025 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which took place on May 8, but this was not the case. Then this year, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer hinted that if England were to win the World Cup, there could be a discussion regarding an extra bank holiday.
With only eight recognised bank holidays in England, there is only one country in the world which celebrates fewer bank holidays than England, which is Mexico with only seven official public holidays. Across the world, India is the nation that has the most, with 21 days that are recognised as national holidays.
Confirmed Bank Holidays for 2026 and 2027
When Boxing Day, Christmas Day or New Year's Day land on a weekend, the Government allocates a substitute bank holiday on a week day - usually the following Monday. Boxing Day this year lands on a Saturday, which means a substitute bank holiday will take place on Monday 28 December.
Here are the confirmed bank holidays for what is left of 2026 and for the whole of 2027 for England and Wales.
Confirmed bank holidays for rest of 2026 (England and Wales):
Friday 25 December - Christmas Day
Monday 28 December - Boxing Day (substitute day)
Confirmed bank holidays for 2027 (England and Wales):
Friday 1 January - New Year's Day
Friday 26 March - Good Friday
Monday 29 March - Easter Monday
Monday 3 May - Early May Bank Holiday
Monday 31 May - Spring bank holiday
Monday 30 August - Summer bank holiday
Monday 27 December - Christmas Day (substitute day)
Tuesday 28 December - Boxing Day (substitute day)
