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Boxing Day: dates, traditions and planning
When is Boxing Day 2026?
Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday, 26 December, in ISO week 52. In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the substitute bank holiday is Monday, 28 December 2026. Christmas Day that year is a Friday.
In Australia and Canada, substitute arrangements are set by each state, territory or province, so check your local list for the exact weekday off.
When is Boxing Day 2027?
Boxing Day 2027 is Sunday, 26 December, in ISO week 51. Christmas Day falls on Saturday, so in the UK the substitute bank holidays are Monday, 27 December and Tuesday, 28 December 2027.
Australian states and Canadian provinces apply their own substitute rules. Use the official state, territory or provincial holiday list before booking travel or setting work rosters.
Why is it called Boxing Day?
The origin of the name is not certain. The most common explanations link it to Christmas boxes: gifts of money given to servants and tradespeople after Christmas, and alms boxes in churches opened to help the poor.
Today the day is known for family visits, sport — including Premier League football and the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne — and post-Christmas sales.
Where is Boxing Day a holiday?
Boxing Day is a bank holiday throughout the UK and a public holiday across Australia (in South Australia it is called Proclamation Day). In Canada it is a federal holiday and a statutory holiday in Ontario; other provinces differ.
It is not a public holiday in the United States or India, so this page does not list a date for them. Some countries call 26 December St. Stephen’s Day instead.
Explore the 2027 United Kingdom calendar with week numbers for holidays and clock changes. For exact intervals use the date calculator, compare cities in the meeting planner, or set a different event time in the custom countdown. The sunrise and sunset tool helps with outdoor plans.
