Christmas Day
Christmas Day is a UK-wide bank holiday observed on 25 December. When 25 December falls at a weekend, a substitute bank holiday is granted on the next available weekday — typically the following Tuesday.
When is Christmas Day?
| Year | Date | Day | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day 2026 |
| 2027 | 27 December 2027 | Monday | Christmas Day 2027 |
| 2028 | 25 December 2028 | Monday | Christmas Day 2028 |
History
Christmas Day became a bank holiday across England, Wales and Northern Ireland under the Bank Holidays Act 1871. Scotland is the outlier: the Scottish Reformation had effectively suppressed Christmas as a public observance, and it did not become a Scottish bank holiday until 1958.
For most of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, Christmas Day in Scotland was a normal working day — Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) carried the festive weight instead, a pattern still visible in Scottish New Year traditions today.
Traditions
The British Christmas tradition is densely layered: turkey and roast dinners, the King’s Christmas Broadcast at 3pm (a tradition started by George V in 1932), Christmas crackers, mince pies, and family television including Doctor Who specials and the Christmas Day football fixture programme — which, despite being deeply traditional in lower leagues until 1957, no longer features any Premier League matches.
Observance
Banks, the Bank of England payment systems, the London Stock Exchange and the vast majority of retail are closed. Most public transport does not run at all on Christmas Day — TfL underground and London buses do not operate, although many taxi and ride-share services do. The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 prohibits large shops in England and Wales from opening at all.
Where it is observed
Christmas Day is a bank holiday in England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.