Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearWhat happens when a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
You get a weekday instead
A “substitute day” becomes the bank holiday, normally the following Monday (or Tuesday, if Monday is already one). The government sets these, and gov.uk lists them. In 2027, Christmas Day is a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 27 December.
Every substitute day, 2026 to 2028
| Bank holiday | Substitute day | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | Monday 13 July 2026 | Northern Ireland |
| Boxing Day | Monday 28 December 2026 | Whole UK |
| 2nd January | Monday 4 January 2027 | Scotland |
| Christmas Day | Monday 27 December 2027 | Whole UK |
| Boxing Day | Tuesday 28 December 2027 | Whole UK |
| New Year’s Day | Monday 3 January 2028 | Whole UK |
| 2nd January | Tuesday 4 January 2028 | Scotland |
Over Christmas 2027: Christmas Day (25 December) falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 27 December. Boxing Day (26 December) falls on a Sunday, so the bank holiday is Tuesday 28 December. New Year’s Day (1 January) falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 3 January.
What it means for you
- The substitute day is the bank holiday. If your employer gives bank holidays off, it's the substitute day you get, not the Saturday or Sunday.
- Part-time and don't work Mondays? A substitute Monday lands on a day you don't work, the same as any Monday bank holiday. How that's handled depends on whether your bank holidays are pro rata. Part-time workers and bank holidays.
- Christmas years like 2027 are good value. With the bank holidays on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December, three days of leave bridge to New Year. Christmas 2027: the days to book.
Sources
Checked on 26 October 2026. This is general information about the legal minimum in the UK, not legal advice: your contract can give you more, and can set its own rules for notice and carrying over. For help with your own situation, call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 (England, Scotland and Wales) or the Labour Relations Agency on 03300 555 300 (Northern Ireland).
More questions
Is the substitute day always a Monday?
Usually. When two bank holidays fall on the same weekend, such as Christmas Day on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, the substitutes are the Monday and the Tuesday.
Do I get the actual day off as well?
Not as an extra bank holiday. The substitute day replaces the weekend date. Whether you work on the weekend day itself is up to your employer and contract.