Boxing Day 2026 in Canada
Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday, December 26, 2026. It is a statutory holiday for federally regulated employers and in Ontario. It is not a stat holiday in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It is optional in Alberta: employers can choose to give it. Most stores must still close on Boxing Day in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Christmas Day falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday in 2026. The Christmas long weekend runs Friday, December 25 to Sunday, December 27 (3 days) across Canada. Because Boxing Day falls on a weekend, Ontario workers who would not have worked that day get a substitute day off with holiday pay, and federally regulated employees get their scheduled work day just before or after it off with pay.
Is Boxing Day a stat holiday?·What’s open on Christmas and Boxing Day·2026 long weekends·Advent
Do you get Boxing Day 2026 off? By province
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026. Where it is a stat holiday, the weekend rule decides which day you get off with pay. Store-closing laws are separate: some provinces close stores on Boxing Day without making it a paid holiday.
| Where | Stat holiday? | Your day off in 2026 | Stores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Statutory | On a day you would not normally work, such as a Saturday: a substitute day off with public holiday pay within 3 months (12 with your written agreement), or holiday pay instead if you agree in writing. | Stores may open. Boxing Day is a public holiday for employees, but not a retail business holiday. |
| British Columbia | Not statutory | No day off by law. | No closing law listed: each business sets its hours. |
| Alberta | Optional | Only if your employer gives it. | No closing law listed: each business sets its hours. |
| Saskatchewan | Not statutory | No day off by law. | No closing law listed: each business sets its hours. |
| Manitoba | Not statutory | No day off by law. | No closing law: each business sets its own hours. |
| Quebec | Not statutory | No day off by law. | Open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at most, because December 26 falls on a weekend. |
| New Brunswick | Not statutory | No day off by law. | Closed. Boxing Day is also a prescribed day of rest, although it is not a paid holiday for employees. |
| Nova Scotia | Not statutory | No day off by law. | Closed. Boxing Day is a designated retail closing day, although it is not a paid holiday for employees. |
| Prince Edward Island | Not statutory | No day off by law. | Closed. Boxing Day is also a retail business holiday, although it is not a paid holiday for employees. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not statutory | No day off by law. | Closed. Boxing Day is also a holiday under the Shops’ Closing Act, although it is not a paid holiday for employees. |
| Yukon | Not statutory | No day off by law. | No closing law listed: each business sets its hours. |
| Northwest Territories | Not statutory | No day off by law. | No closing law listed: each business sets its hours. |
| Nunavut | Not statutory | No day off by law. | No closing law listed: each business sets its hours. |
| Federal (Canada Labour Code) | Statutory | On a Saturday or Sunday you do not work: a holiday with pay on your scheduled work day immediately before or after it. | — |
Canada Post
Canada Post closes for Boxing Day on Monday, December 28, 2026: no mail collection or delivery, and its own post offices are closed. Post offices inside other stores keep the host store’s hours.
Banks and federal workplaces
Banks, airlines, telecoms, interprovincial transport and Canada Post fall under the Canada Labour Code, so Boxing Day is a general holiday for their employees in every province. On a weekend, they get their scheduled work day just before or after it off with pay. Check your bank for branch hours.
Questions people ask
+When is Boxing Day 2026?
Saturday, December 26, 2026, the day after Christmas (Friday, December 25, 2026).
+Is Boxing Day 2026 a stat holiday?
It depends on where you work. Boxing Day (Saturday, December 26, 2026) is a statutory holiday for federally regulated employers and in Ontario. It is not a stat holiday in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It is optional in Alberta: employers can choose to give it. Most stores must still close on Boxing Day in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
+Is Boxing Day 2026 a long weekend?
Christmas Day falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday in 2026. The Christmas long weekend runs Friday, December 25 to Sunday, December 27 (3 days) across Canada. Because Boxing Day falls on a weekend, Ontario workers who would not have worked that day get a substitute day off with holiday pay, and federally regulated employees get their scheduled work day just before or after it off with pay.
+Are stores open on Boxing Day 2026?
It depends on the province. Most stores must close on Boxing Day in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. In Quebec most stores may open only from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on December 26, 2026. Ontario does not count Boxing Day as a retail business holiday, so stores may open there. Elsewhere each business sets its own hours.
+Is there mail on Boxing Day 2026?
No. Canada Post closes for Boxing Day on Monday, December 28, 2026, with no collection or delivery. Post offices inside other stores keep the store’s hours.
+What is the next Boxing Day after 2026?
Sunday, December 26, 2027.