How many days until Boxing Day?
A live countdown to December 26 and to the public holiday when it moves.
When is Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is December 26, the day after Christmas, every year. It is a public holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries. In 2026 it falls on Saturday, December 26.
Many other countries also keep December 26 as a holiday under another name, such as St Stephen’s Day in Ireland or the second day of Christmas in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.
When Boxing Day falls on a weekend
The date never changes, but the day off can. In the UK, and in most Commonwealth countries that follow the same practice, a holiday that lands on a weekend gets a substitute day on the next weekday:
- Boxing Day on a Saturday (as in 2026): the public holiday is the Monday after, December 28.
- Boxing Day on a Sunday (as in 2027): Christmas falls on the Saturday and moves to Monday, December 27, so Boxing Day moves to Tuesday, December 28.
- Christmas on a Sunday: Boxing Day stays on Monday, December 26, and Christmas moves to Tuesday, December 27.
Other countries, and provinces or states within them, can follow different rules, so check the official list where you live.
How this countdown works
The big countdown runs to the start of December 26 in your own time zone. The line under it shows the public holiday under the UK rule, and in weekend years the countdown then carries on to the substitute day. The list shows Christmas Day and Boxing Day with any day off that moves.
If you live somewhere with a different rule, the countdown to December 26 itself still holds; check your local list for the day off. For the days before and after, see the Christmas countdown and days until New Year’s Eve.
Boxing Day for the next five years
| Year | Boxing Day | Public holiday, UK rule |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, Dec 26 | Monday, Dec 28 (substitute) |
| 2027 | Sunday, Dec 26 | Tuesday, Dec 28 (substitute) |
| 2028 | Tuesday, Dec 26 | Same day |
| 2029 | Wednesday, Dec 26 | Same day |
| 2030 | Thursday, Dec 26 | Same day |
Why is it called Boxing Day?
The name is usually linked to the British custom of giving a “Christmas box” of money or gifts to servants, tradespeople and others on the day after Christmas. Today the day is better known for time with family, walks, leftovers and sport: football in the UK, the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. In many places it is also one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Put the Boxing Day countdown on your Home Screen
- Install Left on your iPhone and open Ahead.
- Tap Add a date ahead, choose New date and name it Boxing Day. Set Starts to December 26 and Repeat to Yearly.
- Add Left’s Ahead widget to your Home Screen or Lock Screen and choose the date in Edit Widget.
Because the date is fixed, the countdown starts again by itself every year. The Home Screen widget guide covers each step, and the countdown widget page shows the widget styles.
Read more
- The best countdown widgets for iPhone
- Organise your dates in Ahead and Since
- Add a widget to your iPhone Lock Screen
Questions
When is Boxing Day 2026?
Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday, December 26. Because it falls on a weekend, the public holiday in the UK, and in most countries that follow the same rule, is the substitute day on Monday, December 28.
What happens when Boxing Day falls on a weekend?
Under the UK rule the public holiday moves to the next weekday. On a Saturday it moves to Monday, December 28. On a Sunday, Christmas takes Monday, December 27, and Boxing Day moves to Tuesday, December 28. Other countries can differ.
Why is it called Boxing Day?
The name is usually traced to the British custom of giving a Christmas box of money or gifts to servants and tradespeople on the day after Christmas.
Is Boxing Day a public holiday everywhere?
No. It is a public holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, though the rules can vary by province or state. Many European countries also have a holiday on December 26 under another name, such as St Stephen’s Day. In the United States it is a normal working day.
Keep the countdown in sight.
Add the date to Ahead in Left and a widget counts it down on your Home Screen, Lock Screen and Apple Watch, with a reminder before the day.
Scan or search "Left" on the App Store.