Summary
Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December 2026 — a national public holiday across all states and territories — creating a four-day long weekend in most states when combined with the Boxing Day substitute on Monday 28 December. This holiday period is part of the Australia Christmas public holidays 2026, ensuring that the vast majority of Australians have four consecutive days off from 25 to 28 December 2026. — NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, TAS, ACT and NT all observe Monday 28 December as a public holiday; South Australia observes Monday 28 December as Proclamation Day, a separate but equivalent public holiday that falls on the same date.
New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027 — another national public holiday — falling on a Friday, it creates a three-day weekend (1-3 January); combined with the Christmas long weekend and the working days in between (29, 30, 31 December), those who use annual leave strategically between Christmas and New Year can achieve an extended break of up to 16 days using as few as seven days of leave, or ten consecutive days using just three days of leave
Three states and territories observe part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve (Thursday 24 December) — Queensland from 6pm to midnight; South Australia and the Northern Territory from 7pm to midnight; NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT do not have a Christmas Eve public holiday
Christmas Day — Friday 25 December 2026
Christmas Day is a national public holiday across all eight Australian states and territories.
In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday — giving most Australians a natural four-day weekend when combined with the Boxing Day public holiday on the following Monday.
Boxing Day and substitutes — state by state
Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026 — a weekend. Most Australian states gazette a substitute public holiday on the following Monday.
| State / Territory | Public holiday | Date |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| VIC | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| QLD | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| WA | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| TAS | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| ACT | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| NT | Boxing Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| SA | Proclamation Day substitute | Monday 28 December 2026 |
South Australia note: SA does not observe Boxing Day by name — instead it observes Proclamation Day on 26 December, with a substitute on Monday 28 December. The effect is the same: Monday 28 December is a public holiday in SA.
Christmas Eve part-day public holidays
Three states and territories observe a part-day public holiday on Christmas Eve (Thursday 24 December 2026):
| State / Territory | Christmas Eve public holiday |
|---|---|
| QLD | Part-day from 6:00pm to midnight |
| SA | Part-day from 7:00pm to midnight |
| NT | Part-day from 7:00pm to midnight |
| NSW, VIC, WA, TAS, ACT | No Christmas Eve public holiday |
New Year’s Eve — Thursday 31 December 2026
New Year’s Eve is not a national public holiday. However:
- SA: Part-day public holiday from 7:00pm to midnight on 31 December
- NT: Part-day public holiday from 7:00pm to midnight on 31 December
- All other states: no New Year’s Eve public holiday
New Year’s Day — Friday 1 January 2027
New Year’s Day is a national public holiday across all states and territories.
In 2027, New Year’s Day falls on a Friday — creating a three-day weekend from 1 to 3 January 2027.
The full Christmas–New Year period at a glance
| Date | Day | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 24 Dec | Thursday | Christmas Eve — part-day public holiday in QLD (from 6pm), SA and NT (from 7pm) |
| Fri 25 Dec | Friday | Christmas Day — national public holiday |
| Sat 26 Dec | Saturday | Weekend (Boxing Day) |
| Sun 27 Dec | Sunday | Weekend |
| Mon 28 Dec | Monday | Boxing Day / Proclamation Day substitute — public holiday all states |
| Tue 29 Dec | Tuesday | Working day |
| Wed 30 Dec | Wednesday | Working day |
| Thu 31 Dec | Thursday | New Year’s Eve — part-day public holiday in SA and NT (from 7pm) |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day — national public holiday |
| Sat 2 Jan | Saturday | Weekend |
| Sun 3 Jan | Sunday | Weekend |
| Mon 4 Jan | Monday | First full working day of 2027 |
How to maximise your leave
With Christmas on a Friday and New Year’s Day also on a Friday in 2026-27, the holiday period is well-positioned for those who want to extend their break with minimal annual leave.
Option 1 — Four-day long weekend only (no leave required): 25 December (Friday) to 28 December (Monday) — four consecutive days off using no annual leave.
Option 2 — Ten days off using three days of leave: Book Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 December as annual leave — combined with the four Christmas public holiday days (25-28 Dec) and the New Year long weekend (1-3 January), this gives ten consecutive days off from 25 December to 3 January.
Option 3 — Up to 16 days off using strategic leave (NSW/VIC/QLD): Book leave from Monday 22 December through to Friday 2 January — including the two weekends and all four public holidays, this achieves up to 16 days off using approximately seven days of annual leave, depending on your employer’s shutdown arrangements.
State-by-state Christmas period summary
New South Wales
- Christmas Eve: no public holiday
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: no public holiday
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
Victoria
- Christmas Eve: no public holiday
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: no public holiday
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
Queensland
- Christmas Eve: part-day from 6pm, Thursday 24 December
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: no public holiday
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
South Australia
- Christmas Eve: part-day from 7pm, Thursday 24 December
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Proclamation Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: part-day from 7pm, Thursday 31 December
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
Western Australia
- Christmas Eve: no public holiday
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: no public holiday
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
Tasmania
- Christmas Eve: no public holiday
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: no public holiday
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
Australian Capital Territory
- Christmas Eve: no public holiday
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: no public holiday
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
Northern Territory
- Christmas Eve: part-day from 7pm, Thursday 24 December
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December ✅
- Boxing Day substitute: Monday 28 December ✅
- New Year’s Eve: part-day from 7pm, Thursday 31 December
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January 2027 ✅
FAQs (frequently asked questions)
When is Christmas Day in Australia in 2026?
Friday 25 December 2026 — a national public holiday across all states and territories.
When is Boxing Day in Australia in 2026?
Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026. Most states observe a substitute public holiday on Monday 28 December 2026. South Australia observes Proclamation Day on the same date.
Does South Australia have a Boxing Day public holiday?
Not by that name — SA observes Proclamation Day on 26 December, with a substitute on Monday 28 December 2026. The effect is the same: Monday 28 December is a public holiday in SA.
When is New Year’s Day in Australia in 2027?
Friday 1 January 2027 — a national public holiday.
Which states have a Christmas Eve public holiday?
Queensland (from 6pm), South Australia (from 7pm) and the Northern Territory (from 7pm) observe part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve (Thursday 24 December 2026).
Which states have a New Year’s Eve public holiday?
South Australia and the Northern Territory observe part-day public holidays from 7pm on New Year’s Eve (Thursday 31 December 2026).
What is the first working day back in 2027?
Tuesday 29 December 2026 is the first working day after the Christmas long weekend. The first full working day of 2027 is Monday 4 January 2027, after the New Year long weekend.
Related guides
- Australia public holidays 2026 — full list →
- Daylight saving 2026 Australia →
- What is a TFN in Australia? →
- What is Medicare in Australia? →
Public holiday dates are sourced from official Australian state and territory government calendars. Verify current dates at fairwork.gov.au before planning leave. Last updated October 2026.
Sources: fairwork.gov.au — 2026 public holidays (official) | wa.gov.au — Public holidays in Western Australia 2026-2027 (official) | publicholidays.com.au — Christmas 2026 Australia | forbes.com.au — Australian Public Holidays 2026: Every Date, State by State | manofmany.com — Every Public Holiday in Australia for 2026
