Are Christmas and Boxing Day stat holidays?
Christmas Day (Friday, December 25, 2026) is a paid statutory holiday in every province and territory and for federally regulated workers.
Boxing Day (Saturday, December 26, 2026) is a paid holiday under employment standards only in Ontario and for federally regulated employees (banks, airlines, telecom, Canada Post). In other provinces, many employers give it anyway, but it isn't required.
The catch in 2026: Boxing Day lands on a Saturday, so if you don't normally work Saturdays, special substitute-day rules kick in.
Christmas and Boxing Day by province
| Province / territory | Christmas (Dec 25) | Boxing Day (Dec 26) |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Yes | Yes |
| Federal (banks, airlines, telecom) | Yes | Yes |
| Quebec | Yes | No |
| British Columbia | Yes | No |
| Alberta | Yes | No (optional holiday) |
| Saskatchewan | Yes | No |
| Manitoba | Yes | No |
| Nova Scotia | Yes | No |
| New Brunswick | Yes | No |
| Prince Edward Island | Yes | No |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Yes | No |
| Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | Yes | No |
For the full calendar, see Canadian stat holidays 2026 by province.
What's open on Christmas and Boxing Day?
Christmas Day (Friday, December 25): in Ontario, most stores must close under the Retail Business Holidays Act. The main exceptions are small shops (under 2,400 square feet, three or fewer staff) selling only certain goods such as tobacco, antiques, handicrafts or books, gas stations, nurseries, flower shops and garden centres, and tourist areas named in a municipal by-law. The Act doesn't apply in the City of Toronto, which sets its own rules.
Boxing Day (Saturday, December 26): it's a paid public holiday in Ontario, but it isn't on the province's store-closing list, so stores may open. Hours vary — check the store.
Canada Post is closed on Friday, December 25 and Monday, December 28 (the Boxing Day holiday moves to Monday because December 26 is a Saturday), with no mail collection or delivery on those days.
Store closing rules outside Ontario are set by each province and city — check your province or the store. If you're working either day, the stat holiday pay calculator shows what you're owed.
Sources: Ontario — retail business holidays, Canada Post — holiday hours. A plain-language summary, not legal advice.
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday — what you're owed in Ontario
If a public holiday falls on a day you don't normally work, Ontario requires your employer to give you another day off with public holiday pay — a substitute holiday. It must be scheduled within three months (or 12 months if you agree in writing). Many employers simply give Monday, December 28 off.
Alternatively, if you agree in writing, your employer can just pay you public holiday pay for Boxing Day without giving another day off.
If you do normally work Saturdays — retail, restaurants, healthcare — Boxing Day is a regular public holiday for you: take it off with holiday pay, or work it for premium pay.
Ontario Christmas holiday pay example
Ontario public holiday pay is (regular wages + vacation pay from the four work weeks before) ÷ 20. For someone earning $20 an hour, 40 hours a week, with 4% vacation pay:
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages in the 4 work weeks before | $3,200.00 |
| Vacation pay (4%) | $128.00 |
| Holiday pay for Christmas Day | $166.40 |
| Holiday pay for Boxing Day | $166.40 |
That's $332.80 in holiday pay for the two days. Because the two holidays are back to back, both use the same four-week period. See the vacation pay guide for how the vacation pay part works.
Working on Christmas or Boxing Day
If you work a holiday in Ontario, you get 1.5× your regular rate for the hours worked plus public holiday pay — or regular pay plus a substitute paid day off, if you agree in writing. Working an 8-hour Christmas shift at $20 an hour would pay $240 plus $166.40 in holiday pay.
In other provinces, working Christmas usually pays 1.5× plus holiday pay; BC pays 2× after 12 hours, and Newfoundland and Labrador pays double time.