The Christmas and New Year period is an important time to spend with family, friends and loved ones. It’s also one of the busiest times of the year for retail and fast food workers.
The SDA Union has fought to protect your public holiday rights, including voluntary work on public holidays and public holiday penalty rates for those working over the Christmas and New Year period.
Whether you’re working through the festive season or enjoying some well-earned time off, we hope you have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year with the people who matter to you.
Below, you’ll find the 2026–27 Christmas and New Year public holiday dates for each Australian state and territory, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Remember, for most retail and fast-food workers, working on a public holiday is voluntary.
What are the 2026 Christmas public holidays?
Public holiday entitlements can vary depending on your Award or Agreement. SDA Union members can contact their local SDA Branch for advice.
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
- Thursday 31 December: New Year’s Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve (from 6 pm to midnight)
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Proclamation Day holiday
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Proclamation Day holiday
- Thursday 31 December: New Year’s Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Monday 28 December: Boxing Day*
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
*Tasmania does not yet recognise Boxing Day (26 December) as a standalone public holiday when it falls on a weekend. This means that in 2026 most Tasmanian workers will not get public holiday rates if working on an actual Boxing Day. SDA Tasmania Branch is campaigning to fix this:
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December: Boxing Day
- Monday 28 December: Additional public holiday for Boxing Day
- Friday 1 January: New Year’s Day
Did you know?
If a public holiday falls on a day you would ordinarily work while you’re on annual leave, eligible employees are paid for the public holiday and the day isn’t deducted from their annual leave balance.
In Queensland, 6 pm to midnight on Christmas Eve is a part-day public holiday. In South Australia, the public holiday begins at 7 pm.
South Australia has a part-day public holiday from 7 pm to midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Where you work matters more than where you spend Christmas.
Your public holiday entitlement is generally based on where you’re based for work purposes, rather than where you happen to physically be on the day.
Someone based in one state who travels interstate over Christmas doesn’t simply adopt that state’s public holiday calendar.
In 2026, Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December. Most Australians will get a public holiday on Saturday, and an additional public holiday on Monday 28 December. In Tasmania, workers will only get a substitute public holiday on Monday 28 December.
Read more about your rights when it comes to public holidays
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