Christmas Day in Brunei
Christmas Day falls on 25 December and is listed as a public holiday in Brunei’s Employment Act. The law gives employees paid-holiday entitlements, with specific provisions for working on the day and for holidays that fall on a rest day.[1]
Public-holiday status and leave
Brunei’s Employment Act includes 25 December, Christmas Day, in its schedule of public holidays. Under section 70, employees are generally entitled to a paid holiday at their gross rate of pay when a public holiday falls during their employment. This is an employment entitlement; it does not mean every workplace must close.[1]
The Act allows an employer and employee to agree to substitute another day for a public holiday. If a public holiday falls on an employee’s rest day, the next working day is a paid holiday. If it falls on a day the employee is not required to work under their contract, the employer may pay for the holiday or give a day off in substitution.[1]
Some employees may be required to work on a public holiday. The Act generally provides for an extra day’s salary at the basic rate, in addition to pay for the holiday. It sets a separate substitution arrangement for public-service and essential-service employees required to work. The applicable provision therefore depends on the employee’s work arrangement; the holiday’s inclusion in the schedule does not establish one replacement date for everyone.[1]
Meaning of the day
Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. In a Christmas homily, Pope Francis describes the birth of Jesus as the heart of the feast and reflects on its religious meaning for Christians.[2]
In Brunei, the Employment Act establishes Christmas Day’s public-holiday status. That legal listing concerns employment rights; it does not set out a required form of worship or a national Christmas custom. [1][2]
Planning around Christmas Day
The public-holiday schedule names 25 December as Christmas Day. Because the Employment Act provides different outcomes according to an employee’s rest day, contract and work duties, workers should check their employer’s schedule to find out whether they receive the date off or a substitute day.[1]
The employment law establishes leave and pay entitlements, but individual shops, banks, transport services and other businesses set their own holiday arrangements. Check directly with the provider before making plans.[1]
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas Day in Brunei?
It is listed in Brunei’s Employment Act on 25 December.[1]
Is Christmas Day a public holiday in Brunei?
Yes. The Employment Act includes it in the public-holiday schedule and provides paid-holiday entitlements for employees, subject to the Act’s conditions.[1]
Does everyone get a substitute day if Christmas falls on a rest day?
The Act says that when a public holiday falls on an employee’s rest day, the next working day is a paid holiday. Other substitution situations depend on the employee’s schedule and the Act’s provisions.[1]
Are shops, banks and transport services open?
The employment law does not state individual business or transport opening hours. Check with the specific provider for its Christmas schedule.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Christmas Day in Brunei:
- LAWS OF BRUNEI: Chapter 278, Employment, Revised Edition 2026- Attorney General’s Chambers, Brunei Darussalam
- Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (24 December 2020)- The Holy See