Boxing Day in Jersey
In Jersey, Boxing Day is observed on 26 December and is named in law as a public holiday, with weekday rules for substitute holidays when the date falls near a weekend.[1] A 1954 account of island Christmas customs recalls Boxing Day visits in Trinity, offering a specific glimpse of how the day was spent in one Jersey community.[5]
The holiday in Jersey law
Jersey’s Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Act 2010 sets out the island’s public-holiday calendar. It makes 26 December a public holiday when it falls on a weekday. If it falls on Saturday, the following Monday is observed; if it falls on Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday are observed; and if it falls on Monday, Tuesday is also a public holiday.[1]
For employees, Jersey’s Employment (Jersey) Law 2003 provides leave on public and bank holidays, or substitute leave when an employee is required to work on those days. Employment particulars must also set out the employee’s terms for holidays, including public holidays, and holiday pay. So the holiday’s practical effect at work depends on the applicable terms and whether the employee is required to work.[2]
A glimpse of local Christmas customs
A 1954 newspaper recollection records a local practice: the writer remembered accompanying his father on Boxing Day afternoons to collect “rentes” at La Bouctérie in Trinity. Their visit included refreshments and a substantial tea before the walk home.[5]
The same account describes family reunions and calls on neighbours during Christmas and the days following it. It also says that, apart from Christmas bell-ringing, there appeared to be few native Christmas customs.[5]
Shops and practical planning
Boxing Day does not mean every shop must close. Jersey’s Sunday-trading guidance says shops with a retail sales area of 700 square metres or less can obtain a parish permit allowing them to open on Boxing Day. Large shops can obtain restricted-hours permits for Sundays, Good Friday and Liberation Day; Boxing Day is not included in that list. Certain retail businesses may be exempt, and one-off or occasional permits may also be available.[4]
Check with the individual service or business before travelling or arranging errands, especially when the holiday falls around a weekend.
Meaning and observance
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day. Jersey’s law distinguishes the two: Christmas Day is observed by custom as a general holiday, while 26 December is designated a public holiday under the Act’s weekday and substitute-day rules.[1] The 1954 recollection documents neighbourly calls and hospitality around Christmas, including its Boxing Day visit in Trinity.[5]
Boxing Day in Jersey: common questions
When is Boxing Day in Jersey?
Boxing Day is 26 December. Jersey law provides substitute public holidays in certain cases when that date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday.[1]
Is Boxing Day a day off for workers?
Jersey law provides employees with leave on public and bank holidays, or substitute leave when they are required to work on those days. Check your employment terms for how your holiday leave and pay are arranged.[2]
Are shops open on Boxing Day?
Some may be. Shops with a retail sales area of 700 square metres or less can obtain a parish permit to open on Boxing Day. Check with individual shops for their opening hours.[4]
Sources and references
Sources used for Boxing Day in Jersey:
- Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Act 2010- Jersey Legal Information Board
- Employment (Jersey) Law 2003- Jersey Legal Information Board
- Bank holiday dates- Government of Jersey
- Sunday trading- Government of Jersey
- 1954: Few Jersey customs connected with Christmas (5)- Office du Jèrriais