New Year’s Day in Jersey
In Jersey, New Year’s Day is a public holiday set out in the Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Act 2010. The law gives 1 January a weekday rule and specifies when a Monday substitute applies if the date falls on a weekend.[1]
Jersey’s public holiday rule
The 2010 Act sets the public holiday schedule under the Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Law 1951. It says 1 January is a public holiday when it falls from Monday to Friday. If it falls on a Saturday, the public holiday is observed on the following Monday; if it falls on a Sunday, the public holiday is observed on the following Monday as well.[1]
This weekday rule is specific and practical: the public holiday may fall on a different day from the calendar date of New Year’s Day. The States of Jersey publishes a bank holiday dates page for checking its official calendar. The legal rule, rather than a general assumption that every weekend holiday moves to Monday, determines the New Year arrangement.[1][2]
Time off and work
A Jersey public holiday does not automatically mean every employee is off work. The Employment (Jersey) Law 2003 gives employees an entitlement to leave on public or bank holidays, or substitute leave when they are required to work on those days. The law sets that entitlement within annual leave provisions, so employees who work on the holiday may receive leave on another day under the rules in the law or a relevant agreement.[3]
The Act lists New Year’s Day as a public holiday; it does not prescribe a particular ceremony, meal or community event for the date. The official material cited here establishes its legal status and the effect on leave, but does not confirm a single Jersey-wide New Year custom. Residents and visitors should therefore avoid treating activities such as coastal plunges or particular festive foods as island-wide traditions without checking a reliable local source.[1][3]
Shops and practical planning
Jersey’s shop-opening regulations allow general permits for shops to open on specified days, including Sundays, Good Friday, Liberation Day and 26 December. New Year’s Day is not among those days listed for a general permit. A shop may, however, apply for a single permit for specified dates, so the rules do not support a blanket claim that every shop must close on 1 January.[4]
The regulations also list exceptions to the permit requirement, including public passenger transport services, cab services, and certain premises at the port or airport. Those exceptions do not guarantee that a particular service will operate on New Year’s Day or follow its usual timetable. Check directly with shops, banks, attractions and transport operators for their opening hours and service schedules.[4]
New Year’s Day in Jersey: FAQs
Is New Year’s Day a public holiday in Jersey?
Yes. Jersey’s 2010 Act designates 1 January as a public holiday when it falls on a weekday and sets a Monday substitute rule for weekend dates.[1]
What happens when 1 January falls on a weekend?
If 1 January is Saturday or Sunday, the Act says the following Monday is observed as the public holiday.[1]
Does everyone get the day off work?
Employees have a statutory entitlement to leave on public or bank holidays, or substitute leave if required to work then. Individual arrangements can depend on the applicable employment agreement.[3]
Are shops open on New Year’s Day?
The general shop permit rules do not list New Year’s Day among the specified days for general permits, but a shop may obtain a single permit for a specified date. Check with individual businesses.[4]
Will buses and other transport run?
The shop regulations exempt public transport services and cab services from their shop-opening permit rules, but they do not state New Year’s Day timetables. Check the operator’s current schedule.[4]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in Jersey:
- Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Act 2010- Jersey Legal Information Board
- Bank holiday dates- Government of Jersey
- Employment (Jersey) Law 2003- Jersey Legal Information Board
- Shops (Regulation of Opening) (Jersey) Regulations 2011- Jersey Legal Information Board