Boxing Day in Lesotho
Boxing Day falls on 26 December, the day after Christmas, and appears in Lesotho’s published holiday listings. The 1995 Public Holidays Act’s schedule does not name Boxing Day, while later official listings do.[1][3][4]
A holiday in Lesotho’s official listings
The Lesotho National Development Corporation lists Boxing Day among the country’s regular national holidays, and the Kingdom’s embassy in Washington also includes it in its public holiday calendar. These official listings place the holiday on 26 December, after Christmas Day on 25 December.[3][4]
The Public Holidays Act 1995 gives the King, acting on the advice of the Minister of Home Affairs, power to appoint additional public holidays by Gazette notice. Its published schedule does not name Boxing Day. A 2025 parliamentary statement described Boxing Day as a holiday not provided for in the 1995 Act and proposed adding it in a replacement bill.[1][5]
Paid leave and substitute days
The Labour Code Order says employees are entitled to a paid day off on a public holiday. If an employee works that day, the Code provides for double the ordinary daily wage, or—by agreement with the employer—the usual wage plus a paid day off in lieu.[2]
A 2025 statement on the Public Holidays Bill proposed moving a holiday that falls on Saturday or Sunday to Monday, with a further-day rule if Monday is also a public holiday. That statement describes a bill proposal, not a rule in the 1995 Act.[1][5]
How people observe the day
Boxing Day follows Christmas in Lesotho’s calendar. It falls on 26 December, after Christmas Day on 25 December.[3][4]
Residents may mark the day in different ways; visitors should avoid assuming that one account represents every community.
Planning around Boxing Day
A public holiday and paid-leave entitlement do not establish that every shop, bank, tourist site or transport service closes. The embassy closes on holidays falling on weekdays, but this does not set opening hours for services inside Lesotho. Check directly with the business or transport operator before travelling.[2][4]
Boxing Day in Lesotho: FAQs
Is Boxing Day a public holiday in Lesotho?
Do employees get the day off?
The Labour Code provides employees a paid day off on a public holiday. If they work, it provides for double pay or, by agreement, usual pay plus a paid day off in lieu.[2]
Are shops, banks and transport services open?
Check with the shop, bank or transport provider before setting out.
Sources and references
Sources used for Boxing Day in Lesotho:
- Public Holidays Act 1995- International Labour Organization NATLEX
- Labour Code Order, 1992- Lesotho Legal Information Institute
- Public Holidays in Lesotho- Lesotho National Development Corporation
- Public Holidays- Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho in the United States of America
- Public Holidays Bill, 2025: Statement of Objects and Reasons- Parliament of the Kingdom of Lesotho