Boxing Day in Luxembourg
Luxembourg lists Boxing Day, 26 December, as one of its legal public holidays and calls it the second day of Christmas in French and German. It follows Christmas Day, but the law does not automatically move the holiday to a weekday when it falls on a Sunday.[1][2]
A fixed date and a legal holiday
The date is fixed at 26 December under Luxembourg’s public-holiday framework, established by the law of 25 April 2019. It is one of 11 legal public holidays. The government’s English-language list calls it Boxing Day; the French and German Guichet pages call it the second day of Christmas.[1][2]
For salaried workers and apprentices employed by private-sector companies, a public holiday is generally a day off. Employers may require work only where business conditions make it impossible to leave the day free; workers who do work are entitled to the applicable pay premiums and compensatory rest. The precise entitlement depends on the person’s usual schedule and whether the date falls on a Sunday.[2]
Christmas context and local observances
Luxembourg’s government says most of the country’s public holidays have Christian origins and identifies 25 and 26 December separately as Christmas and Boxing Day. The Catholic Church also marks 26 December as the feast of Saint Stephen. These facts place the date in the Christmas period.[1][5]
The name Boxing Day is used on the government’s English-language holiday list. In Luxembourg, its legal significance is clearer than any special local observance: it is the second of two consecutive legal Christmas holidays.[1][2]
Work, shops and getting around
When 26 December falls on a Sunday, salaried workers who do not work that holiday are entitled to a compensatory day of leave. This is time off under employment rules, not a general transfer of the public holiday to another calendar date. For holidays in November and December, the government says compensatory leave is normally due within three months, or by March of the following year if business operations prevent that timing.[2]
Retail businesses are not generally required to close on 26 December: mandatory public-holiday closures apply on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Shops may open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays within the permitted hours, subject to exceptions and agreements, so check a particular shop before travelling.[3]
Use the official Mobiliteit.lu timetable and line search to check your route and departure for 26 December before setting out.[4]
Boxing Day in Luxembourg: FAQs
Is Boxing Day a public holiday in Luxembourg?
Does the holiday move when 26 December is a Sunday?
The calendar date stays 26 December. Salaried workers who do not work on a Sunday public holiday are entitled to a compensatory day of leave under the employment rules.[2]
Are shops closed on Boxing Day?
Not necessarily. The listed mandatory public-holiday closures cover 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, not 26 December. Individual shop hours can vary, so check ahead.[3]
How can I check public transport?
Use Mobiliteit.lu to look up the timetable for your route and travel date; confirm your departure there before travelling.[4]
Sources and references
Sources used for Boxing Day in Luxembourg:
- Public holidays in Luxembourg- Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- Working on public holidays- Guichet.lu, Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- Opening hours for craft and retail businesses- Guichet.lu, Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- Timetables and lines- Mobiliteit.lu, Public Transport Administration
- Angelus, 26 December 2025, Saint Stephen, Protomartyr- The Holy See