Bank holiday guide
Is 2nd January a Bank Holiday?
Only in Scotland. 2 January is a bank holiday there and a normal working day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, unless it happens to be the substitute day for New Year's Day.
Next 2nd January bank holiday
Observed on a substitute day.
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Days
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Secs
Then Tuesday 4 January 2028.
The short answer
Yes in Scotland. No in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
When is the 2nd January bank holiday in Scotland?
The holiday is 2 January when that is a weekday. If 2 January is a Saturday or Sunday, or if New Year's Day has already been moved onto it, the bank holiday shifts to the next free weekday.
In practice the two Scottish New Year holidays always sit side by side: they take the first two weekdays of the year on or after 1 January.
2nd January bank holiday dates 2027 to 2036
Upcoming dates for the next ten years. Select a year for every bank holiday in it.
| Year | Bank holiday date |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Substitute day |
| 2028 | Substitute day |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2031 | |
| 2032 | |
| 2033 | Substitute day |
| 2034 | Substitute day |
| 2035 | |
| 2036 |
Show every 2nd January date from 1971 to 2050
| Year | Bank holiday date |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Not a bank holiday |
| 1972 | Not a bank holiday |
| 1973 | |
| 1974 | |
| 1975 | |
| 1976 | |
| 1977 | Substitute day |
| 1978 | Substitute day |
| 1979 | |
| 1980 | |
| 1981 | |
| 1982 | Substitute day |
| 1983 | Substitute day |
| 1984 | Substitute day |
| 1985 | |
| 1986 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1988 | Substitute day |
| 1989 | Substitute day |
| 1990 | |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | |
| 1993 | Substitute day |
| 1994 | Substitute day |
| 1995 | Substitute day |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | Substitute day |
| 2000 | Substitute day |
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | Substitute day |
| 2006 | Substitute day |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | Substitute day |
| 2011 | Substitute day |
| 2012 | Substitute day |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | Substitute day |
| 2017 | Substitute day |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | Substitute day |
| 2022 | Substitute day |
| 2023 | Substitute day |
| 2024 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | Substitute day |
| 2028 | Substitute day |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2031 | |
| 2032 | |
| 2033 | Substitute day |
| 2034 | Substitute day |
| 2035 | |
| 2036 | |
| 2037 | |
| 2038 | Substitute day |
| 2039 | Substitute day |
| 2040 | Substitute day |
| 2041 | |
| 2042 | |
| 2043 | |
| 2044 | Substitute day |
| 2045 | Substitute day |
| 2046 | |
| 2047 | |
| 2048 | |
| 2049 | Substitute day |
| 2050 | Substitute day |
Dates follow the official GOV.UK bank holiday list where published. Later years are calculated from the statutory rules and can change if a holiday is added or moved by royal proclamation.
Is 2 January a bank holiday in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
No. Outside Scotland, 2 January is an ordinary working day.
There is one case that causes confusion. When 1 January falls on a Sunday, the New Year's Day bank holiday is observed on Monday 2 January across the whole UK, as it was in 2023. That Monday is the substitute for New Year's Day, not a 2 January holiday, and Scotland's own second day then moves to Tuesday 3 January.
When 2 January falls on a weekend: 3 and 4 January
- 1 January is a Friday: New Year's Day is observed on the Friday and the 2 January holiday moves to Monday 4 January.
- 1 January is a Saturday: New Year's Day moves to Monday 3 January and the 2 January holiday to Tuesday 4 January.
- 1 January is a Sunday: New Year's Day moves to Monday 2 January and the 2 January holiday to Tuesday 3 January.
Why Scotland has two New Year bank holidays
Hogmanay has long been Scotland's biggest midwinter celebration. For centuries Christmas was barely marked there, and New Year carried the feasting, first-footing and visiting instead. A second day off recognises that the party runs well past midnight.
The date is listed for Scotland in the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and has applied since 1973.
Do you get 2 January off work in Scotland?
Most people do, but not by right. As with every bank holiday, your contract decides. No law makes banks or businesses close, and firms that deal mainly with the rest of the UK may open as normal.
Larger shops and supermarkets usually reopen with shorter hours, public transport tends to run a reduced timetable, and schools are still on their Christmas break.
2nd January: questions
Is 2nd of January a bank holiday?
Only in Scotland. The next one is observed on Monday 4 January 2027, a substitute day. It is a normal working day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Is 2nd of January a bank holiday in England?
No. In England and Wales it is a normal working day, unless 1 January is a Sunday, when Monday 2 January is the substitute day for New Year's Day.
Is 2nd January a bank holiday in Northern Ireland?
No. Northern Ireland follows the same New Year rule as England and Wales.
When is the 2nd January bank holiday in 2027?
In Scotland it is on Monday 4 January 2027, a substitute day because 2 January falls on a weekend.
Why is 2nd January a bank holiday in Scotland?
Because New Year, not Christmas, was historically Scotland's main winter holiday. The second day is written into the bank holiday legislation and has applied since 1973.
Is 3 January ever a bank holiday?
Yes. When 1 January is a Saturday, Monday 3 January is the New Year's Day substitute across the UK. When 1 January is a Sunday, Tuesday 3 January is the 2 January substitute in Scotland only.
Will I get paid on the 2nd January bank holiday?
That depends on your contract. There is no legal right to paid time off or extra pay on a bank holiday in Scotland or anywhere else in the UK.
Are schools closed on 2 January in Scotland?
Yes in practice. Scottish schools are still on their Christmas holiday on 2 January, with term dates set by each council.