Updated October 2026
Christmas Day, December 25, 2026, and New Year’s Day, January 1, 2027, both fall on a Friday. If your employer pays biweekly on Fridays by direct deposit, that payday usually moves earlier, to the business day before: Thursday, December 24 or Thursday, December 31.
That is typical payroll practice, not a legal rule. It happens because Payments Canada, which runs the system banks use to clear payments, is closed on December 25. Its 2027 closure list, which would cover January 1, is not posted yet.
How a stat holiday moves your payday
When payday lands on a holiday or a bank closure day, employers usually send the deposit on the business day before. Banks can’t clear a payroll deposit on a day Payments Canada is closed. So a Friday holiday payday usually arrives Thursday. Your employment contract or payroll office has the final word.
Biweekly Friday payrolls run on one of two cycles, 14 days apart. We counted both from the calendar. You will hit one of the two big holidays this season, not both.
- Friday, December 25, 2026Cycle A payday, usually paid Thursday, December 24.
- Friday, January 1, 2027Cycle B payday, usually paid Thursday, December 31.
- Friday, March 26, 2027Good Friday, also a cycle B payday.
- Cycle A pays December 11, December 25 and January 8. Its next holiday payday is Christmas Day.
- Cycle B pays December 18, January 1 and January 15. It also lands on Good Friday, March 26, 2027.
- Weekly Friday pay lands on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday.
- Semi-monthly pay on the 15th lands on Family Day, Monday, February 15, 2027. Ask payroll whether that deposit moves.
Not sure which cycle you’re on? Count forward in 14-day steps from your most recent payday. If you land on December 11, you’re on cycle A. If you land on December 18, you’re on cycle B. Our guide to biweekly vs semi-monthly pay explains the difference.
Stat holidays from November 2026 to Easter 2027, by province
BC, Alberta and Ontario share four holidays in this window: Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Family Day and Good Friday. They split on the rest. Remembrance Day is a holiday in BC and Alberta but not Ontario. Boxing Day is a public holiday only in Ontario. Easter Monday is not a stat in any of the three.
| Holiday | BC | Alberta | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remembrance Day, Wed Nov 11, 2026 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Christmas Day, Fri Dec 25, 2026 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Boxing Day, Sat Dec 26, 2026 | No | Optional | Yes |
| New Year’s Day, Fri Jan 1, 2027 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Family Day, Mon Feb 15, 2027 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Good Friday, Fri Mar 26, 2027 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Easter Monday, Mon Mar 29, 2027 | No | Optional | No |
Alberta calls its stats “general holidays” and lists Boxing Day and Easter Monday as optional. In Ontario, Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday. The Ontario guide has substitute holiday rules for a public holiday that lands on a non-working day, so check them if you usually work weekdays.
Bank closure days that delay direct deposits
Payments Canada closes three times in this window in 2026: November 11, December 25 and December 28. Those are the days banks can’t clear direct deposits. A bank closure can differ from your provincial stat list. Boxing Day isn’t a stat in BC, but banks still close on Monday, December 28.
| Closure date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| November 11, 2026 | Wednesday | Remembrance Day |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| December 28, 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day (December 26 is a Saturday) |
| 2027 closures | Not posted | Not yet published |
From Friday, December 25 to Monday, December 28, banks do no clearing at all. That is four days in a row, counting the weekend. Family Day was not on Payments Canada’s 2026 closure list. Its 2027 list isn’t posted, so we can’t yet say whether January 1, February 15 or March 26, 2027 will be closure days.
Is Remembrance Day a stat holiday?
It depends on your province. Remembrance Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, is a statutory holiday in BC and a general holiday in Alberta. It is not a public holiday under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. Banks close for clearing that day across Canada, so a Wednesday direct deposit usually arrives Tuesday, November 10.
- BC: yes, a statutory holiday.
- Alberta: yes, a general holiday.
- Ontario: no. The ESA guide says employers are not required to give Remembrance Day off.
Even in Ontario, November 11 is a Payments Canada closure day. So a Wednesday payday can move to Tuesday wherever you live.
Government benefit payment dates in the holiday window
CRA benefits such as the CCB move earlier, not later, when a date lands on a weekend or holiday. The Canada Child Benefit pays December 11 instead of the 20th. CPP and OAS pay December 22. The CRA payment dates page and the benefits calendar list no 2027 dates yet. Here is every date in the window from the CRA and the benefits calendar.
| Benefit | November 2026 | December 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Child Benefit | Fri Nov 20 | Fri Dec 11 (early) | Not posted |
| CPP and OAS | Thu Nov 26 | Tue Dec 22 | Not posted |
| Canada Disability Benefit | Thu Nov 19 | Thu Dec 17 | Not posted |
| Ontario Trillium Benefit | Tue Nov 10 | Thu Dec 10 | Not posted |
| Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (replaced the GST/HST credit) | None | None | Tue Jan 5, 2027 (CRA booklet RC4210) |
The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026, and last paid October 5, 2026. The CRA’s rule is the 5th of the month, or the last business day before it. For the CCB, it is the 20th.
If a payment hasn’t arrived, the CRA asks you to wait 5 working days for the CCB and 10 for the Groceries and Essentials Benefit or OTB.
Provincial assistance in the window: BC pays November 18 and December 16, Alberta pays November 25 and December 22, and Ontario pays November 30. Full schedules are in our BC, Alberta and Ontario guides, plus CCB and CPP and OAS dates.
Short before payday?
An early holiday payday can leave a longer gap before the next one. Start with options that cost nothing: ask your landlord or biller for a few days, or ask payroll whether a pay advance is possible. A no-fee overdraft comes next. A wage advance or loan should be the last step, because it costs money.
NotchUp offers wage advances in BC; apply with NotchUp. For more on uneven months, see our 2026 paycheque gaps research.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get paid early if payday is on a stat holiday?
Usually, yes. Employers that pay by direct deposit usually send it on the business day before, because banks can’t clear payments on a Payments Canada closure day. That is common practice, not a legal rule, so check with your payroll office. For a Friday, December 25, 2026 payday, expect Thursday, December 24.
Will my direct deposit go through on Christmas Day?
No. Payments Canada is closed on Friday, December 25, 2026, and again on Monday, December 28 for Boxing Day. Banks do no clearing from December 25 through December 28, counting the weekend. A deposit due in that window usually arrives on Thursday, December 24. If your payer doesn’t send it early, the next business day is Tuesday, December 29.
Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in BC?
No. BC’s Employment Standards page says Boxing Day, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are not statutory holidays in BC. In Alberta, Boxing Day is optional, at the employer’s choice. In Ontario, it is a public holiday. Banks across Canada still close on Monday, December 28, 2026, because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday.
Is Family Day a bank holiday in 2027?
Family Day, Monday, February 15, 2027, is a stat in BC, Alberta and Ontario. Payments Canada did not list Family Day as a closure in 2026, and its 2027 list isn’t posted yet. If you are paid semi-monthly on the 15th, ask your payroll office whether that deposit moves to Friday, February 12.
Is Easter Monday a stat holiday?
Not in BC, Alberta or Ontario. Easter Monday, March 29, 2027, is not a statutory holiday in BC. Alberta lists it as optional, and Ontario’s guide says employers don’t have to give it off. Good Friday, March 26, 2027, is a stat in all three provinces, and it falls on a Friday payday for some biweekly workers.
Sources
- Payments Canada: system closure schedule, checked October 19, 2026
- BC: statutory holidays, Alberta: general holidays and Ontario: public holidays, checked October 19, 2026
- CRA: benefit payment dates and Government of Canada benefits calendar, checked October 19, 2026
- CRA: Canada Child Benefit booklet and Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit booklet, checked October 19, 2026
More guides in the NotchUp Learn hub.
