That period between Christmas, New Year and returning to work is an often confusing stretch, with days blurring into one another as you finish off the Christmas leftovers and wait for life to resume as normal. This festive period may feel more confusing this year because there are substitute bank holidays being utilised. So is today a bank holiday?

A substitute bank holiday takes place when the original date of a bank holiday falls on a weekend.

This means this festive period Christmas and Boxing Day, there are three extra bank holidays.

Traditionally, Christmas and Boxing Day warrant bank holidays to give the working population some time off work.

However, 2021 saw both days fall on a weekend, so what does this mean for the days that follow?

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And that’s not the end of substitute bank holidays as Christmas 2022 falls on a Sunday.

So a substitute bank holiday for Christmas Day in 2022 will be on Tuesday, December 27.

Despite the enjoyable time off for many on a bank holiday, the observance means shorter shopping hours, some closures and even travel disruption.

Read on to find out what bank holidays mean for shops, supermarkets and banks.

Are shops open today?

Over the Christmas period, most shops close at some point, and some may be closed today.

With January 3 regarded as a substitute day for New Year’s Day, retailers may have altered their opening hours.

Most supermarkets will be open today, but it’s worth checking your local store’s opening hours before travelling as times may be reduced.

As there is a bank holiday on Monday, banks will be shut.

Most banks will reopen on January 4, trading as usual now the Christmas period is over.