2027 Long Weekends: How to Turn 8 Vacation Days into 19+ Days Off (US, Canada, UK)
If you plan around the 2027 public holidays, a few vacation days go a long way. Using our holiday calendars, we worked out the best dates to book: in the US, 8 vacation days become 19 days off. In Ontario, 8 days become 23. In British Columbia, 7 days become 21. In England and Wales, 7 days become 20.
Key facts
- The best deal of 2027 is Christmas. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day 2028 both fall on a Saturday, so the substitute days create a 10-day break for 3 or 4 vacation days.
- Holidays on a Thursday make easy four-day weekends: Canada Day (July 1), Veterans and Remembrance Day (November 11) and, in BC, September 30.
- Book early: the best bridge days are the ones everyone else wants too.
United States: 8 vacation days, 19 days off
These plans use the federal holiday schedule. If your employer doesn’t follow it exactly, adjust the dates.
| Break | Book these days off | Vacation days | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Day | Tue, July 6 to Fri, July 9 | 4 | 9 (Sat, July 3 to Sun, July 11) |
| Christmas and New Year | Mon, Dec 27 to Thu, Dec 30 | 4 | 10 (Fri, Dec 24 to Sun, Jan 2, 2028) |
| Total | 8 | 19 |
More options for the US:
- Thanksgiving: book Friday, November 26 for a four-day weekend. Add Monday to Wednesday (3 more days) for a 9-day break from November 20 to 28.
- Memorial Day: book June 1 to 4 for 9 days off, from May 29 to June 6.
- Juneteenth: it is observed on Friday, June 18. Book June 14 to 17 for 9 days off from June 12 to 20.
- Veterans Day (federal workers): it falls on Thursday, November 11. Book Friday the 12th for four days off.
Ontario: 8 vacation days, 23 days off
In Ontario, when Christmas, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day falls on a weekend, employees get a substitute day off. Most employers use Monday, December 27, Tuesday, December 28 and Monday, January 3, 2028.
| Break | Book these days off | Vacation days | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Day | Tue, Feb 16 to Fri, Feb 19 | 4 | 9 (Sat, Feb 13 to Sun, Feb 21) |
| Canada Day | Fri, July 2 | 1 | 4 (Thu, July 1 to Sun, July 4) |
| Christmas and New Year | Wed, Dec 29 to Fri, Dec 31 | 3 | 10 (Sat, Dec 25 to Mon, Jan 3, 2028) |
| Total | 8 | 23 |
British Columbia: 7 vacation days, 21 days off
BC has three statutory holidays on a Thursday in 2027, which makes for easy four-day weekends. Note that BC works differently from Ontario: when a statutory holiday falls on your day off, you get holiday pay, but the law doesn’t require a substitute day off. Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday in BC.
| Break | Book these days off | Vacation days | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Day | Tue, Feb 16 to Fri, Feb 19 | 4 | 9 (Sat, Feb 13 to Sun, Feb 21) |
| Canada Day | Fri, July 2 | 1 | 4 (Thu, July 1 to Sun, July 4) |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Fri, Oct 1 | 1 | 4 (Thu, Sept 30 to Sun, Oct 3) |
| Remembrance Day | Fri, Nov 12 | 1 | 4 (Thu, Nov 11 to Sun, Nov 14) |
| Total | 7 | 21 |
Want a long break in the fall? Book October 1 and October 4 to 8 (6 days) to get 12 days off in a row, from September 30 to Thanksgiving Monday, October 11. Many BC employers also close on Monday, December 27 for Christmas. If yours does, booking December 28 to 31 gives you 9 days off from December 25 to January 2.
England and Wales: 7 vacation days, 20 days off
| Break | Book these days off | Vacation days | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter | Tue, Mar 30 to Fri, Apr 2 | 4 | 10 (Fri, Mar 26 to Sun, Apr 4) |
| Christmas and New Year | Wed, Dec 29 to Fri, Dec 31 | 3 | 10 (Sat, Dec 25 to Mon, Jan 3, 2028) |
| Total | 7 | 20 |
The two May bank holidays (May 3 and May 31) and the Summer bank holiday (August 30) each give you a 9-day break for 4 vacation days. In Scotland, the dates are different: see our guide to UK bank holidays 2027.
Why Christmas 2027 is the best deal of the year
In 2027, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday. In 2028, New Year’s Day also falls on a Saturday. In countries that move weekend holidays to weekdays, this creates three substitute days in a row around the new year. Combined with two weekends, it means a 10-day break for only three or four vacation days. See which countries give a day back when Christmas falls on a weekend.
How we worked this out
We took the 2027 holiday dates for each place from official sources: the US Office of Personnel Management’s federal holiday schedule, Ontario’s and BC’s employment standards, and GOV.UK for England and Wales. Then we checked every possible block of days off around each holiday and kept the ones that give the most days off for the fewest vacation days. We assumed a Monday-to-Friday work week and that weekend holidays are moved the way the law or most employers do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the longest weekend of 2027?
Christmas and New Year. In the US, Ontario and England, the substitute days mean you can get 10 days off in a row for 3 or 4 vacation days.
Is Easter Monday a holiday in Canada?
Not under most provincial laws. It is a holiday for federal government workers and is optional in some provinces. In Quebec, employers give either Good Friday or Easter Monday.
What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend?
In the US federal system, a Saturday holiday moves to Friday and a Sunday holiday to Monday. In the UK, it moves to the next weekday. In Canada, it depends on the province: Ontario gives a substitute day off, while BC gives holiday pay instead.
Where can I see all the holidays for my country?
On our public holidays pages, with a printable 2027 calendar for each country.
Plan your year with a 2027 US calendar, a 2027 Canada calendar or a 2027 UK calendar.
