How to get 12 days off for Christmas: three days off instead of six.

Plan your vacation for Christmas

According to The Sun: Although there are three months left until Christmas, now is the perfect time to start planning your time off.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays in the UK, allowing many Brits to enjoy long weekends.

However, if you are planning a longer winter getaway, experts advise how you can get nine days off by taking just three days of annual leave.

Many employers offer 28 days of annual leave, including eight public holidays.

The key to extended time off is making the right use of public holidays.

Since Christmas is a popular time for vacations, it's advisable to submit leave requests as early as possible.

Your employer is not obligated to accommodate your request, but the earlier you do it, the higher your chances of success.

Experts from Bainland Lodge Retreats have reported that a great way to maximize your holiday is to take off on December 22, 23, and 24.

After the festive dinner, you will have two days off, followed by the weekend. If you add holidays before Christmas, you can enjoy nine days off by turning your three days into nine.

And if you want an even longer time off, by booking the days off on December 29, 30, and 31, you can get 12 days off by taking only six days of annual leave. This is because January 1 is also a public holiday.

How to maximize annual leave in 2026

Experts from AttractionTickets.com calculated how you can get 59 days off in 2026 by using just 27 days of annual leave.

Thanks to Good Friday on April 3 and Easter Monday on April 6, you can get 16 days off for Easter if you book the days off on March 30 and 31 and from April 1 to 10.

You will need eight days of annual leave for this, but you will get double the days for relaxation.

You can also get a nine-day break by taking advantage of the May Day holiday on Monday, May 4.

By planning days off from May 5 to 8, you will have free time from May 2 to 10.

The same tactic can be applied to the second public holiday in May, which is scheduled for the 25th, allowing you to get 18 days off in one month.

If you take days off from May 26 to 29, you will have nine days of free time from May 23 to 31.

The public holiday in August falls on the 31st, and if you book a week after that (from September 1 to 4), you will have another nine days off from August 29 to September 6.

To conclude, in December, if you take days off from December 21 to 24 and 29 to 31, you will get 16 days of continuous leave.

Therefore, planning vacations can help not only with leisure but also create more opportunities for relaxation throughout the year. It is important to remember that clear planning and timely requests can significantly increase your chances of getting the desired days off. Keep public holidays in mind and allow enough time to arrange your leave to fully enjoy the festive season.