You might have just returned to work after the Christmas holiday period, but if you’re smart, you’re already thinking about how to maximize your annual leave in 2024 to get the most consecutive days off possible. By strategically planning your vacation requests around public holidays, you can turn just a few days of leave into an extended break. In this article, we break down the public holidays in 2024 across the U.S., England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, and provide tips on how to strategically maximize your time off.
Public Holidays in 2024:
US:
– New Year’s Day: Monday, Jan. 1
– Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Monday, Jan. 15
– Presidents’ Day: Monday, Feb. 19
– Memorial Day: Monday, May 27
– Juneteenth Independence Day: Wednesday, June 19
– Independence Day: Thursday, July 4
– Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 2
– Indigenous Peoples Day (also observed as Columbus Day): Monday, Oct. 14
– Veterans Day: Monday, Nov. 11
– Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 28
– Christmas: Wednesday, Dec. 25
England and Wales:
– Good Friday: March 29
– Easter Monday: April 1
– Early May bank holiday: May 6
– Spring bank holiday: May 27
– Summer bank holiday: Aug. 26
– Christmas: Dec. 25
– Boxing Day: Dec. 26
Scotland:
– New Year’s Day: Jan. 1
– January bank holiday: Jan. 2
– Good Friday: March 29
– Early May bank holiday: May 6
– Spring bank holiday: May 27
– Summer bank holiday: Aug. 5
– St. Andrew’s Day (substitute day): Dec. 2
– Christmas: Dec. 25
– Boxing Day: Dec. 26
Northern Ireland:
– New Year’s Day: January 1
– St. Patrick’s Day (substitute day): March 18
– Good Friday: March 29
– Easter Monday: April 1
– Early May bank holiday: May 6
– Spring bank holiday: May 27
– Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day): July 12
– Summer bank holiday: Aug. 26
– Christmas: Dec. 25
– Boxing Day: Dec. 26
Ireland:
– New Year’s Day: Jan. 1
– First Monday in February: Feb. 5
– St. Patrick’s Day (substitute day): March 18
– Easter Monday: April 1
– First Monday in May: May 6
– First Monday in June: June 3
– First Monday in August: Aug. 5
– Last Monday in October: Oct. 28
– Christmas: Dec. 25
– St. Stephen’s Day: Dec. 26
How to Strategically Maximize Your Days Off in 2024:
January:
US – Take off Jan. 16 to extend the Martin Luther King Day weekend (Jan. 15).
February:
US – Take off Feb. 16 to have a four-day weekend before President’s Day (Feb. 19). Alternatively, take annual leave between Feb. 20 and 23 to have nine consecutive days off.
Ireland – Take off Feb. 2 to have a four-day weekend around the first Monday in February public holiday.
March:
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – Take off March 25-28 to extend the Good Friday (March 29) weekend into nine consecutive days off.
Ireland and Northern Ireland – Take off March 19-22 to have nine consecutive days off around St. Patrick’s Day (March 18).
April:
England, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland – Take off April 2-5 to have nine consecutive days off around Easter Monday (April 1). Combine this with the dates in March to have 16 consecutive days off for only eight days of annual leave.
May:
US – Take off May 24 to extend the Memorial Day weekend. Alternatively, take annual leave for May 28-31 to have nine consecutive days off.
England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland – Take off May 7-10 to have nine consecutive days off around the early May bank holiday (May 6). Repeat the same trick for the spring bank holiday (May 27) by booking off May 28-31, and you’ll have a total of 18 days off for just eight days of annual leave.
Ireland – Take off May 7-10 to have nine consecutive days off around the First Monday in May public holiday.
June:
US – Take off June 17-18 and 20-21 to have nine consecutive days off around Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19).
Ireland – Take off June 4-7 to have nine consecutive days off around the First Monday in June public holiday.
July:
US – Take off July 1-3 and 5 to have nine consecutive days off around Independence Day (July 4).
Northern Ireland – Take off July 8-11 to have nine consecutive days off around the Battle of the Boyne (July 12).
August:
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – Take off Aug. 27-30 to have nine consecutive days off around the August bank holiday (Aug. 26).
Scotland and Ireland – Take off Aug. 6-9 to have nine consecutive days off around the early August bank holiday (Aug. 5).
September:
US – Take off Sept. 3-6 to have nine consecutive days off around Labor Day (Sept. 2).
October:
US – Take off Oct. 15-18 to have nine consecutive days off around Indigenous Peoples Day (Oct. 14).
Ireland – Take off Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 1 to have nine consecutive days off around the last Monday in October public holiday.
November:
US – Take off Nov. 12-15 to have nine consecutive days off around Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11). Then take off Nov. 25-28 to have a nine-day break for Thanksgiving (Nov. 29).
December:
US – Take off Dec. 23-24, 26-27, and 30-31 to have 12 consecutive days off for Christmas, including the New Year’s Day public holiday (Jan. 1).
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland – Take off Dec. 23-24, 27, and 30-31 to have 12 days off between Dec. 21 and the New Year bank holiday (Jan. 1).
Scotland – Take off Dec. 3-6 to have nine consecutive days off around St. Andrew’s Day (Dec. 2).
In conclusion, by strategically planning your annual leave around public holidays, you can maximize the number of consecutive days off in 2024. Whether you’re in the US, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Ireland, there are plenty of opportunities to turn just a few days of leave into extended breaks. Plan ahead and make the most of your time off!