The exact dates to book off to almost triple your time off over Christmas using only four days annual leave

With Halloween and Bonfire Night done and dusted it's time to start preparing for Christmas.

Obviously like any sane person you won't be decorating the house or playing Christmas songs until 1 December as is proper, but something you'll want to sort out as soon as possible is your time off.

For those of you fortunate enough to have the festive period off the days fall quite conveniently this year for making the most of your annual leave.

Since Christmas falls on a Friday this year the Boxing Day bank holiday gets shunted to the following Monday, 28 December, and it means the next bank holiday of New Year's Day also lands on a Friday.

So if you book Christmas Eve off and then take 29 to 31 December off as well you're golden for 11 days, downing tools on a Wednesday evening and not having to get back to work again for almost two weeks.

You'll have 25 to 28 December off as a chunky four day weekend, but you'll want more than that for Christmas (Getty Stock Photo)

If you've spotted this trick then there's a good chance your colleagues have too and everyone will be pushing for the time off, and the best way to make sure it's you is to be first in the queue.

If you've got some extra days left over then it's worth you trying to extend that 11 days off to 16 by taking off three more days in the week running up to Christmas.

We've suggested you try and take Christmas Eve off, but if you pull that holiday forwards to include 21 to 23 December then you're actually clocking off on 18 December and not back for two and a half weeks.

That'll come in extra handy if you're the type to leave present buying until very late, or if you have a lot of festive preparations to be getting on with.

If your Christmas break is starting with Christmas Eve then you're probably going to be quite busy and struggling for time to put your feet up.

Book them before your colleagues do, and check to make sure you get bank holidays off (Getty Stock Photo)

It is supposed to be a holiday, after all.

Those days are for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, if you live in Scotland then it's an even sweeter deal because you'll get your 4 January bank holiday so you get even more time off, you lucky so and so's.

Calculating how much time you can get off over Christmas for as few days of annual leave as possible is just traditional, and before you know it you'll be glad you put the effort in to make the most of your holidays.

Especially if you've essentially got an itinerary of relatives to see and various meals and meetings to do with your nearest and dearest.

That's even before someone dares suggest a Boxing Day walk in the freezing cold might be a good idea.