As the festive season begins to wind down, and the long dark slog of January awaits us, we are all trying to find some glimmer of hope for the year ahead.

This might just come in the form of new research which outlines how many of us could super-size our holiday allowance for next year - taking up to 63 days off with the use of just 28 days annual leave.

A majority of UK employees, working a standard five-day week, will be entitled to around 28 days of annual leave. But with a little strategic planning, savvy workers can 'stack', their annual leave days to stretch that standard holiday entitlement into significantly longer blocks of time.

Researchers at TargetJobs have outlined how you can, if you're careful, effectively double your annual holiday entitlement.

Bear in mind, though, that many of your workmates will be receiving similar advice, so you may have to be quick to snag the perfect holiday dates before someone else gets in there and beats you to it!

The first holiday you should try to book is tomorrow (Friday, January 2) - although that might be a bit short notice for some people. Factoring in weekends and bank holidays, that should see you enjoying a four-day break at the cost of just one day' leave.

Next up, comes your Easter break. Good Friday falls on April 3 this year, with Easter Monday on April 6.

By booking Monday, March 30 to Thursday, April 2 and then Tuesday, April 7 to Friday, April 10, you use just eight leave days but gain a relaxing 16 days off work.

You could use that to catch some spring sun as resorts in southern Europe start to warm up. Or, if sunbathing isn't your thing you might still be able to squeeze in a late-season ski holiday at a high-altitude resorts such as Val Thorens in France's Tarentaise Valley.

The following month there will be two official bank holidays. If you book four days off over each, you will get a nine-day break. That's enough to venture down to the Mediterranean, or even farther afield. If your budget permits you could fit in a week in the Caribbean.

The final bank holiday of 2026 Monday, August 31, can deliver an additional nine-day break, if you use four days of leave immediately afterwards.

Finally, looking all the way forward to next Christmas, the big day falls on a Friday. As Boxing Day is on a Saturday, that day off is shifted to Monday, December 28. This could see you using just seven days' leave to get yourself 16 consecutive days off.

You could lean into the Christmas atmosphere, and enjoy a snowy break in Lapland, or avoid the season altogether and plump for some winter sun.

Remember, though, popular dates like Christmas and Easter tend to get booked up quickly, so it's best to request your leave as early as possible.

Also, some employers will block out busy periods, preventing you from booking out individual days or even refusing to allow staff absence at certain times altogether.