Christmas 2026 falls on Friday, 25 December 2026. Use our live countdown for a real-time day-by-day tracker, or scroll for the complete Christmas calendar and surrounding holidays.
Christmas Day is observed as a public holiday in 160+ countries — both Christian-majority countries and many secular ones where the day has become culturally important. For full December context, see /december.
Quick reference: Christmas 2026
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Christmas Eve | Thu, 24 December 2026 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, 25 December 2026 |
| Boxing Day / St. Stephen | Sat, 26 December 2026 |
| Orthodox Christmas | Wed, 7 January 2027 (Julian calendar) |
| New Year's Eve | Thu, 31 December 2026 |
| New Year's Day | Fri, 1 January 2027 |
| Twelfth Night / Epiphany | Wed, 6 January 2027 |
How many days until Christmas 2026?
The most reliable way to know exactly how many days remain is our Christmas countdown timer — it updates in real time. For quick reference, here are key milestones:
| Date | Days until Christmas (from Dec 25) |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2026 | 115 days |
| 1 October 2026 | 85 days |
| 1 November 2026 | 54 days |
| 1 December 2026 | 24 days |
| 15 December 2026 | 10 days |
| 24 December 2026 | 1 day |
Christmas calendar — key dates around Dec 25
The Christmas season extends well beyond December 25. Here's the full calendar:
Advent — Nov 29 to Dec 24
Advent is the 4-Sunday lead-up to Christmas in Western Christianity. In 2026, the four Advent Sundays are:
- Advent 1: 29 November 2026
- Advent 2: 6 December 2026
- Advent 3 (Gaudete): 13 December 2026
- Advent 4: 20 December 2026
Traditional Advent calendar windows open one per day from December 1-24.
Saint Days within Advent
- St. Nicholas Day: Sunday, 6 December — children receive gifts in shoes (Netherlands, Germany, parts of Europe)
- St. Lucia Day: Sunday, 13 December — Sweden, Norway, Finland — candle-lit processions
- St. Stephen Day: Saturday, 26 December — Ireland, Italy — also called Wren Day or Boxing Day
Christmas Eve — Thursday, 24 December
The most significant night in many cultures:
- Catholic / Anglican / Lutheran — Midnight Mass
- Germany / Austria / Czechia — main present-opening time (not Christmas morning)
- Poland / Lithuania — Wigilia / Kūčios — 12-dish meatless meal
- Italy — Feast of the Seven Fishes
- Mexico — Posadas processions
Christmas Day — Friday, 25 December
The day itself. Globally, traditions vary:
- English-speaking countries — morning gift opening, family dinner with turkey
- France — main meal Christmas Eve; lighter Christmas Day
- Greece / Cyprus — kalanta (carols) sung door-to-door
- Ethiopia — Genna (Ethiopian Christmas) is January 7 (Julian)
- Russia / Serbia / Ukraine — Orthodox Christmas, January 7
Boxing Day — Saturday, 26 December
Public holiday in UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Commonwealth countries. Traditionally:
- Servants and tradespeople received "Christmas boxes" of gifts
- Today: shopping sales, sports (cricket Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Premier League matches)
- Catholic countries: Feast of Saint Stephen
New Year's Eve / Day — December 31 / January 1
Closes the Christmas season for most traditions.
Epiphany — Wednesday, 6 January 2027
The 12th day of Christmas — commemorates the visit of the Magi (Three Wise Men). Public holiday in:
- Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Slovakia, Sweden
- Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay
- Many Catholic Latin American countries
Spanish-speaking countries traditionally exchange gifts on Epiphany (Día de los Reyes), not Christmas Day.
Christmas dates by country (public holiday observance)
| Country | Christmas Day | Christmas Eve | Boxing Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | half-day in some states | ❌ |
| United Kingdom | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ❌ | ✅ 28 Dec (Mon — substitute) |
| Canada | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ❌ | ✅ 28 Dec (Mon) |
| Australia | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ❌ | ✅ 28 Dec (Mon) |
| Germany | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ✅ 24 Dec (Thu, half-day) | ✅ 26 Dec (Sat) |
| France | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ❌ | ❌ (except Alsace-Moselle) |
| Italy | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ❌ | ✅ 26 Dec (St. Stephen) |
| Spain | ✅ 25 Dec (Fri) | ❌ | ❌ (Epiphany 6 Jan) |
| Japan | ❌ (working day) | ❌ | ❌ |
| China | ❌ (working day) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Saudi Arabia | ❌ (working day) | ❌ | ❌ |
Orthodox Christmas — January 7, 2027
Eastern Orthodox churches following the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on January 7, 2027. Countries:
- Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Georgia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt (Coptic)
- Several Orthodox communities in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria
Greetings
- English: Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas (UK)
- Spanish: Feliz Navidad
- French: Joyeux Noël
- German: Frohe Weihnachten
- Italian: Buon Natale
- Portuguese: Feliz Natal
- Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest
- Russian: Счастливого Рождества (Schastlivogo Rozhdestva)
- Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα (Kalá Christoúgenna)
- Filipino: Maligayang Pasko
Related references
- December 2026 calendar
- Country countdowns
- USA 2026 holidays
- UK 2026 holidays — Boxing Day
- Germany 2026 holidays
- Christmas Day holiday detail
- Boxing Day holiday detail
Substitution days apply when Christmas falls on weekends in some countries. Always verify your local public-holiday gazette for exact observed dates.