How many days until Christmas?
Christmas 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027.
Christmas Day is fixed on December 25 in the Western calendar.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and has become a season of gift giving, decorated trees, lights and family meals for people of many backgrounds. The countdown is useful for the practical side: shipping deadlines for gifts, the last day to post cards abroad, and when to put up the tree. Many families treat the final weeks as part of the fun, with advent calendars marking off each day.
Christmas in the next five years
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 25 | Friday |
| 2027 | December 25 | Saturday |
| 2028 | December 25 | Monday |
| 2029 | December 25 | Tuesday |
| 2030 | December 25 | Wednesday |
Facts about Christmas
- December 25 was being marked as Christmas in Rome by the year 336.
- Christmas became a US federal holiday in 1870.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Christmas on December 25?
- The date was set by the church in the fourth century. Many historians link it to existing midwinter festivals around the solstice.
- When do Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas?
- Churches that follow the Julian calendar celebrate on January 7, which is December 25 in that older calendar.
- Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday?
- No, only December 25 is, although presidents sometimes give federal workers December 24 off by executive order.
More countdowns
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- New Year's Day
- Valentine's Day
- Easter
- Mother's Day
- Father's Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
Counting to a different date? Try the Date Difference Calculator.