About Christmas Day 2026
Christmas Day 2026 falls on Friday, December 25, 2026, 57 days from today. Christmas is celebrated every year on December 25 and marks the birth of Jesus. In the United States it is a federal holiday, and in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada it is followed by Boxing Day on December 26.
The live countdown above runs to midnight at the start of December 25 in your time zone. Below you will find the days and sleeps left, the date in other countries, the advent calendar, a plan for the season and the dates of Christmas for the next five years.
- Date
- Friday, December 25, 2026
- Days left
- 57 (8 weeks and 1 day)
- Christmas Eve
- Thursday, December 24, 2026
- Boxing Day
- Saturday, December 26, 2026
- US federal holiday
- Yes
How Many Days Until Christmas 2026?
There are 57 days until Christmas Day 2026, counting from today, Thursday, October 29, 2026. That is 8 weeks and 1 day, with 8 weekends and 38 business days left after US federal holidays.
Christmas countdown 2026 around the world
Christmas Day reaches New Zealand first and Hawaii last, 23 hours later. Each row counts to local midnight on December 25.
| # | City | UTC offset | Celebration | Midnight, your time | Time left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland New Zealand | UTC+13 | Summer Christmas under red pōhutukawa blossoms | -- | -- |
| 2 | Sydney Australia | UTC+11 | Christmas lunch at the beach, then Boxing Day | -- | -- |
| 3 | Tokyo Japan | UTC+9 | Christmas Eve dinners and strawberry Christmas cake | -- | -- |
| 4 | Manila Philippines | UTC+8 | Simbang Gabi dawn masses from December 16 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Berlin Germany | UTC+1 | Presents open on Christmas Eve (Heiligabend) | -- | -- |
| 6 | London United Kingdom | UTC+0 | Christmas dinner and the King's Christmas message | -- | -- |
| 7 | New York United States | UTC−5 | Rockefeller Center tree and stockings by the fire | -- | -- |
| 8 | Chicago United States | UTC−6 | Christmas morning presents under the tree | -- | -- |
| 9 | Los Angeles United States | UTC−8 | Christmas morning, often in the sunshine | -- | -- |
| 10 | Honolulu United States | UTC−10 | Mele Kalikimaka, the Hawaiian Christmas greeting | -- | -- |
When Is Christmas Day 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026. Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24, 2026 and Boxing Day is Saturday, December 26, 2026.
Christmas Day is December 25 every year and a federal holiday in the United States. When December 25 falls on a Saturday, the federal holiday moves to Friday, December 24; when it falls on a Sunday, it moves to Monday, December 26. In 2026 it falls on a Friday, so most people get a 3-day weekend from December 25 to 27.
Boxing Day on December 26 is a public holiday in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, so the UK, Australia and New Zealand give a substitute weekday holiday the following Monday or Tuesday.
How Many Sleeps Until Christmas?
There are 57 sleeps until Christmas. Sleeps match the days left, since every day ends with one night's sleep. The last sleep is Christmas Eve, and the next morning is Christmas morning.
The advent calendar: the last 24 sleeps
The advent calendar starts on December 1, 33 days from today, and opens one door a day until Christmas Eve.
Santa traditions on the countdown
- Write a letter to Santa in early December so it reaches the North Pole before Christmas Eve.
- Elf on the Shelf usually arrives after Thanksgiving and watches the house until Christmas Eve.
- NORAD Tracks Santa and the Google Santa Tracker follow Santa Claus around the world on Christmas Eve.
- Hallmark Christmas movies run on TV through the whole countdown.
How to Use the Christmas Countdown
To use the Christmas countdown, open this page and read the days left at the top. The timer counts every second to midnight on December 25 in your time zone, and the dates below show what to plan when.
- November 26
28 daysThanksgiving. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ends with Santa Claus, the classic start of the season. - November 27
29 daysBlack Friday. Big sales at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Macy's start the gift-shopping rush. - November 30
32 daysCyber Monday. Online deals on Amazon and Etsy, plus Lego and Disney advent calendars. - December 1
33 daysAdvent begins. Door 1 of the 24-day advent calendar. NORAD Tracks Santa opens its site in December. - December 15
47 daysShipping week. Check each retailer's last order date for delivery before Christmas Eve. - December 24
56 daysChristmas Eve. NORAD Tracks Santa and the Google Santa Tracker follow Santa's sleigh all night. - December 25
57 daysChristmas Day. Stockings, presents and Christmas dinner.
Use Add to Home Screen in your browser menu. The countdown then opens in one tap, like a Christmas countdown app or widget.
Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac) to print the December 2026 calendar and the plan for the fridge.
The National Retail Federation, the Deloitte Holiday Retail Survey, the PwC Holiday Outlook and Adobe Analytics publish holiday spending forecasts each fall, which help set a gift budget.
20 Christmas countdown ideas
Christmas Eve vs Christmas Day: Which Date Are We Counting To?
This countdown counts to Christmas Day, the midnight that starts December 25. That moment is the end of Christmas Eve, so the timer hits zero as Christmas Eve night turns into Christmas morning.
Counts to midnight at the start of December 24.
Counts to midnight at the start of December 25. This is the main countdown on this page.
| Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Date in 2026 | Thursday, December 24, 2026 | Friday, December 25, 2026 |
| Main celebration in | Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, much of Latin America | US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada |
| Traditions | Midnight Mass, Santa tracking, presents in some countries | Stockings, presents, Christmas dinner |
| US federal holiday | No (only when Christmas falls on a Saturday) | Yes |
Christmas Dates for the Next Five Years
Christmas Day is always December 25, but the weekday moves forward 1 day each year, or 2 days when a February 29 falls in between.
Related Countdowns
The holiday season has 7 more countdowns between now and the new year, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this countdown use my local time zone?
Yes. The Christmas countdown reads the time zone from your device and counts to midnight at the start of Friday, December 25, 2026 where you are. The table of cities shows when Christmas Day arrives in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, the UK and the US, converted to your time.
Does the timer include weekends and holidays?
Yes. The countdown counts every calendar day, weekends and holidays included, which gives 57 days until Christmas. Leave out Saturdays, Sundays and US federal holidays like Thanksgiving and it drops to 38 business days.
Why do the calendar days and live timer show different numbers?
The calendar count is 57 days in whole dates, and the live timer shows 56 days plus hours, minutes and seconds. Part of today has already passed, so the timer is always less than one full day behind the calendar number until midnight.
What happens when Christmas Day arrives?
At midnight the countdown shows that Christmas Day has arrived. On December 26 it switches to Christmas 2027, Saturday, December 25, 2027, so the page counts down all year round.