Friday, December 25, 2026
Starts at 12:00 AM in your time zone
91 days to go until Christmas 2026
Christmas 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026. That is 91 days from today.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 25 | Friday |
| 2027 | December 25 | Saturday |
| 2028 | December 25 | Monday |
| 2029 | December 25 | Tuesday |
| 2030 | December 25 | Wednesday |
December 25, wherever you are in the world.
Also known as: Xmas, Christmas Day, Noel
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It marks the birth of Jesus for Christians and has also become a widely shared cultural holiday.
Because Christmas starts at midnight local time, it arrives first in Kiribati and New Zealand and last in American Samoa. This countdown uses your own time zone by default, and you can switch to another city.
These examples cover major regional and diaspora traditions. They are representative, not an exhaustive list of every country or community that observes Christmas; customs can also vary within a country.
Christmas Day is a public holiday. Many families open gifts on the morning of December 25.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 26) are public holidays, with a roast dinner and Christmas pudding.
Christmas falls in summer, so beach days and barbecues are common. Boxing Day is a public holiday too.
One of the longest Christmas seasons in the world. Simbang Gabi dawn Masses run from December 16 to 24.
Christmas markets fill Advent, while many families exchange gifts on Christmas Eve and observe December 25–26 as holidays.
Christmas Eve is usually the main family celebration, with seasonal meals, candles and gift-giving; Finland also has its Christmas sauna and declaration of Christmas peace.
Catholic traditions include Advent gatherings, nativity scenes, Christmas Eve Mass and a late Nochebuena family meal; local foods and festivities vary widely.
Nativity scenes, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals and church services are central; gift-giving may also extend to Epiphany in January.
Traditions include fasting, liturgy and family meals. Churches using older liturgical calendars may observe Christmas on January 7 rather than December 25.
Many Orthodox Christians celebrate after a period of fasting, commonly on January 7, with long church services and distinctive local meals.
Christians in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Iraq and neighboring countries combine church liturgy, family meals, visits and local sweets, despite differing calendars and circumstances.
Christmas begins at 12:00 AM local time, so it reaches the islands of Kiribati first and Hawaii last. Here is when it starts in major cities, and what time that is for you.
| City | Starts (UTC) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Kiritimati, Kiribati | Dec 24, 10:00 UTC | — |
| Auckland | Dec 24, 11:00 UTC | — |
| Sydney | Dec 24, 13:00 UTC | — |
| Tokyo | Dec 24, 15:00 UTC | — |
| Manila | Dec 24, 16:00 UTC | — |
| Singapore | Dec 24, 16:00 UTC | — |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Dec 24, 17:00 UTC | — |
| Mumbai & New Delhi | Dec 24, 18:30 UTC | — |
| Dubai | Dec 24, 20:00 UTC | — |
| Berlin & Paris | Dec 24, 23:00 UTC | — |
| London | Dec 25, 00:00 UTC | — |
| São Paulo | Dec 25, 03:00 UTC | — |
| New York & Toronto | Dec 25, 05:00 UTC | — |
| Chicago | Dec 25, 06:00 UTC | — |
| Los Angeles & Vancouver | Dec 25, 08:00 UTC | — |
| Honolulu | Dec 25, 10:00 UTC | — |
There are 91 days until Christmas 2026, which is on Friday, December 25, 2026. The live countdown on this page updates every second.
Christmas 2027 is on Saturday, December 25, 2027.
Yes for most of the world. Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, such as in Russia and Serbia, celebrate on January 7.
Kiribati's Line Islands (UTC+14) reach midnight first, followed by New Zealand. American Samoa and Baker Island are among the last.
