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When is Christmas? Dates for the next ten years

Updated 3 November 2026 · 5 min read

Christmas Day is always 25 December, but the day of the week moves, and so do the dates around it. This page collects the ones people look up most.

Christmas 2026

Christmas Day 2026 is on a Friday, which gives most people a long weekend straight away. Christmas Eve is Thursday 24 December, and Boxing Day is Saturday 26 December. Advent begins on Sunday 29 November, and US Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November. For a live count of the days, hours and minutes, see the countdown.

Christmas for the next ten years

Christmas moves one weekday later each year, or two after a 29 February, because a year is 52 weeks plus one or two days.

When does Advent start?

Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so its first day falls between 27 November and 3 December. That makes Advent anywhere from 22 to 28 days long. Advent calendars usually ignore this and simply run from 1 to 24 December.

Why do some people celebrate on 7 January?

Several Orthodox churches, including those in Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Egypt and Ethiopia, still use the older Julian calendar for religious dates. In this century the Julian calendar runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used for everyday life, so their 25 December lands on our 7 January. Some Orthodox churches, such as those in Greece and Romania, use a revised calendar and celebrate on 25 December. Ukraine officially moved its Christmas to 25 December in 2023.

Boxing Day

26 December is Boxing Day, a public holiday in the UK, Ireland (where it's called St Stephen's Day), Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries. The name is usually traced to the custom of giving servants and tradespeople a "Christmas box" of money or gifts. When Boxing Day falls on a weekend, the public holiday usually moves to the next weekday.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The twelve days run from Christmas Day to 5 January, which is Twelfth Night. The next day, 6 January, is the Epiphany, which marks the visit of the Magi. In much of Spain and Latin America it's the day for presents, brought by the Three Kings. In many homes it's also the traditional day to take decorations down.

Christmas Eve

For a lot of Europe, Christmas Eve is the main event. In Germany, Poland, Scandinavia and much of Central Europe, presents are opened and the big meal is eaten on the evening of 24 December. In the UK, the US and Australia, Christmas Day is the main day, and Christmas Eve is for wrapping, church services and leaving something out for Santa.