When is Christmas?

Upcoming dates

• 2026Fri, December 25
• 2027Sat, December 25
• 2028Mon, December 25

The run-up to Christmas

The weeks before fill up with the tree, the lights and Christmas markets. On the day itself, families gather for a meal and to open presents.

Christmas rounds off a long season of celebration that runs all the way to New Year's Eve.

Where does Christmas come from?

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, but no exact birth date appears in the Bible. The earliest known record of 25 December as the date of Christmas comes from Rome in the 4th century, in the so-called Chronograph of 354.

So why that day? Two explanations are common. One says the date lines up with the winter solstice and the Roman festival of Sol Invictus. The other says it falls exactly nine months after 25 March, the traditional date of the Annunciation to Mary. The date has stayed fixed ever since. In the Netherlands both 25 and 26 December are public holidays.

Does the date of Christmas ever change?

No, the date is fixed: Christmas Day is 25 December every year in the Gregorian calendar. What does change each year is the weekday. If Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, it usually shifts one day to Thursday next year, and two days after a leap year. That is why one Christmas feels like a long weekend and another lands squarely in the middle of a working week.

Some Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on 7 January. That is not a different festival but the same 25 December counted on the older Julian calendar, which now runs thirteen days behind the one most of the world uses. In their own calendar the date is unchanged, and only the Gregorian label moves.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Christmas spans more than a single day. Christmas Eve is 24 December, the evening before. Christmas Day is 25 December, and Boxing Day follows on 26 December. In the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and much of Europe, 26 December is a public holiday in its own right.

Because the weekday drifts every year, the way these three days land in your week varies a lot. Some years they sit right next to a weekend and give you a long stretch off, and other years they fall midweek with ordinary working days around them. The dates stay the same, but their place in the week does not.

Frequently asked questions

When is Christmas?

Christmas is on December 25, 2026.

What day of the week is Christmas?

This year, Christmas falls on a Friday.

How many days until Christmas?

111 days.

Is Christmas always on 25 December?

Yes. Christmas Day is 25 December every year in the Gregorian calendar. Only the weekday changes from year to year.

Why do some people celebrate Christmas on 7 January?

Some Orthodox churches still follow the Julian calendar, which runs thirteen days behind. Their 25 December falls on 7 January in our calendar.

What is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is 26 December, the day after Christmas Day. In the UK, the Netherlands and much of Europe it is a public holiday.