🎄 Days Until Christmas Day
There are
days until Christmas Day (December 25)
Related holidays
About Christmas Day
Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ in the Christian tradition. It is also widely observed as a secular holiday involving gift-giving, family gatherings, festive meals, and decorations including Christmas trees, lights, and wreaths. Traditions vary worldwide but often include exchanging presents, attending church services, singing carols, and enjoying special foods. Christmas is one of the most commercially significant holidays globally, with weeks of preparation and shopping leading up to the day.
How to prepare for Christmas Day
Set a gift budget in November and start shopping early to avoid last-minute stress and shipping delays. Order online gifts by mid-December to ensure they arrive on time. If sending holiday cards, address and mail them by December 10th. Plan your holiday meal menu at least a week ahead and prep ingredients in advance. For a real Christmas tree, buy it the first week of December and keep it watered. Coordinate family gathering logistics — who is hosting, what to bring, and arrival times — well before the 25th.
Traditions and customs
Christmas blends Christian observance of the birth of Jesus with older midwinter customs. The decorated evergreen tree comes from 16th-century Germany, Santa Claus derives from Saint Nicholas by way of Dutch "Sinterklaas," and much of the modern imagery — the jolly gift-bringer, family feasts, carols, and lights — was popularized in the 19th century by works like Dickens's A Christmas Carol and the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."
Frequently asked questions
- When is Christmas?
- Christmas Day is December 25th, a fixed date and a federal holiday in the United States and a public holiday across much of the world.
- Why is Christmas on December 25th?
- The date was set by the early Church by the 4th century. It does not derive from a recorded birth date and is widely thought to have been chosen to align with existing midwinter festivals near the winter solstice.
- Do Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on a different day?
- Yes. Many Eastern Orthodox churches follow the older Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7th of the Gregorian calendar.