Christmas Countdown 2026: Days Until Christmas and Christmas Eve

When is Christmas?

Christmas Day is December 25 every year, so only the weekday changes. Federal law lists it among the legal public holidays as “Christmas Day, December 25” (5 U.S.C. 6103), and the Office of Personnel Management publishes the observed day for federal employees when December 25 falls on a weekend. Christmas Eve, December 24, is not on that federal list, so check with your employer or school about the day itself.

This page counts to the Gregorian calendar date of December 25. It does not try to count other calendars or local customs.

How the countdown counts

There are two numbers because people ask two different questions. “How many days until Christmas?” is a calendar question: on December 24 the answer is 1, and on December 25 it is today. The clock below it is the exact time left until midnight at the start of December 25, in the time zone your device is set to.

Because the clock is real elapsed time, the days and hours can look one day behind the calendar number early in the day, and they shift by an hour when daylight saving time changes. After Christmas Day ends, the page switches to the next year’s date.

How many days until Christmas Eve?

The line under the clock gives the same count for December 24. Many families open gifts or hold their main meal on Christmas Eve, so it can be the date that matters for planning, shopping and travel.

Use the paper chain or checklist

Choose a start date and a format, then print. The chain makes one strip for each day from your start date through December 24, labeled with the days left. Cut the strips apart, loop and fasten them, and tear off one each morning. The checklist grid gives each day a box and a line for a small plan.

The sheet is limited to 62 days so it stays practical. Everything is made in your browser, and nothing you pick is sent anywhere.

• Use Letter paper and print at 100 percent for strips that are about 7 inches long.
• Heavier paper holds a loop better than thin printer paper.
• Start with the highest number so the chain gets shorter every day.