Christmas Day 2026 falls on Friday, December 25, 2026, setting up a long holiday weekend in many countries. Watch the days, hours, minutes and seconds tick down on our live Christmas countdown.
How many sleeps until Christmas?
One "sleep" equals one night, so the number of sleeps is simply the days remaining shown on the countdown — the way children love to count it. The season builds for weeks: Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, and December 24 is Christmas Eve, the main celebration in Germany, Scandinavia and much of Latin America.
Why is Christmas on December 25?
The date was set by the early Church in the 4th century, aligning the Nativity with existing midwinter festivals around the Roman winter solstice. Today it is celebrated by more than two billion people as both a religious holy day and a global cultural festival of gifts, family and lights.
Count down to Christmas
Open the live Christmas 2026 countdown, check how many days until any date, or create your own countdown to share the excitement with family.