How many days until Christmas?
Christmas Day is on 25 December every year. The countdown above shows exactly how long is left — in days, hours, minutes and seconds — and updates every second. It uses the clock on your own device, so it is correct for your time zone.
After Christmas Day has passed, the countdown automatically starts again for next year.
How many sleeps until Christmas?
The number of sleeps is the number of nights between now and Christmas morning — the same as the number of days shown in the countdown. If there are 20 days until Christmas, there are 20 sleeps.
What the numbers mean
- Days, hours, minutes, seconds — the exact time left until midnight at the start of 25 December.
- Weeks — the countdown in whole weeks plus leftover days.
- Weekends left — the number of Saturdays before Christmas, which is really the number of shopping weekends you have.
- Weekdays — the Monday-to-Friday days left, useful for delivery deadlines and the last days of school or work.
What day of the week is Christmas?
| Year | Day | Christmas Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday | 25 December 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday | 25 December 2027 |
| 2028 | Monday | 25 December 2028 |
| 2029 | Tuesday | 25 December 2029 |
| 2030 | Wednesday | 25 December 2030 |
| 2031 | Thursday | 25 December 2031 |
Christmas Eve is the day before, 24 December, and Boxing Day (a public holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia and several other countries) is the day after, 26 December.
Quick way to work it out yourself
In December the sum is easy:
days until Christmas = 25 − today's date in December
On 4 December: 25 − 4 = 21 days, exactly 3 weeks.
From 1 November, add the 29 days left in November to the 25 days in December: 54 days. For any other pair of dates, use the Date Difference Calculator.
Christmas planning by the countdown
| Time left | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Set a gift budget and start a list |
| 6 weeks | Draw Secret Santa names; book travel |
| 4 weeks | Shop the late-November sales; order anything personalised |
| 3 weeks | Post cards and parcels going overseas |
| 2 weeks | Finish online orders — check each shop's last delivery date |
| 1 week | Plan the menu and buy food that keeps |
| 1–2 days | Buy fresh food, wrap the last presents |
Postal and delivery deadlines change every year and differ by country and carrier, so always check the dates published by the service you are using.
Useful tools for the season
- Organising a gift exchange? The Secret Santa Generator draws names and gives each person a private link — no email addresses needed.
- Checking a sale price? The Discount Calculator shows the final price and what you save.
- Still in October? See the Halloween Countdown.
Frequently asked questions
How many days until Christmas?
The live countdown at the top of this page shows the exact number of days, hours, minutes and seconds left until 25 December in your own time zone.
How many sleeps until Christmas?
The same as the number of days left. Each day until 25 December is one more night's sleep.
How many weeks until Christmas?
The Weeks box shows the countdown as whole weeks plus leftover days — for example, 54 days is 7 weeks and 5 days.
Is Christmas always on 25 December?
In most countries, yes. Some Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on 7 January.
Does the countdown reset after Christmas?
Yes. From 26 December it automatically counts down to Christmas Day of the following year.
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