Christmas Countdown
Christmas Day 2026 is Friday, December 25.
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Your Christmas planning, counted backwards
The countdown runs on your own clock and time zone. Here is what most people find they need to do, and roughly when:
- Five to six weeks out: agree on who's hosting, and draw names for any gift exchange. Our Secret Santa generator does it in a minute and sends everyone a private link.
- Four weeks out: order anything personalized or coming from overseas.
- Two to three weeks out: finish online orders. Carriers publish their own holiday cut-off dates each year; check them rather than guessing.
- The last week: groceries that keep, wrapping, cards for anyone you'll see in person.
Still need gifts?
Questions
What day of the week is Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 is on Friday, December 25, so Christmas Eve is on Thursday, December 24 and the holiday weekend follows straight after.
How is the countdown calculated?
It counts down to midnight at the start of December 25 in your own time zone, using your device's clock. After Christmas it rolls over to next year automatically.
What does "sleeps until Christmas" mean?
The number of nights left before Christmas morning. If it is the evening of December 23, there are two sleeps left: tonight and Christmas Eve.
When should we draw names for Secret Santa?
Three to four weeks before the exchange. For a party in the week before Christmas, that means drawing names in the second half of November.