How many days until Christmas? The live countdown above shows the days, hours, minutes and seconds to Christmas Day, which falls on Friday, December 25, 2026, in your own time zone. Tap Christmas Eve to count down to the night before instead. Below you will find how many sleeps and weeks are left, the 2026 last posting dates, free printable Christmas countdowns and Christmas dates up to 2035. Check back any day to see how many days until Christmas.
When is Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026, and Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24. Because Boxing Day, December 26, falls on a Saturday, the UK Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday, December 28, 2026, which gives a long weekend. Advent Sunday, the fourth Sunday before Christmas, is November 29, 2026. Christmas 2027 falls on a Saturday.
How many days until Christmas from key dates
| Counting from (2026) | Days until Christmas | Weeks and days |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, September 25 | 91 | 13 weeks |
| Thursday, October 1 | 85 | 12 weeks and 1 day |
| Saturday, October 31 (Halloween) | 55 | 7 weeks and 6 days |
| Sunday, November 1 | 54 | 7 weeks and 5 days |
| Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving) | 29 | 4 weeks and 1 day |
| Sunday, November 29 (Advent Sunday) | 26 | 3 weeks and 5 days |
| Tuesday, December 1 | 24 | 3 weeks and 3 days |
| Friday, December 11 | 14 | 2 weeks |
| Friday, December 18 | 7 | 1 week |
| Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) | 1 | 1 day |
To check any other date, open this page that day: the counter updates every second, and after December 25 it moves on to the next Christmas by itself. The days until calculator counts down to any other date in the same way.
How many days until Christmas, counted in sleeps
“Sleeps” is how many children count the wait: one sleep for every night left. The number of sleeps until Christmas is the same as the number of days in the countdown, because each day left has one night before it. On December 1 there are 24 sleeps to go, on December 18 there are 7, and on Christmas Eve there is just one sleep left. The sleeps figure in the live countdown above changes at midnight.
Weeks until Christmas from each Monday
Counting in weeks is easier for planning. Here is how many weeks until Christmas 2026 from each Monday:
| From Monday | Weeks until Christmas | Days |
|---|---|---|
| November 2 | 7 weeks and 4 days | 53 |
| November 9 | 6 weeks and 4 days | 46 |
| November 16 | 5 weeks and 4 days | 39 |
| November 23 | 4 weeks and 4 days | 32 |
| November 30 | 3 weeks and 4 days | 25 |
| December 7 | 2 weeks and 4 days | 18 |
| December 14 | 1 week and 4 days | 11 |
| December 21 | 4 days | 4 |
Christmas countdown printables
Let children see how many days are left by coloring one space a day. Here are three new countdowns for 2026, each in US Letter and A4. For Advent-style 24-day countdowns and a paper chain, see the Christmas countdown calendar.
Want a different start date or your own title? Open the countdown maker at the top of the page, choose Christmas, pick squares, circles or Christmas tree shapes, color or outline, and download your own PDF.
Christmas 2026: last posting dates and key dates
If you are sending cards and presents in the UK, the post has its own countdown. Royal Mail’s recommended last posting dates for Christmas 2026 are:
| Last posting date (UK) | Service | Days before Christmas |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, December 18, 2026 | 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For | 7 |
| Saturday, December 19, 2026 | Royal Mail Tracked 48 | 6 |
| Monday, December 21, 2026 | 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For and Royal Mail Tracked 24 | 4 |
| Wednesday, December 23, 2026 | Special Delivery Guaranteed | 2 |
Royal Mail says these dates can change and recommends posting as early as possible, especially for international post. In the US, check USPS for its holiday shipping deadlines once they are published.
Christmas dates 2026 to 2035
| Year | Christmas Day falls on | Advent Sunday | Orthodox Christmas (January 7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday | Sunday, November 29, 2026 | Thursday, January 7, 2027 |
| 2027 | Saturday | Sunday, November 28, 2027 | Friday, January 7, 2028 |
| 2028 | Monday | Sunday, December 3, 2028 | Sunday, January 7, 2029 |
| 2029 | Tuesday | Sunday, December 2, 2029 | Monday, January 7, 2030 |
| 2030 | Wednesday | Sunday, December 1, 2030 | Tuesday, January 7, 2031 |
| 2031 | Thursday | Sunday, November 30, 2031 | Wednesday, January 7, 2032 |
| 2032 | Saturday | Sunday, November 28, 2032 | Friday, January 7, 2033 |
| 2033 | Sunday | Sunday, November 27, 2033 | Saturday, January 7, 2034 |
| 2034 | Monday | Sunday, December 3, 2034 | Sunday, January 7, 2035 |
| 2035 | Tuesday | Sunday, December 2, 2035 | Monday, January 7, 2036 |
Christmas is always December 25, but the weekday moves on by one each year, or by two after a leap year. Many Orthodox churches still follow the older Julian calendar, so they celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Why is Christmas on December 25?
The Bible does not give a date for the birth of Jesus. The earliest document to place it on December 25 is the Chronograph of 354, a Roman calendar whose relevant section historians generally date to AD 336. By the end of the fourth century, church writers such as John Chrysostom and Augustine of Hippo also recorded December 25, and the date spread from Rome to most of the Western church.
How to make the Christmas countdown fun for kids
- One small thing a day: write an activity next to each space of the printable before you start, such as baking cookies, making a paper snowflake or writing a card.
- Count the sleeps at bedtime: color the day’s tree just before lights out so the number left is always tomorrow’s sleeps.
- Practice math: ask how many weeks and days are left, or how many school days until the break.
- Add a joke a day: read one of our Christmas jokes for kids at breakfast.
Children love asking how many days until Christmas, and the live countdown above gives the exact answer every time.
Frequently asked questions
8 quick answers
How many days until Christmas 2026?
The live countdown at the top of this page shows the exact number today. Christmas 2026 is on Friday, December 25, so from December 1 there are 24 days to go and from December 18 there are 7.
How many days till Christmas?
The live counter at the top shows the days till Christmas from today, plus the exact hours, minutes and seconds.
How many sleeps until Christmas?
The same as the number of days left: 24 sleeps from December 1, 7 from December 18 and one sleep on Christmas Eve.
How many weeks until Christmas?
From Sunday, November 1, 2026 there are 7 weeks and 5 days. The weeks figure in the live countdown updates every day.
What day of the week is Christmas 2026?
Friday. Christmas Eve is a Thursday and Boxing Day is a Saturday.
When is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026?
Monday, December 28, 2026 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, because Boxing Day itself falls on a Saturday.
When does Advent start in 2026?
Advent Sunday is November 29, 2026, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Most Advent calendars simply start on December 1.
When is Christmas 2027?
Saturday, December 25, 2027. In the UK the Christmas and Boxing Day bank holidays move to Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28, 2027.
More Christmas printables
- Christmas countdown calendar with Advent-style printables and a paper chain
- Christmas coloring pages
- Christmas word search printables
- Easy Elf on the Shelf ideas
- December 2026 calendar and UK bank holidays 2027
- How many days until Thanksgiving
Sources
- UK bank holidays, GOV.UK (Christmas Day December 25 and Boxing Day substitute December 28, 2026)
- Last posting dates, Christmas 2026, Royal Mail
- Christmas and Advent, Wikipedia (the Chronograph of 354, Advent Sunday, January 7 Orthodox Christmas)
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