Christmas is on December 25 almost everywhere â but December 25 does not begin at the same moment around the world. It starts first in the central Pacific and last in the islands near the International Date Line on the other side, so somewhere on Earth it is Christmas Day for about 50 hours. And a minority of Christians, following the Julian church calendar, celebrate on January 7 instead.
Your device's time zone determines when the countdown on this site reaches zero.
Is Christmas on the same day everywhere?
For most people, yes: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, the Philippines and most other countries mark Christmas Day on December 25. The differences are in the details:
- The moment it starts depends on your time zone (see the order below).
- The main celebration may be on Christmas Eve (December 24) â as in Germany, Poland, Scandinavia and much of Latin America â rather than Christmas Day.
- The date itself is January 7 for the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox churches and several others. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates on January 6. See Orthodox Christmas.
Christmas date by country
| Country | Christmas date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | December 25 | Federal holiday |
| Canada | December 25 | Boxing Day (Dec 26) is a federal holiday; provincial status varies (statutory in Ontario) |
| United Kingdom | December 25 | Boxing Day (Dec 26) is also a bank holiday |
| Ireland | December 25 | St Stephen's Day (Dec 26) is also a public holiday |
| France | December 25 | Main family meal (le réveillon) on the evening of Dec 24; Dec 26 is a holiday only in Alsace and Moselle |
| Germany, Austria | December 25 | Presents on Christmas Eve; Dec 25 and 26 are both holidays |
| Italy | December 25 | Dec 26 (Santo Stefano) is also a holiday; La Befana brings gifts on Jan 6 |
| Spain | December 25 | Nochebuena dinner on Dec 24; Three Kings' Day (Jan 6) is a national holiday |
| Mexico | December 25 | Posadas Dec 16â24; Nochebuena on Dec 24 |
| Brazil | December 25 | Main supper on the night of Dec 24 |
| Australia, New Zealand | December 25 | Midsummer; Boxing Day also a holiday |
| Philippines | December 25 | Simbang Gabi dawn masses from Dec 16; one of the longest Christmas seasons anywhere |
| India | December 25 | National public holiday |
| Japan | December 25 | Not a public holiday; widely celebrated in secular form |
| China (mainland) | December 25 | Not a public holiday; Hong Kong and Macau have Christmas holidays |
| Russia | January 7 | Russian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar |
| Serbia, Georgia | January 7 | Julian calendar |
| Egypt | January 7 | Coptic Christmas; national holiday |
| Ethiopia, Eritrea | January 7 | Genna / Lidet |
| Ukraine | December 25 | Moved from January 7 in 2023 |
| Belarus, Moldova | December 25 and January 7 | Both are public holidays |
| Armenia | January 6 | Nativity and Theophany celebrated together |
Who celebrates Christmas first? The order around the world
The list below shows when December 25 begins, using the time zones in effect in late December (southern-hemisphere places such as New Zealand and south-eastern Australia are on daylight-saving time then).
| UTC offset | Christmas begins in⊠| Time in London (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| UTC+14 | Kiritimati (Christmas Island) and the Line Islands, Kiribati â the first inhabited place | 10:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+13:45 | Chatham Islands, New Zealand | 10:15 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+13 | New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington), Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau | 11:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+12 | Fiji, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Kamchatka (Russia) | 12:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+11 | Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart; Solomon Islands; New Caledonia | 13:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+10:30 | Adelaide | 13:30 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+10 | Brisbane, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Vladivostok | 14:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+9:30 | Darwin | 14:30 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+9 | Japan, South Korea | 15:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+8 | China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Perth | 16:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+7 | Thailand, Vietnam, western Indonesia (Jakarta) | 17:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+5:30 | India, Sri Lanka | 18:30 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+4 | United Arab Emirates, Oman, Armenia, Georgia | 20:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+3 | Moscow, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Ethiopia | 21:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+2 | Finland, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Israel, Egypt, South Africa | 22:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+1 | Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Nigeria | 23:00 on Dec 24 |
| UTC+0 | United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Iceland, Ghana | 00:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ3 | Brazil (BrasĂlia, SĂŁo Paulo, Rio), Argentina, Uruguay, mainland Chile (summer time) | 03:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ3:30 | Newfoundland, Canada | 03:30 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ4 | Atlantic Canada (Halifax), Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Bolivia | 04:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ5 | US Eastern (New York, Miami), Toronto, Colombia, Peru | 05:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ6 | US Central (Chicago, Dallas), Mexico City, Central America | 06:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ7 | US Mountain (Denver), Arizona, Calgary | 07:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ8 | US Pacific (Los Angeles, Seattle), Vancouver | 08:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ9 | Alaska | 09:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ10 | Hawaii, Tahiti, Cook Islands | 10:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ11 | American Samoa, Niue â the last inhabited places | 11:00 on Dec 25 |
| UTCâ12 | Baker Island and Howland Island (uninhabited US territories) | 12:00 on Dec 25 |
From the first midnight at UTC+14 to the last moment of December 25 at UTCâ12 is 50 hours. Counting only inhabited places (UTC+14 to UTCâ11), Christmas Day lasts 49 hours somewhere in the world. Samoa and American Samoa, less than 200 km apart, sit on opposite sides of the date line: Samoa celebrates Christmas a full day before its neighbour.
Why your countdown uses your local time
The countdown on this site runs in your browser and counts to midnight on December 25 in your time zone, because that is when Christmas starts where you are. Two people in different countries loading the page at the same moment will see different hours and minutes left. For a family spread across time zones, a simple rule works: whoever is furthest east (for example in Australia) reaches Christmas first and can "hand it on" by video call to relatives in Europe and the Americas hours later.
Related pages
- Christmas around the world â traditions and the eve-versus-day split.
- Orthodox Christmas countdown â why January 7.
- What day is Christmas? â the weekday of December 25 every year to 2040.
Frequently asked questions
Is Christmas the same day everywhere?
Most of the world celebrates on December 25, but the day starts at different moments in different time zones. Churches that use the Julian calendar, such as the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox churches, celebrate on January 7, and the Armenian Apostolic Church on January 6.
Which country celebrates Christmas first?
Kiribati. Its Line Islands, including Kiritimati (Christmas Island), are at UTC+14 and reach midnight on December 25 first â at 10:00 UTC on December 24. New Zealand's Chatham Islands follow 15 minutes later, then New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.
Which places celebrate Christmas last?
American Samoa and Niue, at UTCâ11, are the last inhabited places to reach Christmas Day. Uninhabited Baker and Howland Islands, at UTCâ12, are the very last.
Is the date of Christmas different in France, Canada and the USA?
No. France, Canada and the United States all celebrate Christmas on December 25. In France the main family meal is often on the evening of December 24, and Canada also has Boxing Day on December 26.
Last reviewed on October 4, 2026.
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