Christmas Day is always December 25, but the day of the week changes every year. Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, which makes Christmas Eve a Thursday and gives many people in the UK a long weekend with a substitute Boxing Day bank holiday on Monday, December 28. Christmas 2027 falls on a Saturday. The table below lists the weekday of Christmas for every year from 2024 to 2040.
This year's Christmas: see the highlighted row below.
| Year | Christmas Day | Christmas Eve | Advent Sunday | New Year's Day after | Days from today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wednesday | Tuesday | Dec 1 | Wednesday | — |
| 2025 | Thursday | Wednesday | Nov 30 | Thursday | — |
| 2026 | Friday | Thursday | Nov 29 | Friday | — |
| 2027 | Saturday | Friday | Nov 28 | Saturday | — |
| 2028 | Monday | Sunday | Dec 3 | Monday | — |
| 2029 | Tuesday | Monday | Dec 2 | Tuesday | — |
| 2030 | Wednesday | Tuesday | Dec 1 | Wednesday | — |
| 2031 | Thursday | Wednesday | Nov 30 | Thursday | — |
| 2032 | Saturday | Friday | Nov 28 | Saturday | — |
| 2033 | Sunday | Saturday | Nov 27 | Sunday | — |
| 2034 | Monday | Sunday | Dec 3 | Monday | — |
| 2035 | Tuesday | Monday | Dec 2 | Tuesday | — |
| 2036 | Thursday | Wednesday | Nov 30 | Thursday | — |
| 2037 | Friday | Thursday | Nov 29 | Friday | — |
| 2038 | Saturday | Friday | Nov 28 | Saturday | — |
| 2039 | Sunday | Saturday | Nov 27 | Sunday | — |
| 2040 | Tuesday | Monday | Dec 2 | Tuesday | — |
Advent Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. "New Year's Day after" is January 1 of the following year.
Why the weekday moves
A common year has 365 days, which is 52 weeks plus one day. So a fixed date such as December 25 moves forward by one weekday each year: Friday in 2026, Saturday in 2027. When a leap day (February 29) falls between two Christmases, the date jumps forward by two weekdays — 2027's Saturday Christmas is followed by a Monday Christmas in 2028, because 2028 is a leap year.
Between 1901 and 2099 the Gregorian calendar repeats exactly every 28 years, so Christmas 2026 falls on the same weekday as Christmas 1998 and Christmas 2054. Over the full 400-year Gregorian cycle, December 25 falls slightly more often on some weekdays than others, but the difference is small.
What the weekday means in practice
Public holidays
When Christmas falls on a weekend, many countries move the public holiday. In the United States, a Saturday Christmas is observed by federal employees on Friday, December 24, and a Sunday Christmas on Monday, December 26. In the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, substitute weekdays are given when Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday — in 2027, for example, the UK's Christmas Day and Boxing Day bank holidays move to Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28.
Advent length
Advent always has four Sundays, so its length depends on the weekday of Christmas. When Christmas is on a Sunday (as in 2033), Advent starts on November 27 and is as long as it can be; when Christmas is on a Monday (as in 2028), Advent starts on December 3 and the fourth Sunday of Advent is also Christmas Eve. More on the Advent page.
Planning time off
A Friday Christmas (2026, 2037) or a Monday Christmas (2028, 2034) naturally creates a long weekend. A midweek Christmas, such as Wednesday in 2030, tends to stretch time off across the whole week. The Christmas break countdown helps you count down to your own last day.
Counting down to a specific year
The "Days from today" column updates in your browser. For any date and year — including far-future Christmases — use the days-until-Christmas calculator, or go back to the live countdown for this year's Christmas.
Frequently asked questions
What day is Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026. Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24.
What day is Christmas 2027?
Christmas Day 2027 falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027.
When is Christmas next on a Sunday?
Christmas Day last fell on a Sunday in 2022. The next Sunday Christmas is in 2033, followed by 2039.
Is Christmas always on December 25?
In the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world, yes. Churches that follow the Julian calendar celebrate on January 7, which is December 25 in that calendar.
Last reviewed on October 4, 2026.
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