How many days until Christmas?

When is Christmas 2026?

Christmas Day 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026, and Christmas Eve is the Thursday before it. With Christmas on a Friday, most families get a three-day weekend.

How does this countdown handle US time zones?

The clock counts to midnight on December 25 wherever you are, using your device's own clock and time zone. A family in New York reaches Christmas three hours before one in Los Angeles, four before Anchorage and five before Honolulu — and each of them sees its own number here. The line under the clock names the zone it is counting in. Travelling for the holidays? The countdown switches zones when your phone does.

How many sleeps until Christmas?

Sleeps are the nights left before Christmas morning, tonight included — the number children actually ask for. The clock also shows how many weeks and weekends are left, which is what matters for shopping, school concerts and trips to see the lights.

Other days American families count down to

America keeps more than one Christmas. Families with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain wait for the Three Kings on Wednesday, January 6, 2027. Families from Germany, the Netherlands and Central Europe put out shoes for St Nicholas on Sunday, December 6, 2026. Ukrainian, Serbian, Russian and other Orthodox families celebrate Christmas on Thursday, January 7, 2027. And the first Hanukkah candle is lit on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2026. Each has its own clock:

Where to see the Kings ride and where to buy the bread: Three Kings Day parades in US cities and rosca de reyes bakeries near you.

• Three Kings Day
• St Nicholas Day
• Orthodox Christmas
• Hanukkah
• Christmas Eve
• New Year's Eve

While you wait: Christmas lights near you

The best way to fill the last weeks is a drive or a walk through the lights. We checked the displays people search for most in 0 US cities — hours, prices, parking and what visitors say about them.

On Christmas Eve, follow the sleigh live on our Santa tracker.