Last verified October 26, 2026 · How we verify
How many days until Christmas?
A live countdown to Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, with the weeks, sleeps and working days left, the last days to ship, and what is open on Christmas Eve.
A live countdown to Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, with the weeks, sleeps and working days left, the last days to ship, and what is open on Christmas Eve.
Counts to midnight in your device's time zone. Working days skip weekends and federal holidays.
Christmas 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026. It is a federal holiday every December 25. Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday: banks and post offices are open, and the stock market closes at 1:00 p.m. ET. USPS recommends mailing First-Class cards and gifts by December 17 for delivery by Christmas.
| Day | Federal offices | Banks | Stock market | Post offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve Thursday, December 24, 2026 | Open | Open | Closes 1:00 p.m. ET | Open |
| Christmas Day Friday, December 25, 2026 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
“Federal offices: Open” on Christmas Eve means it is not a legal holiday; a president can still close federal offices that day by executive order.
USPS recommended send-by dates for delivery before December 25 within the contiguous U.S.:
| Service | Send by |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19, 2026 |
USPS notes that actual delivery dates may vary. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, international and military mail have their own dates on the USPS holiday shipping page.
| Year | December 25 is a | Federal day off |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday | Same day |
| 2027 | Saturday | Friday, December 24, 2027 |
| 2028 | Monday | Same day |
| 2029 | Tuesday | Same day |
| 2030 | Wednesday | Same day |
“Instead of a holiday that occurs on a Saturday, the Friday immediately before is a legal public holiday for [...] employees whose basic workweek is Monday through Friday.”— 5 U.S.C. 6103, Holidays
In 2027, Christmas falls on a Saturday. Federal offices close on Friday, December 24 instead; the stock market closes that Friday too, while Federal Reserve banks stay open.
| Day | Federal offices | Banks | Stock market | Post offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve Friday, December 24, 2027 | Closed | Open | Closed | Not confirmed* |
| Christmas Day Saturday, December 25, 2027 | Saturday; observed Friday, December 24 | Saturday | Saturday | Not confirmed* |
* USPS has not published its 2027 holidays yet. See is the post office open today? for what is confirmed.
“The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays (federal or otherwise).”— U.S. Department of Labor, Holiday Pay
Paid time off and extra pay for Christmas depend on your employer, not on federal law. Hours worked still count toward overtime; see how to calculate holiday pay.
Checked against the official sources below on October 26, 2026. How we verify.