What Day Is Christmas?

Christmas Day 2026 is on a Friday (December 25, 2026). Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24 and Boxing Day / St Stephen's Day is Saturday, December 26.

Days, sleeps and working days left

Christmas Day by year, 2026 to 2030

Year	Christmas Eve (Dec 24)	Christmas Day (Dec 25)	Boxing Day (Dec 26)	First Sunday of Advent
2026	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Nov 29
2027	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Nov 28
2028	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Dec 3
2029	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Dec 2
2030	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Dec 1

How the dates work

Christmas Day is fixed on December 25, so only the weekday changes. It moves forward one weekday each year, and two weekdays after a leap year (that is why 2027 to 2028 jumps from Saturday to Monday).
Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. That puts the first Sunday of Advent between November 27 and December 3. When Christmas falls on a Monday (2028), Christmas Eve is itself the fourth Sunday of Advent.
Some Orthodox churches keep Christmas on January 7 because they use the Julian calendar for church dates.

Christmas dinner planning checklist

Frozen turkey: a bird of 12 to 16 lb needs about 3 to 4 days in the fridge, so move it from the freezer well before Christmas Eve. Use the turkey cooking time and thawing calculator to work back from your serving time.
Ham or beef instead? See the ham calculator and the prime rib calculator, and check doneness in the meat temperature chart.
Baking: cups to grams for UK and metric recipes, butter sticks to grams, and ingredient substitutions if you run out of something on the day.
Oven recipes from another country: Fahrenheit, Celsius, fan and gas mark.
After the meal: how long leftovers last in the fridge and freezer.

FAQ

What day of the week is Christmas in 2026?

Friday. Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24 and Boxing Day is Saturday, December 26, so many people get a four-day weekend.

What day is Christmas in 2027?

Saturday, December 25, 2027.

What day is Christmas in 2028?

Monday, December 25, 2028.

What is a sleep until Christmas?

A sleep is a night. The number of sleeps left equals the number of days left until December 25, counted from today.

When does Advent start in 2026?

Sunday, November 29, 2026. The four Sundays of Advent are November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20.