Christmas 2024, 2025 and 2026
Christmas Day is regarded by many people as the most important holiday of the year. It is a national public holiday in the United States as it is in most other countries. Christmas Day is observed on 25 December, and many also celebrate Christmas Eve on 24 December.
Christmas Day falls on Wednesday 25 December in 2024. In 2025, the holiday will be observed on a Thursday.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24 Dec | Tue | Christmas Eve | AR, KY, MI, NC, OK, SC, TN & TX |
| 25 Dec | Wed | Christmas Day | All states; Federal workers | |
| 26 Dec | Thu | Christmas Holiday | NC, SC & TX | |
| 2025 | 24 Dec | Wed | Christmas Eve | AR, MI, NC, SC & TX |
| 25 Dec | Thu | Christmas Day | All states; Federal workers | |
| 26 Dec | Fri | Christmas Holiday | NC & SC | |
| 2026 | 24 Dec | Thu | Christmas Eve | AR, MI, NC, SC & TX |
| 25 Dec | Fri | Christmas Day | All states; Federal workers | |
| 28 Dec | Mon | Christmas Holiday | NC | |
| 2027 | 24 Dec | Fri | Christmas Eve | AR, KY, MI, NC, OK, SC, TN & TX |
| 24 Dec | Fri | Christmas Holiday | All states; Federal workers | |
| 25 Dec | Sat | Christmas Day | All states; Federal workers | |
| 26 Dec | Sun | Christmas Holiday | NC, SC & TX | |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | ||||
The date of Christmas seems to have roots in the ancient Roman mid-winter festival, which was a pagan holiday. People exchanged gifts and made merry much like many do for Christmas nowadays. Church tradition assigned 25 December as the date of Jesus’ birth, although the Bible does not give enough information to pinpoint the exact date.
For a long time, Protestants tended not to celebrate Christmas, seeing it as a Roman Catholic holiday. From the mid-1800s on, however, more and more people began celebrating Christmas in the US. Today, almost everyone celebrates it, even non-Christians. Christmas Day was made a federal holiday only in the year 1870.
There are many different traditions in the US, and everyone doesn’t celebrate Christmas in the same way. However, there are certain traditions largely held in common among Americans. Most will put up an evergreen tree or an imitation one to decorate as a Christmas tree. Shiny tinsel, electric lights, and decorative bulbs adorn the tree, and a star or an angel sits on the top of the tree.
Most people exchange Christmas presents with family and friends. They typically attend a Christmas party where they socialize and indulge themselves in delicious Christmas dishes and sweets. Many parents tell their young children that Santa Claus brought them presents late on Christmas Eve, sneaking down the chimney in a red suit and whisking away into the air on his sleigh pulled by eight flying reindeer. Children put up stockings for Santa to find and fill with candy and small gifts. And they may leave him some milk and cookies or even carrots for his reindeer to eat.
Shopping malls, public squares, and other locations often set up large Christmas trees, nativity scenes, and other displays. Many attend church on Christmas Day to hear a Christmas sermon. They may also go door to door singing Christmas songs, which is called caroling. And Christmastime is also the biggest time of year for charitable donations.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 24 Dec | Sun | Christmas Eve | AR, MI, NC, SC & TX |
| 25 Dec | Mon | Christmas Day | All states; Federal workers | |
| 26 Dec | Tue | Christmas Holiday | AR, NC, OK, SC & TX | |
| 27 Dec | Wed | Christmas Holiday | NC | |
| 2022 | 23 Dec | Fri | Christmas Eve Holiday | AR, MI, NC, SC & VA |
| 24 Dec | Sat | Christmas Eve | AR, MI, NC, SC & TX | |
| 25 Dec | Sun | Christmas Day | All states; Federal workers | |
| 26 Dec | Mon | Christmas Holiday | All states; Federal workers | |
| 27 Dec | Tue | Christmas Holiday | NC, OK & SC |