What Christmas is
The Christian feast of the Nativity, fixed at 25 December since the fourth century and now a public holiday in more than 160 countries, religious observance and secular custom sitting side by side.
Churches hold services on the eve and the morning; most of the rest of the day belongs to family meals and gifts.
When it falls, and why the date moves
The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. This is a fixed date: it falls on the same day of the month every year, so only the weekday changes.
It is grouped here under Christian, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.
What is coming up next
Once this date passes, the countdown moves straight on to the next occurrence — you do not need a different page for next year. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a date of your own.
| Event | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 📚 International Literacy Day 2026 | 8 Sep 2026 | 5 |
| 🌼 Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) 2026 | 11 Sep 2026 | 8 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico Independence Day 2026 | 16 Sep 2026 | 13 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia Day 2026 | 16 Sep 2026 | 13 |
| 🇨🇱 Chile Independence Day 2026 | 18 Sep 2026 | 15 |
Where to go next
This christmas countdown has its own page, so the link keeps working next year as well as this one. If you came here wondering what time it is somewhere rather than how long is left, world clock time has the current time in every country and city.
- event countdowns — live countdowns to holidays and festivals worldwide
- countdown timer — count down from any length you set
- World Clock — pick a country or city and read its clock, offset and daylight saving rules
- time zone converter — turn a time in one place into the same instant in another
- current time around the world — the current time in every country, territory and US state