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Christmas Countdown

Christmas falls on December 25 every year, celebrating the birth of Jesus and, for billions of people, family, generosity and light in the middle of winter. This countdown is to Christmas 2026, ticking down to the morning of December 25, live.

How many days until Christmas?

Christmas is on Friday, December 25, 2026, which is 155 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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Christmas's story so far

1659-1681Puritan leaders in the Massachusetts Bay Colony banned public Christmas celebrations outright, fining anyone caught feasting or skipping work for the holiday five shillings; the law stood for 22 years before being repealed.
1843London civil servant Henry Cole commissioned the first commercial Christmas card the same year Charles Dickens published 'A Christmas Carol,' together reviving Victorian interest in charity, feasting, and family gathering as holiday hallmarks.
1848The Illustrated London News published an engraving of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children around a decorated tree at Windsor Castle, spreading the German royal custom of the Christmas tree through Britain and America.
1882Edward H. Johnson, a business associate of Thomas Edison, hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue bulbs onto a rotating tree at his New York home, creating the first electrically lit Christmas tree.
1923President Calvin Coolidge pressed a button to light the first National Christmas Tree, a 48-foot Vermont balsam fir strung with 2,500 bulbs on the White House Ellipse, launching an annual presidential tradition.
1931-1964Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint a warm, rosy-cheeked Santa Claus for its magazine ads, cementing the now-standard jolly image of Santa across more than three decades of campaigns.
1942Bing Crosby recorded Irving Berlin's 'White Christmas' in just 18 minutes; it went on to sell an estimated 50 million copies, making it the best-selling single of all time.

Christmas records

Tallest Christmas tree ever displayed64.6 m (212 ft) cut Douglas fir, Northgate Shopping Center, Seattle, USA, Dec 1950
Most lights on a residential property601,736 lights, Gay family home, LaGrangeville, New York, USA, Nov 2014
Largest gathering of people dressed as Santa Claus18,112 people, Thrissur, Kerala, India, 27 Dec 2014
Largest gathering of people wearing Christmas sweaters3,473 people, Kansas Athletics, Lawrence, Kansas, USA, 19 Dec 2015
Fastest marathon run dressed as Santa Claus2 hr 33 min 23 sec, Hugo Fry (UK), London Marathon, 21 Apr 2024

Where Christmas comes from

The first recorded December 25 celebration of Christ's birth dates to Rome in 336 AD. Over the centuries it absorbed midwinter traditions, evergreens, feasting, gift-giving, and grew into both a major Christian feast and a global cultural holiday.

How the world celebrates

Gifts arrive from Santa Claus, Père Noël, or the Christkind depending on where you are; some countries open presents on Christmas Eve, others on the morning of the 25th. In Japan, fried chicken became a Christmas tradition; in Australia, it's celebrated in midsummer on the beach.

Quick facts

A U.S. federal holiday

Christmas is one of the 11 official U.S. federal holidays. Not sure which one comes next? The next federal holiday countdown always ticks down to whichever is soonest — and the next long weekend countdown tells you when you're off work for 3 days straight.

Countdown to Christmas, sorted

The essentials for the most wonderful (and busiest) time of the year.

Advent calendar Matching family pajamas Tree ornaments Wrapping paper Cookie baking kit String lights

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Wikipedia

Christmas — frequently asked questions

When is Christmas?

Christmas is on Friday, December 25, 2026.

How many days until Christmas?

Christmas is on Friday, December 25, 2026, which is 155 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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