Christian Holiday

Christmas

Christmas is the Christian feast of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on December 25. Christmas 2026 falls on Friday, December 25, 2026. Christians see it as the Incarnation, God becoming human, and keep it with worship, Scripture and family. Some Orthodox churches celebrate on January 7.

Next: Friday, December 25, 2026

When Is Christmas?

2026Next

Christmas DayFriday, December 25, 2026

Julian-calendar Orthodox churchesThursday, January 7, 2027

2027

Christmas DaySaturday, December 25, 2027

Julian-calendar Orthodox churchesFriday, January 7, 2028

What Christmas Means

Christmas marks the Incarnation, the moment when God became flesh and dwelt among us. It is the fulfillment of centuries of prophecy and the beginning of the salvation story. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was not a quiet historical footnote but the hinge on which all of human history turns. God, in an act of incomprehensible love, entered creation in human form, born into a carpenter's family and laid in a manger, to live among the poor and the broken before dying and rising for the redemption of the world. Christians celebrate Christmas not as a sentimental holiday but as the announcement of cosmic hope: God has come, and nothing will ever be the same.

Christmas in the Bible

Luke 2:10-11KJV
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

John 1:14KJV
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

How Christmas Is Observed

Christmas is observed through church services, often including a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. Families gather, gifts are exchanged in remembrance of the Magi's offerings, nativity scenes are displayed depicting the holy family, and carols are sung throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons. Many traditions observe the twelve days of Christmas from December 25 to January 5, ending with the Feast of Epiphany.

Catholic

Catholics celebrate Christmas as a solemnity and a holy day of obligation, with Masses on Christmas Eve, during the night and on Christmas Day. The Christmas season continues after December 25 and ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January.

Orthodox

Orthodox Christians prepare with the forty-day Nativity Fast and celebrate the Nativity of Christ as one of the great feasts of the year. Churches on the Revised Julian calendar, such as the Greek Orthodox, celebrate on December 25. Churches that keep the older Julian calendar, such as the Russian and Serbian churches, celebrate on January 7.

Protestant

Most Protestant churches hold Christmas Eve services, often by candlelight with carols and the reading of Luke 2. Anglican and Lutheran churches keep the twelve days of Christmas through January 5. Many congregations also gather on Christmas morning.

Where It Falls in the Christian Year

Christmas comes at the end of Advent, the season of waiting, and its twelve days lead to Epiphany on January 6. Read the full account of the shepherds and the manger in Luke 2, or see every feast in order on the Christian holidays calendar.

Christmas FAQ

What day is Christmas 2026?

Christmas 2026 is on Friday, December 25, 2026. Christmas is always December 25 for Western churches. Christmas 2027 falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027.

What is Christmas?

Christmas is the feast of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians celebrate it as the Incarnation, the belief that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh, as John 1:14 puts it: the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

Where is the Christmas story in the Bible?

The birth of Jesus is told in Matthew 1 and 2 and in Luke 2. Luke tells of the journey to Bethlehem, the manger and the shepherds. Matthew tells of Joseph's dream, the star and the visit of the wise men.

Why do some Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7?

Some Orthodox churches still use the older Julian calendar for church feasts. Their December 25 currently falls on January 7 of the civil Gregorian calendar, so the date is the same feast counted on a different calendar.

Is Christmas a federal holiday?

Yes. Christmas Day, December 25, is one of the eleven federal holidays in the United States. When it falls on a Saturday, federal employees usually observe it on the Friday before, and when it falls on a Sunday, on the Monday after.

How long is the Christmas season?

In the church calendar, Christmas is a season, not a single day. Many traditions keep twelve days, from December 25 to January 5. In the Catholic Church, the season runs until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January.