Days Until Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Christmas Day falls on December 25 every year. The countdown above updates from today's date in your time zone and shows the days, weeks, weekdays and "sleeps" left. You can also change the date to count down to Christmas Eve or any other day.

Plan around the key dates

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday arrive at the end of November, the day after Thanksgiving and the Monday after.
• Shipping deadlines: the major US carriers usually publish holiday cut-off dates in early December, with standard ground shipping deadlines around the middle of the month. Check your carrier's current schedule and order early.
• Christmas Eve (December 24) is a half day or holiday for many workplaces.

Budget for the holidays

Spreading gift costs over the remaining weeks keeps December from landing on a credit card. Divide your total holiday budget by the number of weeks left to get a weekly savings target, and use the savings goal calculator for bigger plans.

Christmas facts

• Christmas became a US federal holiday in 1870.
• Many Orthodox churches celebrate on January 7, because they follow the older Julian calendar.
• The "12 days of Christmas" run from December 25 to January 5.