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When is Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve falls on Thursday, December 24, 2026.
About Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve falls on December 24 every year, the day before Christmas Day. In much of Europe it is the main day of celebration. Germany, Austria, Sweden, Poland and most Scandinavian nations hold the festive meal, the gift exchange and church services on the evening of the 24th rather than on the 25th. In the UK and the US, Christmas Eve is more typically a day of preparation and anticipation, with traditions such as hanging stockings, opening one gift, and attending midnight mass. It is not a public holiday in most countries, though many workplaces and shops close early. In a few places, including Germany and Argentina, it is officially a half-day or non-working day.
In Sweden the main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve and is called julbord. In Germany the day is Heiligabend, and the Bescherung, or gift-giving, traditionally happens that evening. In Poland the Wigilia Christmas Eve dinner is usually the most important family meal of the year, and it features 12 dishes that represent the apostles. Catholic churches around the world hold midnight mass on Christmas Eve, a tradition that dates back at least to the 5th century. In the United States, NORAD's Santa Tracker is broadcast live on Christmas Eve. It traces back to a misprinted phone number in a 1955 Sears advertisement, which connected children with the Continental Air Defense Command. The staff there played along, and the tradition has continued every year since.
Frequently asked questions
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday?
Christmas Eve is not a full public holiday in most countries. In the UK and the United States it is a normal working day, although many employers let staff finish early and shops close earlier than usual. Some countries do give it official status. In Germany and Argentina, December 24 is treated as a partial or non-working day, and in several other European countries public-sector workers finish at lunchtime. Because the main celebration in much of Europe happens on the evening of the 24th, activity tends to wind down through the afternoon even where no formal holiday applies.
Why do some countries celebrate on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day?
The pattern reflects older church custom. In Christian tradition a feast day begins at sunset on the evening before, so the celebration of Christmas could properly start on the evening of December 24. Many central and northern European countries kept that emphasis, and Germany, Poland, Sweden and Austria hold their main meal and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. In the UK and the United States the focus shifted to the morning of the 25th, partly through the 19th-century growth of the idea of Christmas morning as a children's occasion centred on Santa Claus and stockings.
What is the NORAD Santa Tracker?
The NORAD Santa Tracker is a service that reports Santa Claus's supposed location to children on Christmas Eve. It began by accident in 1955, when a Sears advertisement in Colorado Springs printed a telephone number that children could call to reach Santa. The number was wrong and instead connected to the Continental Air Defense Command, the predecessor of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Staff decided to play along and give children updates on Santa's journey. NORAD has run the tracker every year since, now through a website, apps and phone lines staffed by volunteers.
What is eaten on Christmas Eve in different countries?
Christmas Eve food varies a great deal. In Poland the Wigilia supper has 12 meatless dishes, one for each apostle, and often includes carp and beetroot soup. Sweden serves a large buffet called the julbord. In Italy many families eat a meatless meal on the 24th, and Italian-American communities keep the Feast of the Seven Fishes. In parts of eastern Europe the meal is also meat-free, reflecting a day of fasting before the feast. In the UK and the US there is no single fixed Christmas Eve dish, and the main meal comes on the 25th.
Why is there a midnight mass on Christmas Eve?
Midnight mass is a Christian service held late on Christmas Eve, often starting at or near midnight so it carries into Christmas Day. The custom is old, with records of a night service in Rome by the 5th century. Holding it at midnight reflects the tradition that a feast begins the evening before, and the idea of marking the exact start of Christmas Day. Many Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches still hold the service, and in some countries it is one of the best-attended church events of the year, drawing people who rarely attend otherwise.