When Is Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve 2026 is on Thursday, December 24 — in 49 days. It is on December 24 every year; in 2027 it falls on a Friday. That year it is a federal day off: Christmas Day (observed).
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day and evening before Christmas Day, with church services such as Midnight Mass and family celebrations.
December 2026 calendar
Christmas Eve is marked on Thursday, December 24, 2026, along with the other US federal holidays and observances of the month.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Observance
- Weekend
December 2026 – Christmas Eve 2026
| Wk | SundaySun | MondayMon | TuesdayTue | WednesdayWed | ThursdayThu | FridayFri | SaturdaySat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5Hanukkah (first day) | ||
| 50 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 51 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 52 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24Christmas Eve | 25Christmas Day | 26 |
| 53 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31New Year's Eve |
Christmas Eve dates 2020–2040
Christmas Eve falls on a weekend in 6 of these 21 years.
| Year | Date | Day | Observed federal holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Thursday | — | |
| 2021 | Friday | Christmas Day (observed) | |
| 2022 | Saturday | — | |
| 2023 | Sunday | — | |
| 2024 | Tuesday | — | |
| 2025 | Wednesday | — | |
| 2026 | Next | Thursday | — |
| 2027 | Friday | Christmas Day (observed) | |
| 2028 | Sunday | — | |
| 2029 | Monday | — | |
| 2030 | Tuesday | — | |
| 2031 | Wednesday | — | |
| 2032 | Friday | Christmas Day (observed) | |
| 2033 | Saturday | — | |
| 2034 | Sunday | — | |
| 2035 | Monday | — | |
| 2036 | Wednesday | — | |
| 2037 | Thursday | — | |
| 2038 | Friday | Christmas Day (observed) | |
| 2039 | Saturday | — | |
| 2040 | Monday | — |
Christmas Eve and federal employees
December 24 is not a federal holiday, but presidents have often closed federal agencies by executive order: for the full day in 1962, 1973, 1979, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025, and for the afternoon only in other years such as 2009 and 2015.
When December 25 is a Saturday, the federal Christmas holiday is observed on Friday, December 24, so Christmas Eve becomes the day off by law. This happens in 2027, 2032 and 2038.
Sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Federal holidays
- Federal Register – Executive Order 14371 (December 24 and 26, 2025)
- American Presidency Project – Executive Order 12179 (December 24, 1979)
- New York Stock Exchange – Holidays and trading hours
- Texas Comptroller – State holidays
- Arkansas – Holidays and birthday leave policy
- North Carolina OSHR – State holidays
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas Eve 2027?
Christmas Eve 2027 is on Friday, December 24, 2027.
Is the stock market open on Christmas Eve?
Usually for a shortened session: NYSE markets close early, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time, when December 24 is a weekday. When Christmas falls on a Saturday, the NYSE is closed on Friday, December 24, for the observed Christmas holiday.
Is Christmas Eve a state holiday?
In some states. State offices close on December 24 in Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, for example.