When is Christmas?
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and is observed in the Western tradition on the fixed date of 25 December each year. The four-week season of Advent that precedes it is a time of preparation.
Christmas — Catholic · Protestant (Western): the next date is December 25, 2026.
Christmas — Greek Orthodox: the next date is December 25, 2026.
Christmas — Armenian Apostolic: the next date is January 6, 2027.
Christmas — Syriac Orthodox: the next date is December 25, 2026.
The date of Christmas differs between traditions: Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox (Revised Julian calendar) and Syriac Orthodox churches celebrate on 25 December. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on 6 January, combined with Theophany (Epiphany). Some Orthodox churches that keep the old Julian calendar (e.g. Russian, Serbian, Jerusalem) celebrate on 25 December Julian = 7 January Gregorian.
Dates year by year — Western tradition
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | — Friday |
| 2027 | — Saturday |
| 2028 | — Monday |
| 2029 | — Tuesday |
Catholic · Protestant (Western)
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Greek Orthodox
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Armenian Apostolic
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Syriac Orthodox
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Meaning and history
Christmas is the feast celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The birth narrative appears in two Gospels: Luke tells of Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem, the lack of room at the inn and the good news announced to shepherds, while Matthew records the visit of wise men from the east who followed a star. John's Gospel expresses the same event conceptually — "The Word became flesh, and lived among us" — which the church calls the incarnation. Although the Scriptures do not record the day of the birth, 25 December became established in Western churches from the fourth century onward; some Eastern churches following the Julian calendar keep the same feast on the day that now corresponds to 7 January. Advent, spanning the four Sundays before Christmas, is a season of expectation and preparation, and the twelve days after Christmas form the traditional Christmas season, closing with Epiphany on 6 January. Many cultural customs — gift-giving, lights, family meals — have grown up around Christmas through history, yet at its core the feast celebrates, in Christian belief, God drawing near to humanity.