Christmas Day 2024

What is Christmas Day?

Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the Christian faith. It is the culmination of Advent in the Western churches and the first day of the Christmas season. The customs attached to it vary widely, from midnight Mass and early-morning services in Catholic countries to a family lunch and gift-opening at home in Protestant and largely secular households, with carols, nativity scenes and decorated trees nearly everywhere. The date is the same in most countries, although the way it is observed differs a great deal between regions and denominations.

Over the centuries the holiday has also gathered many cultural layers that are not strictly religious, including regional dishes, festive markets and visits from gift-bringing figures such as Santa Claus, Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas. For a large share of people who do not practise Christianity, it is mainly a family and seasonal occasion, and in many countries it is the quietest day of the whole year. Regardless of belief, the day tends to bring a near total pause to normal commercial life, which is why travel and shopping plans around it need care.

Why it is observed

The New Testament gives no date for the birth of Jesus. The earliest firm evidence of a celebration on 25 December is a Roman calendar compiled in AD 354, which suggests the date was established in Rome by the mid-fourth century, and scholars still debate why it was chosen. In the East, 6 January was at first the favoured date, which is why Epiphany and Orthodox Theophany remain on it. In the twentieth century most Orthodox churches adopted a revised calendar, so Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria celebrate on 25 December, while the Russian, Serbian and some other churches remain on the Julian date.

How the date is set

Christmas Day is fixed on 25 December. Churches that follow the Julian calendar for religious dates, such as the Serbian and Russian Orthodox churches, keep their 25 December on what the civil calendar calls 7 January.

How it is observed

Christmas Day is a public holiday in nearly every country in Europe and the Americas and in many others with Christian heritage, and it is frequently paired with a second holiday on 26 December. Shops, banks and offices close, public transport is minimal or absent, and in many countries even supermarkets and petrol stations shut for the day. Visitors should plan food and travel ahead, because services are limited and few restaurants open. Orthodox countries that follow the Julian date, including Serbia and Belarus, hold their Christmas holiday on 7 January instead. Extra pay or compensatory time off for working on the day depends on national law and individual agreements.