Live countdown
Christmas Eve Countdown
How long until December 24 in your local timezone.
until Christmas Eve 2026 on Thursday, December 24, 2026
As of today, there are 96 days, 17 hours and 35 minutes until Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve falls on Thursday, December 24, 2026.
In short
Christmas Eve is on December 24. In many countries, including Germany, Austria and much of Scandinavia, this is when the main family celebration and gift exchange take place.
How Christmas Eve is celebrated
The shape of the day is remarkably consistent across countries. The morning is for the last errands and the final cooking, the afternoon is for the tree, the bath and the good clothes, and the evening belongs to the meal. Presents follow the food in the countries that open on the twenty fourth, and a late church service closes the night for many families.
In Germany the tree is often decorated on December 24 itself and the gifts appear while children are out of the room. In Poland the Wigilia meal waits for the first star and an extra place is set at the table. In Denmark and Norway the family eats, then dances or walks around the tree before anything is unwrapped. Our Christmas Eve traditions page collects these country by country.
A simple timeline for December 24
Morning
Shops close early, so do the fresh food run before ten if you can. Wrap anything still unwrapped now rather than after dinner, and put the batteries somewhere you will find them tomorrow.
Early afternoon
Cook what can be cooked ahead and lay the table properly, even simply. A table that is already set makes the evening feel planned rather than rushed, and it stops the last hour becoming frantic.
Late afternoon
Lights on, phones down. This is the natural moment for the Santa trackers, a walk to look at the neighbours displays, or the first carols. Keep it short and keep it outdoors if the weather allows.
Evening
The meal, then the tree, then presents if that is your custom. Finish with one small ritual before bed so the night has a clear end: leaving something out, one story, one carol, or the walk to a midnight service.
Four things worth planning before the day arrives
Christmas Eve rewards decisions made in advance. Each of these takes a few minutes now and removes a small argument later.
A long, unhurried meal
In much of Europe the Christmas Eve dinner is the main event of the season. Fish in Poland and Italy, ham or goose in Scandinavia and Germany, rice pudding with a hidden almond in Denmark and Sweden.
The main event
Read more about A long, unhurried meal
Track Santa with the children
The trackers go live on December 24 and give restless children something to watch that moves. Ten minutes on the map before bath time buys a surprising amount of calm.
Live on the day
Read more about Track Santa with the children
One film, chosen in advance
Deciding what to watch is what ruins the evening. Pick the film in the morning, agree it with everyone, and put it on after the table is cleared rather than during dinner.
Decide early
Read more about One film, chosen in advance
Something to put out before bed
A mince pie, a carrot, a glass of milk or a bowl of rice pudding depending on where you live. It gives the evening a clear ending, which is exactly what a child who cannot settle needs.
Last job of the night
Read more about Something to put out before bed
If you are still shopping
December 24 is effectively a half day. Online delivery has stopped for standard orders, but click and collect often runs into the morning and independent shops are usually calmer than the big stores. Bookshops, delis, garden centres, florists and record shops all sell genuinely good presents on the last day.
For ideas that hold up under time pressure, the last minute Christmas gifts guide is written for the final forty eight hours, and the shopping days counter shows how much trading time is genuinely left.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Christmas Eve?
- Christmas Eve falls on December 24, the evening before Christmas Day.
- Why is Christmas Eve so important?
- In many countries the main family celebration, gift exchange and church service all happen on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas Day itself.
- Is the countdown in my local timezone?
- Yes. The countdown targets midnight on December 24 in the timezone reported by your device.
- Which countries open presents on Christmas Eve?
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Argentina and Brazil are among the many places where the main gift exchange happens on the evening of December 24 rather than on Christmas morning.
- What time do shops close on Christmas Eve?
- Most large stores close between early afternoon and six in the evening, and many supermarkets stop earlier than usual. Treat December 24 as a half day and do any final shopping in the morning.
- When does Santa set off according to the trackers?
- The NORAD and Google trackers both begin following Santa on December 24 in local time, starting in the Pacific and moving west through the day. Our Santa tracker guide explains how each one works.
- How is Christmas Eve different from Christmas Day?
- Christmas Eve is the evening of preparation and arrival: the meal, the tree, the church service, in many countries the presents. Christmas Day is usually slower, centred on a long lunch, and quieter than the night before.
Quick facts
- Christmas Eve
- Thursday, December 24, 2026
- Total minutes left
- 139,295
- Total hours left
- 2,321