Christmas in United States

Christmas in United States falls on December 25. For many families the celebration stretches across several days, with quieter moments at home alongside the busier public events.

Homes are decorated with lights, wreaths and a tree. Children write to Santa Claus and visit him at malls and town events. Many families attend a church service on Christmas Eve.

Common Christmas Day meals include roast turkey, ham or prime rib with sides such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and cornbread. Cookies, eggnog and pies are popular throughout December.

Presents are placed under the tree and opened on the morning of December 25. Stockings hung over the fireplace are filled overnight by Santa.

The festive figure most associated with Christmas in United States is Santa Claus. Names, costumes and gift giving dates can vary from family to family and from region to region.

NORAD, the joint US-Canadian air defence command, has tracked Santa Claus on Christmas Eve every year since 1955.

For most families in United States, Christmas is not a single day. It is a stretch of four to six weeks that starts in late November and runs into early January. Advent shapes the first half. Shops, streets and homes warm up gradually. By the time the main date of December 25 arrives, the city has already been festive for a month.

The week between Christmas and the New Year is quieter than the build up. Many workplaces close. People visit older relatives, take long walks, eat the leftovers slowly and watch the same films they watched as children. Epiphany on January 6 closes the season in most Christian traditions.

• How early the season starts. Christmas lights in United States usually appear in the second half of November, well before December begins.
• How small the gift exchange can feel compared with the food, the music and the time spent at the table. Christmas here is more about gathering than about unwrapping.
• How important Santa Claus is to the children, and how stories about the gift bringer differ from town to town and from family to family.
• That most shops close on the main holiday. Plan grocery runs a day in advance and you will avoid the only stressful part of the trip.

Christmas markets and main festive events usually run from late November to a few days before December 25. If you want the full atmosphere, aim for the first or second week of December. Book trains and intercity buses early. Prices on the busiest travel days can double.

Pack for the weather you would expect in late winter in this region, plus one warmer layer for evenings outside. Bring small gifts if you are staying with a family. A box of sweets from your own country always lands well.

For the rituals, dishes and gift bringers in other countries, browse our Christmas around the world hub or compare customs side by side in the Christmas Traditions Explorer.

Most households start the Christmas list in the first week of December: who is coming, who is cooking, who is travelling and on which day. Gift shopping is usually finished by the second or third weekend of December. The last week is for food, decoration and the small rituals that children remember more than the presents.

Our Christmas checklist works for this kind of season. If the budget is tight this year, the Christmas on a budget guide has ideas that fit most households.