When Is Christmas Day?

Christmas Day is the feast of the nativity, or birth, of Jesus Christ. It is the second-greatest feast in the Christian calendar, behind Easter, the day of Christ's Resurrection. While Christians normally celebrate the day on which saints died, because that is the day on which they entered into eternal life, there are three exceptions: We celebrate the births of Jesus, His mother, Mary, and his cousin, John the Baptist, since all three were born without the stain of Original Sin.

The word Christmas is also used generically to refer to both the Twelve Days of Christmas (the period from Christmas Day until Epiphany, the feast on which the birth of Christ was revealed to the Gentiles, in the form of the Magi, or Wise Men) and the 40-day period from Christmas Day until Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, when Mary and Joseph presented the Christ Child in the Temple at Jerusalem, in accordance with the Jewish law. In centuries past, both periods were celebrated as an extension of the feast of Christmas Day, which began, rather than ended, the Christmas season.

How Is the Date of Christmas Determined?

Unlike Easter, which is celebrated on a different date every year, Christmas is always celebrated on December 25. That's exactly nine months after the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the day on which the Angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary to let her know that she had been chosen by God to bear His Son.

Because Christmas is always celebrated on December 25, that means, of course, that it will fall on a different day of the week every year. And because Christmas is a Holy Day of Obligation—one which is never abrogated, even when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday—it's important to know what day of the week it will fall on so that you can attend Mass.

When Is Christmas Day This Year?

Here is the date and day of the week on which Christmas will be celebrated this year:

• Christmas Day 2018: Tuesday, December 25, 2018

When Is Christmas Day in Future Years?

Here are the dates and days of the week when Christmas will be celebrated next year and in future years:

• Christmas Day 2019: Wednesday, December 25, 2019
• Christmas Day 2020: Friday, December 25, 2020
• Christmas Day 2021: Saturday, December 25, 2021
• Christmas Day 2022: Sunday, December 25, 2022
• Christmas Day 2023: Monday, December 25, 2023
• Christmas Day 2024: Wednesday, December 25, 2024
• Christmas Day 2025: Thursday, December 25, 2025
• Christmas Day 2026: Friday, December 25, 2026
• Christmas Day 2027: Saturday, December 25, 2027
• Christmas Day 2028: Monday, December 25, 2028
• Christmas Day 2029: Tuesday, December 25, 2029
• Christmas Day 2030: Wednesday, December 25, 2030

When Was Christmas Day in Previous Years?

Here are the dates when Christmas fell in previous years, going back to 2007:

• Christmas Day 2007: Tuesday, December 25, 2007
• Christmas Day 2008: Thursday, December 25, 2008
• Christmas Day 2009: Friday, December 25, 2009
• Christmas Day 2010: Saturday, December 25, 2010
• Christmas Day 2011: Sunday, December 25, 2011
• Christmas Day 2012: Tuesday, December 25, 2012
• Christmas Day 2013: Wednesday, December 25, 2013
• Christmas Day 2014: Thursday, December 25, 2014
• Christmas Day 2015: Friday, December 25, 2015
• Christmas Day 2016: Sunday, December 25, 2016
• Christmas Day 2017: Monday, December 25, 2017

When Is . . .

• When Is Epiphany?
• When Is the Baptism of the Lord?
• When Is Mardi Gras?
• When Does Lent Start?
• When Does Lent End?
• When Is Lent?
• When Is Ash Wednesday?
• When Is Saint Joseph's Day?
• When Is the Annunciation?
• When Is Laetare Sunday?
• When Is Holy Week?
• When Is Palm Sunday?
• When Is Holy Thursday?
• When Is Good Friday?
• When Is Holy Saturday?
• When Is Easter?
• When Is Divine Mercy Sunday?
• When Is Ascension?
• When Is Pentecost Sunday?
• When Is Trinity Sunday?
• When Is the Feast of Saint Anthony?
• When Is Corpus Christi?
• When Is the Feast of the Sacred Heart?
• When Is the Feast of the Transfiguration?
• When Is the Feast of the Assumption?
• When Is the Virgin Mary's Birthday?
• When Is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross?
• When Is Halloween?
• When Is All Saints Day?
• When Is All Souls Day?
• When Is the Feast of Christ the King?
• When Is Thanksgiving Day?
• When Does Advent Start?
• When Is Saint Nicholas Day?
• When Is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception?