Christmas 2027 falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027. Because it lands on a Saturday, the federal observance moves back to Friday, December 24, 2027 (U.S. Office of Personnel Management) — so Christmas Eve is the day everything closes.
Two things converge on that Friday. The federal Christmas closure lands on December 24, and Hanukkah 2027 begins at sundown on the same evening, running through nightfall on Saturday, January 1, 2028 (Hebcal, Hebrew year 5788).
The first night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve coincide, which last happened in 2024 and will not recur until the 2030s.
Table of Contents
When is Christmas 2027?
Saturday, December 25, 2027, observed Friday, December 24, 2027. Which date applies depends on the question.
| Date | What it governs | |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory date | Saturday, December 25, 2027 | The holiday itself, church services, family observance |
| Observed date | Friday, December 24, 2027 | Federal closures, holiday pay, bank and market schedules |
The holiday period in full:
| Date | Day | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 23 | Thursday | Normal working day |
| Friday, December 24 | Friday | Federal observance; Hanukkah begins at sundown |
| Saturday, December 25 | Saturday | Christmas Day |
| Sunday, December 26 | Sunday | Kwanzaa begins; Boxing Day abroad |
| Monday, December 27 to Thursday, December 30 | Mon–Thu | Normal working days |
| Friday, December 31 | Friday | Federal observance of New Year’s Day 2028; stock market open |
Why the observed date is Friday, December 24
Christmas Day is a fixed-date holiday, set at December 25 in 5 U.S.C. 6103. Fixed-date holidays are the only ones that can fall on a weekend.
A federal holiday falling on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday under 5 U.S.C. 6103(b). A holiday falling on a Sunday is observed the following Monday under Section 3(a) of Executive Order 11582.
Christmas Eve is not itself a federal holiday. In 2027 it closes federal offices only because it is serving as the observed date for Christmas Day.
In years where December 25 falls midweek, Christmas Eve carries no federal status at all, and any day off comes from a discretionary executive order issued year by year.
Christmas 2027 closures by institution
| Institution | Friday, December 24 | Saturday, December 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal offices | Closed, observed holiday | Closed, weekend |
| Banks and Federal Reserve | Closed | Closed, weekend |
| U.S. Postal Service | No delivery | No delivery |
| NYSE and Nasdaq | Closed | Closed, weekend |
| Bond markets, SIFMA | Closed | Closed, weekend |
| UPS and FedEx | Limited or no service | No service |
| State and local government | Closed in all 50 states | Closed, weekend |
| Public schools | Closed, winter break | Closed |
| Retail and grocery | Open, early close typical | Closed, most chains |
Christmas is one of the few days in the year when most large retailers close entirely.
Grocery chains, department stores and shopping centres are closed on Saturday, December 25. Pharmacies, convenience stores and some restaurants operate reduced hours.
The four working days nobody expects
The most useful fact about the 2027 year-end is what sits between the two closures.
December 24 is a federal holiday and December 31 is a federal holiday — the observance of New Year’s Day 2028, which also falls on a Saturday.
Between them:
| Date | Day | Federal status |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, December 27 | Monday | Normal working day |
| Tuesday, December 28 | Tuesday | Normal working day |
| Wednesday, December 29 | Wednesday | Normal working day |
| Thursday, December 30 | Thursday | Normal working day |
Four ordinary working days bracketed by two Friday federal closures.
Anyone planning leave around the 2027 year-end needs four days of annual leave to bridge the gap, not the one or two that a midweek Christmas usually requires.
This arrangement also means the 2027 calendar year contains twelve observed federal holiday dates rather than the usual eleven, because both the Christmas observance and the New Year’s Day 2028 observance land inside it.
Christmas dates 2025 to 2032
| Year | December 25 falls on | Federal observance | Extra closure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Thursday | Thursday, December 25 | No |
| 2026 | Friday | Friday, December 25 | No |
| 2027 | Saturday | Friday, December 24 | Yes, shifts back |
| 2028 | Monday | Monday, December 25 | No |
| 2029 | Tuesday | Tuesday, December 25 | No |
| 2030 | Wednesday | Wednesday, December 25 | No |
| 2031 | Thursday | Thursday, December 25 | No |
| 2032 | Saturday | Friday, December 24 | Yes, shifts back |
Christmas next falls on a Sunday in 2033, when the observance moves forward to Monday, December 26.
Christmas around the world in 2027
| Country | December 25 | December 26 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Federal holiday, observed Dec 24 | Not a holiday |
| United Kingdom | Bank holiday | Boxing Day bank holiday |
| Canada | Statutory holiday | Boxing Day, statutory in most provinces |
| Australia, New Zealand | Public holiday | Boxing Day public holiday |
| Ireland | Public holiday | St Stephen’s Day public holiday |
Because both December 25 and 26 fall on a weekend in 2027, the United Kingdom, Ireland and much of the Commonwealth substitute weekday bank holidays in the following week — typically Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28.
Those are ordinary working days in the United States, which makes the 2027 year-end unusually divergent for anyone coordinating across both.
What Christmas 2027 is not
Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday in its own right. Friday, December 24, 2027 closes federal offices only because it is the observed date for Christmas Day.
Boxing Day, Sunday, December 26, 2027, is not observed in the United States and carries no federal status.
December 27 through 30 are not holidays. They are ordinary federal working days, despite sitting between two closures.
Orthodox Christmas is a separate observance. Churches following the Julian calendar mark the Nativity on Friday, January 7, 2028, thirteen days after the Gregorian date.
Frequently asked questions
What day is Christmas 2027?
Saturday, December 25, 2027, with the federal holiday observed on Friday, December 24. December 25 is the statutory date fixed in 5 U.S.C. 6103. Because it falls on a Saturday, federal offices, banks and markets close the preceding Friday instead.
Is December 27, 2027 a holiday?
No. Monday, December 27, 2027 is an ordinary federal working day. The Christmas observance is Friday, December 24 and the next federal closure is Friday, December 31, the observed date for New Year’s Day 2028. The four days between them are normal working days.
Do Christmas and Hanukkah overlap in 2027?
Yes. Hanukkah 2027 begins at sundown on Friday, December 24 and runs through nightfall on Saturday, January 1, 2028 (Hebcal). The first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas Eve, and the festival spans Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
