National Days in December include Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Human Rights Day, and Wright Brothers Day.
December arrives as a month anchored by religious observance, national remembrance, and the close of the calendar year.
Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa fall within eight days of each other in 2027, an alignment that does not repeat often, while National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and Wright Brothers Day carry federal statute behind them.
Global advocacy runs through the first half of the month, from World AIDS Day and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to Human Rights Day, which marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Alongside these, December holds the year’s densest run of food and comfort observances, from National Cookie Day and National Cocoa Day to National Eggnog Day and National Champagne Day.
December 2027 is a genuinely unusual month on the federal calendar. Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, and New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday too.
Under 5 U.S.C. § 6103, both shift backward to the preceding Friday, which places two observed federal holidays inside December 2027 and gives federal employees twelve paid holidays in the 2027 calendar year rather than the usual eleven.
Hanukkah compounds the convergence. It begins at sundown on Friday, December 24, the same day the federal Christmas holiday is observed, with its first full day falling on Christmas Day itself.
Table of Contents
National days in December 2027
| Date | Day | National & International Days Observed |
|---|---|---|
| December 1 | Wednesday | World AIDS Day, Rosa Parks Day, Day Without Art, National Eat a Red Apple Day, Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day |
| December 2 | Thursday | International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, National Special Education Day, National Fritters Day |
| December 3 | Friday | International Day of Persons with Disabilities, National Back Friday (Friday after Black Friday), National Roof Over Your Head Day, National Package Protection Day |
| December 4 | Saturday | National Cookie Day, International Day of Banks, National Sock Day, National Dice Day, Wildlife Conservation Day, Skywarn Recognition Day (first Saturday), Global Fat Bike Day (first Saturday), International Spirit of the Game Day (first Saturday), National Play Outside Day |
| December 5 | Sunday | World Soil Day, International Volunteer Day, National Repeal Day, National Sacher Torte Day, Bathtub Party Day |
| December 6 | Monday | Saint Nicholas Day, National Miner’s Day, Mitten Tree Day, National Microwave Oven Day, National Gazpacho Day, National Pawnbrokers Day |
| December 7 | Tuesday | National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, International Civil Aviation Day, National Cotton Candy Day, National Illinois Day |
| December 8 | Wednesday | National Brownie Day, Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day, National Crossword Solvers Day |
| December 9 | Thursday | International Anti-Corruption Day, International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide, National Pastry Day, Christmas Card Day, Weary Willie Day |
| December 10 | Friday | Human Rights Day, Dewey Decimal System Day, National Lager Day |
| December 11 | Saturday | International Mountain Day, National App Day, National Noodle Ring Day, National Stretching Day |
| December 12 | Sunday | International Universal Health Coverage Day, International Day of Neutrality, National Poinsettia Day, Gingerbread House Day, National Ambrosia Day, National Ding-a-Ling Day |
| December 13 | Monday | National Guard Birthday, National Cocoa Day, National Day of the Horse, National Violin Day |
| December 14 | Tuesday | International Day against Colonialism in All its Forms, Monkey Day, National Bouillabaisse Day, National Alabama Day |
| December 15 | Wednesday | Bill of Rights Day, National Cupcake Day, Cat Herders Day, National Wear Your Pearls Day, World Turkic Language Family Day |
| December 16 | Thursday | National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, Barbie and Barney Backlash Day |
| December 17 | Friday | Wright Brothers Day, Pan American Aviation Day, National Maple Syrup Day, National Say It Now Day |
| December 18 | Saturday | International Migrants Day, Arabic Language Day, National Wreaths Across America Day (designated annually), National Twin Day, National Re-gifting Day, Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day |
| December 19 | Sunday | International Day of Recognition for Women Searchers of Missing Persons, National Hard Candy Day, National Oatmeal Muffin Day |
| December 20 | Monday | International Human Solidarity Day, Mudd Day, Go Caroling Day, National Sangria Day |
| December 21 | Tuesday | Winter Solstice, Yule, National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, World Meditation Day, World Basketball Day, National Flashlight Day, Humbug Day, Crossword Puzzle Day, National Maine Day |
| December 22 | Wednesday | Forefathers’ Day, National Date Nut Bread Day |
| December 23 | Thursday | Festivus, National Roots Day, National Pfeffernusse Day |
| December 24 | Friday | Christmas Eve, Christmas Day (federal holiday observed), Hanukkah begins at sundown, National Eggnog Day, International Anti-Cybercrime Day |
| December 25 | Saturday | Christmas Day, Hanukkah first full day, National Pumpkin Pie Day, A’phabet Day (No “L” Day) |
| December 26 | Sunday | Kwanzaa begins, Boxing Day, National Candy Cane Day, National Thank You Note Day, National Whiners Day |
| December 27 | Monday | International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, National Fruitcake Day |
| December 28 | Tuesday | Pledge of Allegiance Day, Holy Innocents Day, National Card Playing Day, National Chocolate Candy Day, National Short Film Day |
| December 29 | Wednesday | Tick Tock Day, National Pepper Pot Day |
| December 30 | Thursday | Bacon Day, Falling Needles Family Fest Day, National Bicarbonate of Soda Day |
| December 31 | Friday | New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day 2028 (federal holiday observed), National Champagne Day, Make Up Your Mind Day, No Interruptions Day, Leap Second Time Adjustment Day |
Here is the complete day-by-day guide to the key national and international days celebrated across December 2027.
December 1: World AIDS Day / Rosa Parks Day
The first global health day ever established, launched in 1988 to remember those lost to AIDS and to press for treatment access and an end to stigma. Rosa Parks Day marks her 1955 arrest in Montgomery, Alabama, the act that triggered the bus boycott.
December 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery / National Special Education Day
Marks the 1949 UN convention against trafficking and focuses attention on the tens of millions in forced labour, debt bondage and forced marriage today. National Special Education Day commemorates the 1975 signing of the first federal special education law.
December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities / National Back Friday
Promotes the rights and inclusion of the roughly one billion people living with disabilities worldwide. National Back Friday, the Friday after Black Friday, is a tongue-in-cheek reminder to tend to the backs strained by a week of shopping and lifting.
December 4: National Cookie Day / International Day of Banks
The centrepiece of December’s baking season, marking the cookie swaps and bake sales that fill the month. The United Nations marks the same date for the role of banking systems in financing development.
December 5: World Soil Day / National Repeal Day
Draws attention to soil degradation and the fact that most of the world’s food depends on topsoil that takes centuries to form. National Repeal Day marks the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, ending Prohibition.
December 6: Saint Nicholas Day / National Miner’s Day
Honours the fourth-century bishop of Myra whose reputation for secret gift-giving became the basis for Santa Claus, still marked with shoes left out overnight across much of Europe. National Miner’s Day remembers the 1907 Monongah disaster in West Virginia, the deadliest mining accident in American history.
December 7: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day / International Civil Aviation Day
Designated by 36 U.S.C. § 129 to honour the more than 2,400 Americans killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The President requests flags at half-staff on all federal buildings. It is not a federal holiday.
December 8: National Brownie Day / Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day
Celebrates the dense chocolate square that first appeared in print in the 1906 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day invites participants to spend the day reacting to the present as a visitor from another century might.
December 9: International Anti-Corruption Day / National Pastry Day
Marks the 2003 adoption of the UN Convention against Corruption and the trillions lost annually to bribery and embezzlement. National Pastry Day arrives in the thick of holiday baking.
December 10: Human Rights Day / National Lager Day
Commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, the most translated document in the world. National Lager Day celebrates the bottom-fermented beer style that accounts for most of what the world drinks.
December 11: International Mountain Day / National App Day
Highlights mountain ecosystems, which supply fresh water to roughly half the world’s population and are warming faster than lowlands. National App Day marks the 2008 opening of the first major mobile app store.
December 12: International Universal Health Coverage Day / National Poinsettia Day
Presses the case that everyone should receive health services without financial hardship. National Poinsettia Day marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the American diplomat who introduced the Mexican plant to the United States in the 1820s.
December 13: National Guard Birthday / National Cocoa Day
Marks the 1636 founding of the first militia regiments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, making the National Guard the oldest component of the United States armed forces. National Cocoa Day belongs to the drink that defines December evenings.
December 14: Monkey Day / National Bouillabaisse Day
An artist-created observance from the year 2000 that grew into a genuine primate conservation campaign. National Bouillabaisse Day honours the Provençal fish stew from Marseille.
December 15: Bill of Rights Day / National Cupcake Day
Marks the 1791 ratification of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Franklin Roosevelt established the observance by proclamation in 1941, days after Pearl Harbor, and it has been renewed by proclamation since. Unlike Constitution Day, it has no statutory basis.
December 16: National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day / Barbie and Barney Backlash Day
An open invitation to dip whatever is within reach, arriving precisely when holiday confectionery peaks. Barbie and Barney Backlash Day offers parents a single day’s reprieve from children’s franchise entertainment.
December 17: Wright Brothers Day / Pan American Aviation Day
Both are federal observances falling on the same date under separate statutes. Wright Brothers Day, under 36 U.S.C. § 143, marks the first powered flights at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. Pan American Aviation Day, under 36 U.S.C. § 134, uses the same anniversary to promote aviation cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.
December 18: International Migrants Day / National Wreaths Across America Day
Marks the 1990 adoption of the UN convention on the rights of migrant workers. National Wreaths Across America Day places remembrance wreaths on veterans’ graves at Arlington and more than 4,000 other locations, and is designated annually by Senate resolution rather than by fixed rule.
December 19: National Hard Candy Day / International Day of Recognition for Women Searchers of Missing Persons
Celebrates the boiled sweets, candy canes and ribbon candy that fill December bowls. The United Nations marks the same date for the women, most of them mothers, who search for the disappeared.
December 20: International Human Solidarity Day / Go Caroling Day
Recognises solidarity as a founding value of the United Nations and the anniversary of the World Solidarity Fund. Go Caroling Day encourages neighbourhood singing in the final stretch before Christmas.
December 21: Winter Solstice / National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day
Astronomical winter begins at 02:42 UTC on December 22, which falls on the evening of December 21 across every United States time zone. National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is held on the longest night of the year to remember those who died without housing.
December 22: Forefathers’ Day / National Date Nut Bread Day
Commemorates the 1620 landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, observed in New England since 1769 and among the oldest continuously marked American anniversaries. National Date Nut Bread Day honours the dense holiday loaf.
December 23: Festivus / National Roots Day
The secular alternative holiday popularised by a 1997 episode of Seinfeld, complete with aluminium pole and airing of grievances. National Roots Day encourages families gathered for the holidays to record their genealogy while the older generation is present.
December 24: Christmas Eve / Christmas Day Observed / Hanukkah Begins
The most consequential date in December 2027. Because Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, federal offices close on Friday, December 24 under 5 U.S.C. § 6103. The same evening, Hanukkah begins at sundown, making this simultaneously Christmas Eve, the federal Christmas holiday, and the first night of the Festival of Lights.
December 25: Christmas Day / Hanukkah First Full Day
Christmas Day itself, a Saturday in 2027, marking the birth of Jesus and observed by roughly two billion people. It carries the first full day of Hanukkah, which runs eight days and ends at nightfall on January 1, 2028.
December 26: Kwanzaa Begins / Boxing Day
Kwanzaa runs December 26 to January 1, created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga to celebrate African American heritage through seven principles, one for each night. Boxing Day is a public holiday across the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and much of the Commonwealth.
December 27: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness / National Fruitcake Day
Established by the United Nations in 2020 to press for investment in surveillance and response systems before the next outbreak. National Fruitcake Day defends the much-maligned holiday loaf.
December 28: Pledge of Allegiance Day / Holy Innocents Day
Marks the 1945 congressional recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance in its official form. Holy Innocents Day is observed in Western Christianity for the children killed under Herod, and functions as an April Fools’ equivalent in Spain and Latin America.
December 29: Tick Tock Day / National Pepper Pot Day
A pointed reminder that only three days remain to finish what the year promised. National Pepper Pot Day honours the tripe and peppercorn soup said to have been served to Washington’s troops at Valley Forge.
December 30: Bacon Day / Falling Needles Family Fest Day
A straightforward celebration of bacon in the lull between Christmas and New Year. Falling Needles Family Fest Day marks the point at which the Christmas tree begins shedding in earnest.
December 31: New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day 2028 Observed
New Year’s Eve closes the year with celebrations worldwide. Because January 1, 2028 falls on a Saturday, federal offices also close on Friday, December 31, 2027, making this the second observed federal holiday inside a single December.
Month-Long December Observances
| Observance | Founding Organization / Originator | Year Established | Purpose & Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Human Rights Month | Human rights organizations, following the UN | ~1990s | Extends Human Rights Day on December 10 into a month marking the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. |
| National Impaired Driving Prevention Month | US Presidents, by annual proclamation | 1981 | Proclaimed each December to target drunk and drugged driving during the holiday season. |
| Safe Toys and Gifts Month | Prevent Blindness | ~1990s | Focuses on choking hazards and eye injuries from holiday toys, timed to peak gift-buying. |
| National Write a Business Plan Month | Small business media and advisory groups | — | Uses the year-end lull to encourage founders to formalise plans before January. |
| National Car Donation Month | Vehicle donation charities | — | Targets the year-end tax deduction deadline of December 31. |
| Bingo’s Birthday Month | Bingo industry and aggregators | — | Marks the December 1929 invention of the modern game by Edwin Lowe. |
| Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month | Produce trade associations | — | Seasonal marketing tied to winter produce. |
December 2027 is the rare month whose most important dates are not the ones printed on the calendar.
The federal holiday schedule and the religious calendar both slide, and they slide toward each other. Friday, December 24 ends up carrying three separate observances at once.
The solstice is worth a note. It falls at 02:42 UTC on December 22, which puts astronomical winter on December 21 for every United States time zone but December 22 for the United Kingdom, Europe and West Africa.
American calendars print the 21st and British calendars print the 22nd, and both are correct for their own longitude.
Two December observances that normally anchor the month leave it entirely in 2027. Thanksgiving falls on November 25, which pushes Cyber Monday to November 29 and Giving Tuesday to November 30.
Both sit in November, so calendars that habitually print Giving Tuesday as a December date will be wrong.
December 2027 contains two federal holidays, and neither falls on its own date
Christmas Day is the only federal holiday designated for December under 5 U.S.C. § 6103(a).
In 2027 it falls on Saturday, December 25, so under subsection (b) the preceding Friday becomes the legal public holiday for federal employees. Offices close on December 24.
New Year’s Day 2028 falls on Saturday, January 1, which shifts its observance back to Friday, December 31, 2027.
The result is that two observed federal holidays land inside December 2027, and the 2027 calendar year carries twelve paid federal holidays rather than the standard eleven.
Most published calendars miss this because the Office of Personnel Management files the December 31 closure under its 2028 schedule, not its 2027 one. The day off happens in 2027 and is recorded in 2028.
Anyone writing about December 2027 from a holiday table alone will report one federal holiday. The correct answer is one designated and two observed.
Floating Observances in December 2027
| Observance | Rule | 2027 Date |
|---|---|---|
| National Back Friday | Friday after Black Friday | December 3 |
| Skywarn Recognition Day, Global Fat Bike Day, International Spirit of the Game Day | First Saturday in December | December 4 |
| National Play Outside Day | First Saturday of every month | December 4 |
| National Wreaths Across America Day | Designated annually by Senate resolution | December 18 (expected) |
| Winter Solstice, Yule, National Flashlight Day | Astronomical solstice | December 21 |
| Christmas Day (federal observance) | Preceding Friday when December 25 is a Saturday | December 24 |
| Hanukkah | 25 Kislev, Hebrew calendar | Begins sundown December 24 |
| No Interruptions Day | Last working day of the year | December 31 |
| New Year’s Day 2028 (federal observance) | Preceding Friday when January 1 is a Saturday | December 31 |
Note that Cyber Monday (November 29) and Giving Tuesday (November 30) both fall in November in 2027 and are not December observances that year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Christmas Day a federal holiday in 2027?
Yes, but it is observed on Friday, December 24, 2027. Christmas Day itself falls on Saturday, December 25, and under 5 U.S.C. § 6103(b) a legal public holiday falling on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday for federal employees on a Monday-to-Friday schedule. Federal offices, courts and post offices close on the 24th. Banks and private employers set their own schedules and many close both days.
How many federal holidays fall in December 2027?
One is designated and two are observed. Christmas Day is the only federal holiday designated for December, but because both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day 2028 fall on Saturdays, their observances shift to Friday, December 24 and Friday, December 31 respectively. Both closures happen inside December 2027, which gives federal employees twelve paid holidays in the 2027 calendar year instead of eleven.
When is Hanukkah in 2027?
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 24, 2027 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, January 1, 2028. Its first full day is Christmas Day. The overlap happens because Hebrew year 5787 is a leap year carrying an intercalary month, which pushes the festival to the late end of its range.
When does winter begin in 2027?
The December solstice occurs at 02:42 UTC on Wednesday, December 22, 2027, which is 9:42 p.m. EST and 6:42 p.m. PST on Tuesday, December 21. Every United States time zone marks the first day of winter on December 21, while the United Kingdom, Europe and West Africa mark it on December 22.
Is Giving Tuesday in December 2027?
No. Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving 2027 falls on November 25. That places Cyber Monday on November 29 and Giving Tuesday on November 30, both in November. Giving Tuesday only lands in December when Thanksgiving falls on November 26 or later.
