When is Christmas 2026?

Christmas, observed annually on December 25, is the most widely celebrated holiday in the United States—a day that blends profound religious significance for Christians with a secular season of gift-giving, family gatherings, and cultural cheer that permeates American life from Thanksgiving through New Year's.

Origins & History

The celebration of Christmas on December 25 has roots in ancient Roman winter solstice festivals, particularly Saturnalia and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which early Christians co-opted to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336 AD. Over centuries, European traditions like Yule logs, evergreen decorations, and St. Nicholas morphed into the holiday we recognize today.

In the United States, Christmas was initially banned by Puritan settlers in Massachusetts from 1659 to 1681 due to its pagan origins and rowdy celebrations. The holiday's modern American incarnation took shape in the early 19th century, when writers like Washington Irving and Clement Clarke Moore, along with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843), reimagined it as a family-centered day of generosity. German immigrants popularized the Christmas tree, and in 1870, Congress declared Christmas a federal holiday. By the 20th century, commercialization—from department store Santas to Coca-Cola's iconic ads—cemented it as a national cultural phenomenon.

How Christmas Is Observed

Christmas in America unfolds over weeks, not a single day: front lawns glow with inflatable snowmen, kitchens smell of cinnamon and butter, and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” returns to every grocery aisle. Families trim trees, hang stockings, and count down with Advent calendars. On Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, the country settles into its most cherished rituals—candlelight services, Santa sightings, wrapping-paper chaos, and long tables shared with relatives.

National and Regional Customs

For most Americans, Christmas is a home-centered holiday anchored by shared rhythms: decorating a Christmas tree, exchanging gifts on Christmas morning, and gathering for a large meal. Many attend Christmas Eve church services, watch classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story, and leave cookies and milk for Santa. Neighborhoods become stages for light displays, wreaths, and nativity scenes. The mood blends generosity, nostalgia, and faith.

New York’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree draws crowds for its towering lights, while Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights neighborhood turns front yards into lavish, walkable wonderlands. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket fills Daley Plaza with German-style stalls and mulled wine. In California, Newport Beach’s Christmas Boat Parade sends decorated yachts through the harbor. These spectacles show how cities remix old customs into public theater.

• New Mexico

  Taos Pueblo Christmas Eve Bonfires

  Fires and processions light the Pueblo on December 24.

• Indiana

  Santa Claus

  A town named for Santa answers letters and hosts a themed village.

• Florida

  St. Augustine Nights of Lights

  Millions of white lights coat the historic district.

• Louisiana

  Natchitoches Christmas Festival

  A riverfront light display and parade mark the season.

What Do People Eat on Christmas

Christmas dinner centers on a roast—turkey, ham, or prime rib—flanked by mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Many families bake cookies for Santa and share eggnog or mulled cider. The table varies by region: tamales in the Southwest, seafood feasts in Italian American homes, and oyster stew on some Southern tables.

Christmas morning often starts with cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, or an egg casserole. Holiday ham and pierogi appear in Polish American communities, while roast goose or lamb may anchor a feast. Desserts include fruitcake, gingerbread, pumpkin pie, and peppermint bark. The meal is less about perfection than about repetition—the same recipes returning year after year.