Holidays in December 2026: USA Calendar & Key Dates

Holidays in December 2026 — Full USA Calendar & Free Printable PDF

Holidays in December 2026 in the United States include one federal holiday, Christmas Day, plus New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and dozens of national days — download the free printable calendar below to plan the month.

December 2026 Holidays & National Days

Moon Phases for December 2026

Day	Date	Moon phase
1	December 1, 2026	Last Quarter
9	December 9, 2026	New Moon
17	December 17, 2026	First Quarter
24	December 24, 2026	Full Moon
30	December 30, 2026	Last Quarter

December 2026 Holiday Highlights

Each date below lists the exact day of the week for 2026 and its official observance status, so you know at a glance which ones close offices and which are cultural or religious observances only.

Giving Tuesday — Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Giving Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving weekend. It is a global day dedicated to charitable donations, not a federal holiday, and government offices and banks stay open as usual.

Hanukkah Begins — Friday, December 4, 2026

The Jewish Festival of Lights begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026 and runs for eight nights through nightfall on Saturday, December 12. Hanukkah is a religious observance, not a federal or state holiday, so schools and offices remain open, though many families light the menorah each evening at home.

St. Nicholas Day — Sunday, December 6, 2026

St. Nicholas Day, rooted in European Christian tradition, falls on Sunday, December 6, 2026. Children in some US communities of German, Dutch or Central European heritage leave shoes out the night before for small gifts. It carries no federal holiday status.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day — Monday, December 7, 2026

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day falls on Monday, December 7, 2026, marking the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The US flag is flown at half-staff and a moment of silence is observed at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time. It is a day of observance, not a federal holiday with office closures.

Saint Lucy’s Day — Sunday, December 13, 2026

Saint Lucy’s Day, a Scandinavian festival of light marking the old-calendar winter solstice, falls on Sunday, December 13, 2026. It is celebrated informally in US communities with Nordic heritage through candlelit processions and pastries, with no federal recognition.

Winter Solstice — Monday, December 21, 2026

The Winter Solstice on Monday, December 21, 2026 marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical start of winter. Some pagan and Wiccan traditions mark the same date as Yule. It is not a public holiday.

Festivus — Wednesday, December 23, 2026

Festivus, the pop-culture “holiday for the rest of us” popularized by the sitcom Seinfeld, falls on Wednesday, December 23, 2026. It has no official recognition and search interest has declined sharply in recent years.

Christmas Eve & the Feast of the Seven Fishes — Thursday, December 24, 2026

Christmas Eve falls on Thursday, December 24, 2026. It is not a federal holiday, though many employers close early or grant it as a floating day off. Italian-American households mark the evening with the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a multi-course seafood dinner.

Christmas Day — Friday, December 25, 2026

Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, is the only US federal holiday in December. Federal offices, banks and financial markets close nationwide, and because it falls on a Friday it creates a three-day weekend through Sunday, December 27. According to the [Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/), it is one of 11 permanent federal holidays observed each year.

Boxing Day & Kwanzaa Begin — Saturday, December 26, 2026

Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, 2026. It is not a US federal or state holiday — it is mainly observed in Canada, the UK and other Commonwealth countries — though many US retailers use the date for major post-Christmas sales. The same day marks the start of Kwanzaa, a week-long African-American cultural celebration created in 1966, which runs through Friday, January 1, 2027, and centers on seven guiding principles.

Wounded Knee Remembrance — Tuesday, December 29, 2026

December 29 marks the anniversary of the 1890 Wounded Knee Creek events in South Dakota, in which US 7th Cavalry troops killed several hundred Lakota men, women and children. The date is observed by some communities as a day of remembrance; it carries no federal holiday status and government offices remain open.

New Year’s Eve — Thursday, December 31, 2026

New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2026, is the most-searched December date nationwide, marked by countdown celebrations such as the Times Square ball drop in New York City. It is not itself a federal holiday — that status belongs to New Year’s Day on January 1 — so most offices and banks remain open during the day.

Civic and Awareness Observances in December 2026

December 2026 also carries a dense calendar of civic and awareness days that do not close offices but are widely marked by organizations and schools. World AIDS Day and the National Day of Giving open the month on December 1, followed by the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3.

December 5 combines World Soil Day with International Volunteer Day, a UN-mandated observance promoting volunteerism worldwide.

International Civil Aviation Day (December 7), International Anti-Corruption Day (December 9), Human Rights Day (December 10) and International Mountain Day (December 11) follow through the month’s second week.

Catholic communities mark the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12), while Las Posadas begins December 16 in Hispanic communities. International Migrants Day (December 18) and International Human Solidarity Day (December 20) close out the month’s UN observance calendar.

Alongside these, dozens of lighter national days — including National Cookie Day, National Ugly Sweater Day and National Bacon Day — are popular on social media but hold no official or legal status.

Frequently Asked Questions about December 2026

Q: What is the only federal holiday in December 2026? A: Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, is the only US federal holiday in December. Federal offices, banks and financial markets close nationwide.

Q: Is December 24 a federal holiday in 2026? No — Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday, though many employers grant it as a floating day off.

Q: Is December 26 a public holiday in the USA? A: No. Boxing Day is not a US federal or state holiday; it is mainly observed in Canada and the UK, though US retailers widely use it for post-Christmas sales.

Q: How long does Hanukkah last in December 2026? A: Hanukkah runs eight nights, from sundown Friday, December 4 through nightfall Saturday, December 12, 2026.

Q: When does Kwanzaa start and end in 2026? A: Kwanzaa runs from Saturday, December 26, 2026 through Friday, January 1, 2027, covering seven days and seven guiding principles.

Q: What day of the week is New Year’s Eve 2026? A: New Year’s Eve 2026 falls on Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Q: Is December 21 the shortest day of the year? A: Yes. The Winter Solstice on Monday, December 21, 2026 marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Q: How many business days are in December 2026? 22 business days — this total already accounts for the Christmas Day federal holiday and all weekends.

Plan the Rest of the Year

With Christmas Day as December’s only federal closure, the month is otherwise open for business around a dense mix of religious, cultural and civic observances. For the full printable USA December 2026 calendar, including the monthly grid, holiday list and moon phases, see the December 2026 calendar page.