Hey there! I’ve always been fascinated by how Christmas is celebrated around the globe, and I bet you’re wondering if Santa’s delivering presents somewhere while you’re reading this. Well, lemme break it down for you in a way that’ll blow your mind!
The Short Answer
Depending on when you read this, Christmas might already be going on somewhere in the world! Isn’t that cool? Different places celebrate Christmas on different days because of their own religious calendars and traditions.
When Does Christmas Happen Around the World?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the main Christmas celebration dates:
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December 25th – The most common Christmas celebration date
- Over 2 billion people celebrate it (that’s like, more than 1/3 of Earth’s population!)
- Most Western countries celebrate on this date
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January 6th – Armenian Christmas
- Celebrated in Armenia
- Lebanese Armenian communities also celebrate on this date
- Known as the original Christmas date in some regions
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January 7th – Orthodox Christmas
- Celebrated in countries like:
- Russia
- Georgia
- Serbia
- Kazakhstan
- Also celebrated by Coptic Christians in:
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Eritrea
Why Different Dates?
Okay, so here’s the truth: the different dates aren’t just picked at random. There’s actually some interesting history behind it:
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The December 25th date was kinda chosen to compete with a Roman festival called Sol Invictus (sneaky, right?)
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The January 7th date comes from using a different calendar (the Julian calendar instead of our regular Gregorian one)
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Armenian Christmas stayed on January 6th because they weren’t part of the Roman Empire and didn’t need to change their date
Countries That Don’t Celebrate Christmas
Not everywhere parties with Santa! Here are some places where Christmas isn’t a public holiday:
- Most Middle Eastern countries (like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran)
- Several Asian nations (including China, North Korea, Vietnam)
- Some Central Asian countries (like Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)
Fun Christmas Fact!
Here’s something random but interesting – Taiwan used to give everyone Christmas Day off, but they called it “Constitution Day.” Word is they did this just to make a politician’s Christian wife happy! How’s that for holiday spirit?
What’s Happening in 2025?
Since July 2025, Christmas celebrations have changed even more. A few months ago, Ukraine did something interesting: they stopped celebrating both December 25th and January 7th. Now, they’ll only celebrate December 25th. Times they are a-changin’!.
My Tips for Global Christmas Awareness
If you’re trying to keep track of Christmas around the world, here’s what I recommend:
- Remember the big three dates (Dec 25, Jan 6, Jan 7)
- Consider time zones (when it’s Christmas in one place, it might be a different day somewhere else)
- Keep in mind that celebrations can last multiple days in some places
The Future of Global Christmas
Something interesting to think about – by 2100, Orthodox Christmas will actually move to January 8th because of calendar differences. The way we celebrate Christmas keeps evolving, just like everything else!
Wrapping It Up
So, is it Christmas somewhere in the world right now? Well, that depends on when you’re reading this! But now you know that Christmas isn’t just a one-day, same-time-everywhere kind of deal. It’s pretty amazing how one celebration can happen on so many different days around our big ol’ world, right?
Remember to check the actual date when you’re reading this – you might just find out it’s Christmas somewhere! And if it’s not, well, now you know exactly when to expect it in different parts of our wonderfully diverse world!
P. S. – If you really want to know exactly when Christmas is in each country, there are websites that keep track of it! Who knew?
December 25th – Christmas Day
On December 25th each year, over 2 billion people (over a third of the world’s population) will celebrate the birth of Christ. The bible didn’t give any specific details on the exact date or year that Christ was born and many have speculated when the actual date was.
By the 4th century, the early church had plumped for January 6th but as the religion gained popularity across the Roman Empire, they realised that Christmas Day was competing with the existing Roman festival of ‘Sol Invictus‘. As is often the case with our holidays, the Christians thought it would be best to move Christmas Day to December 25th. That way, both holidays would be celebrated on the same day, and over time, Christmas Day would last longer than Sol Invictus. To keep January 6th as a holy date, Epiphany was then celebrated on January 6th.
Ukraine made Catholic Christmas a national holiday in 2017, along with Orthodox Christmas on January 6th. This meant that even more countries celebrated Christmas Day on December 25th. In 2023, Ukraine decided just to observe December 25th.
January 6th – Armenian Christmas
Observed in: Armenia and Lebanon (by Armenians and Lebanese): In places like Armenia that were not part of the Roman Empire, there was no other holiday like Sol Invictus. This meant that the Christian church had no reason to move the date of Christmas, so the original date of January 6th stayed as it was.
Boney M. – Somewhere In The World (Show & Co. mit Carlo 03.05.1984)
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