Counting Down the Days Leading Up to Christmas Morning

Counting Down the Days Until Christmas

Christmas is one of the most beloved and anticipated holidays of the year. As the holiday season approaches, many people start tracking exactly how many days are left until Christmas arrives. Counting down the days is a fun tradition that builds excitement and anticipation for the big day.

When to Start the Christmas Countdown

Some people start their Christmas countdown very early, at the beginning of Fall or even as soon as the previous Christmas season ends on December 26th. However most people begin officially tracking the days until Christmas starting on December 1st or at the beginning of December.

Starting the countdown on December 1st and tracking the days throughout the entire month is a very common tradition. Advent calendars, which have little doors to open revealing a treat or surprise for each day leading up to December 25th, are designed around this concept.

How to Calculate the Number of Days Until Christmas

Figuring out exactly how many days there are until Christmas is very simple. Since Christmas always falls on December 25th, you just need to calculate the number of days between the current date and December 25th. There are a few easy ways to do this:

• Use a Day/Date Counter online or an app to automatically count the days for you
• Manually calculate the number of days between the two dates on a calendar
• Ask someone else like Alexa or Siri “How many days until Christmas?”

Online Christmas Countdowns

There are many Christmas countdown websites and apps that make tracking the days very fun and easy. Some popular options include:

• TimeAndDate’s Christmas Countdown offers real-time calculations of the days, hours, minutes & seconds until the holiday.
• Christmas Countdown from Christmas Archives also shows real-time stats and facts about how many days until Christmas this year versus previous years.
• Add a Christmas Countdown app to your smart phone or tablet to always have the info handy.

Fun Ways to Count Down to Christmas

Simply tracking the number of days is exciting enough for many people. But you can also incorporate the Christmas countdown into other holiday activities and traditions to make the anticipation even more fun.

Advent Calendars

Advent calendars are the perfect way for kids and adults alike to count down each day leading up to December 25th. As each day passes, you open a little paper door on the calendar to reveal a small piece of chocolate, a Bible verse, Lego figure, beauty product sample, or other fun surprise.

Make Your Own Christmas Chain Garland

Crafting a paper chain garland is an enjoyable hands-on way for kids to visually see the days until Christmas decrease. Have them write the number of days left starting at 25 on strips of paper and staple them together in a looping chain to hang as garland. Removing one link each day is a tactile representation of the decreasing number of days left until the holiday.

Daily Christmas Activities & Crafts

Create a Christmas bucket list of fun holiday activities or crafts to do each day in anticipation of December 25th. Things like bake cookies, drive around to see Christmas lights, make paper snowflakes, draw pictures to give as Christmas gifts, read festive books, or watch a different Christmas movie every day leading up to the big event.

Final Days Before Christmas

The countdown accelerates in excitement and activity once it hits the final 10 days before Christmas. Here are some popular things people do leading up to December 25th:

• Decorate the Christmas tree & house
• Wrap gifts to put under the tree
• Go Christmas caroling
• Drive or walk around the neighborhood to see all of the beautiful light displays and decorations
• Leave out cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve
• Attend Christmas Eve church services
• Get together and take family photos in matching holiday pajamas or ugly Christmas sweaters
• Track Santa’s trip around the world on December 24th via the NORAD Santa Tracker
• Open one gift on Christmas Eve night
• Set out stockings before bedtime

The final days before Christmas culminate in the big day itself on December 25th. After so much anticipation throughout December, Christmas morning feels even more momentous and exciting after counting down for weeks!

FAQs

When should I start my Christmas countdown?

You can start your Christmas countdown as early as December 26th from the previous year! But most people begin tracking the days starting on either December 1st or at the start of December.

What are some fun ways to countdown to Christmas?

Some popular countdown activities leading up to December 25th include Advent calendars, making paper chains, completing fun Christmas crafts or activities each day, driving to see holiday lights displays, Christmas movies binge-watching, baking cookies, and more!

What date and day does Christmas fall on this year?

Christmas always falls on December 25th. For 2023, Christmas lands on a Monday.

What are some traditions for the final 10 days before Christmas?

Popular things to do in anticipation of December 25th during the last days before Christmas include decorating, wrapping presents, Christmas caroling, looking at neighborhood holiday lights, leaving treats out for Santa, attending Christmas Eve church services, taking family photos, tracking Santa's journey, opening one gift early, and setting out stockings.