---
title: "Christmas Eve 2026 Around the World: Where It Starts First"
description: "Christmas starts first on Kiritimati in Kiribati and last in American Samoa. See when Christmas Eve and Christmas Day begin in each time zone, live."
url: https://decomytree.link/christmas-eve-around-the-world
language: en
last_updated: 2026-10-27
---

Guide · Christmas Eve 2026

# Christmas Eve around the world

Christmas doesn’t arrive everywhere at once. It starts in the middle of the Pacific, moves west with midnight, and somewhere on Earth it is Christmas Day for about 50 hours.

## Where does Christmas start first?

Christmas Day begins first on **Kiritimati**, also called Christmas Island, in Kiribati’s Line Islands. The island runs on UTC+14, the earliest time zone on Earth, so its midnight comes at **10:00 UTC on December 24**: 11 am in Berlin and 5 am in New York, while most of the world is still getting ready for Christmas Eve.

The name is no accident. Captain James Cook reached the island on Christmas Eve 1777 and called it Christmas Island; *Kiritimati* is simply how “Christmas” is written in Kiribati’s own language.

Close behind come New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, then Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand itself, where it is summer and Auckland is on daylight saving time.

## Where does Christmas start last?

The last places where people live to reach Christmas are **American Samoa** and **Niue**, on UTC−11. Their midnight arrives at **11:00 UTC on December 25**, a full 25 hours after Kiritimati. Only the uninhabited Baker and Howland Islands, on UTC−12, are later still.

The strangest pair is the two Samoas. Samoa and American Samoa are neighbours, a short flight apart, but the International Date Line runs between them, so Samoa celebrates Christmas a whole day before American Samoa.

## When does Christmas begin where you are?

Each row shows when Christmas Day begins in that place, in UTC and in your own time. The last column counts down live in your browser, so you can see where it’s already Christmas.

**When Christmas Day begins around the world**

| Place | Christmas begins (UTC) |
| --- | --- |
| Kiritimati, Kiribati | Dec 24, 10:00 AM |
| Nukuʻalofa, Tonga | Dec 24, 11:00 AM |
| Auckland, New Zealand | Dec 24, 11:00 AM |
| Sydney, Australia | Dec 24, 01:00 PM |
| Tokyo, Japan | Dec 24, 03:00 PM |
| Seoul, South Korea | Dec 24, 03:00 PM |
| Manila, Philippines | Dec 24, 04:00 PM |
| Jakarta, Indonesia | Dec 24, 05:00 PM |
| Mumbai, India | Dec 24, 06:30 PM |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Dec 24, 08:00 PM |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | Dec 24, 10:00 PM |
| Berlin, Germany | Dec 24, 11:00 PM |
| Lagos, Nigeria | Dec 24, 11:00 PM |
| London, United Kingdom | Dec 25, 12:00 AM |
| São Paulo, Brazil | Dec 25, 03:00 AM |
| Buenos Aires, Argentina | Dec 25, 03:00 AM |
| New York, United States | Dec 25, 05:00 AM |
| Mexico City, Mexico | Dec 25, 06:00 AM |
| Los Angeles, United States | Dec 25, 08:00 AM |
| Anchorage, Alaska | Dec 25, 09:00 AM |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | Dec 25, 10:00 AM |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa | Dec 25, 11:00 AM |

![Christmas trees in Asia and Oceania on the Deco My Tree World map, where Christmas begins first](https://decomytree.link/assets/world/christmas-eve-around-the-world-pacific-map-800.webp)

Asia and Oceania on Deco My Tree World: Christmas reaches the trees here first.

## Christmas Eve, from the first place to the last

Follow December 24 as it moves west around the globe, one time zone at a time.

### The Pacific: the first Christmas of the year

On Kiritimati, Tonga and Samoa, the first Christmas services of the year begin before lunchtime on December 24 in Europe, and before dawn in New York.

### New Zealand and Australia: a summer night

Christmas Eve here is a warm summer evening. In Melbourne, crowds gather for *Carols by Candlelight*, and Christmas lunch the next day often means the beach and a barbecue.

### Asia: Noche Buena, cake and couples

In the Philippines, the last of the nine *Simbang Gabi* dawn Masses is on the morning of December 24, and families gather for the *Noche Buena* feast around midnight. In Japan and South Korea, Christmas Eve is a night for couples, with a strawberry Christmas cake on Japanese tables.

### Europe: the evening of December 24

Germany opens its presents on *Heiligabend*. Poland waits for the first star before sitting down to *Wigilia*. Sweden watches *Kalle Anka* at 3 pm, Iceland settles in with new books, and in the UK stockings go up while the presents wait for morning.

### The Americas: midnight dinners and Santa on the radar

Mexico holds its last *posada* on December 24, and Brazil sits down to the *ceia de Natal* at midnight. In the United States and Canada, NORAD tracks Santa’s flight all evening, and cookies and milk go out before bed.

### The last stop: American Samoa

When midnight reaches American Samoa, Christmas Day has begun everywhere people live, and on Kiritimati it is already the early hours of December 26.

![Christmas trees across the Americas on the Deco My Tree World map, where Christmas Day begins last](https://decomytree.link/assets/world/christmas-eve-around-the-world-americas-map-800.webp)

The Americas on Deco My Tree World: the last big stop before Christmas reaches American Samoa.

## Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Around the world, families fall into two camps: those whose big Christmas dinner is on the evening of December 24, and those who wait for December 25. In many countries of the first camp, the presents are opened that same evening.

| The big dinner is on | Where |
| --- | --- |
| December 24, Christmas Eve | Germany, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France (*réveillon*), Italy (*la Vigilia*), Spain (*Nochebuena*), Portugal (*Consoada*), the Philippines (*Noche Buena*), Mexico, Brazil and Argentina |
| December 25, Christmas Day | The United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Australia and New Zealand |

Wherever you are, Christmas Eve is the last night to hang a gift on a friend’s tree before the big day: on Deco My Tree, the messages open on December 25.

## How long does Christmas last on Earth?

Christmas Day is 24 hours long wherever you are, just not everywhere at the same time. From the moment it begins on Kiritimati (UTC+14) to the moment it ends on Baker Island (UTC−12), about **50 hours** go by: 26 hours of time zones, plus the day itself.

Counting only the places where people live, from Kiritimati to American Samoa, it is 49 hours.

In one sentence

Christmas starts in Kiribati, ends in American Samoa, and somewhere on Earth it is Christmas Day for about 50 hours.

## Why time zones put Christmas a day apart

The International Date Line runs north to south through the Pacific Ocean. West of it, in Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand, the calendar is a day ahead of places just east of it, such as American Samoa and Hawaii. That is why two islands a short flight apart can celebrate Christmas on different days.

Follow Christmas around the world

Open Deco My Tree World and visit trees in the places where it’s already Christmas.

- [Open the map](https://decomytree.link/map)
- [Create your tree](https://decomytree.link/create-tree)

## Questions

### Which country celebrates Christmas first?

Kiribati. Its Line Islands, including Kiritimati (Christmas Island), are on UTC+14, so Christmas Day begins there at 10:00 UTC on December 24, before anywhere else.

### Which country celebrates Christmas last?

American Samoa, along with Niue. Both are on UTC−11, so Christmas Day begins there at 11:00 UTC on December 25, 25 hours after Kiribati.

### Is Christmas in Australia before the United States?

Yes, by many hours. Sydney reaches Christmas Day 16 hours before New York and 19 hours before Los Angeles.

### How long does Christmas last around the world?

About 50 hours, from the first time zone (UTC+14) to the last (UTC−12). Each place has its own 24-hour Christmas Day inside that window.

### Why is Kiritimati called Christmas Island?

Captain James Cook reached it on Christmas Eve 1777 and named it Christmas Island. *Kiritimati* is the same word, written in Kiribati’s language.

### When is Christmas Eve 2026?

Christmas Eve 2026 is on Thursday, December 24, 2026, a Thursday. The live [Christmas Eve countdown](https://decomytree.link/christmas-eve-countdown) shows the days, hours and minutes left where you are.

## More pages

- [Christmas Eve countdown](https://decomytree.link/christmas-eve-countdown): How long until the night of December 24
- [Christmas around the world](https://decomytree.link/christmas-around-the-world): How the world celebrates, country by country
- [Deco My Tree World](https://decomytree.link/deco-my-tree-world): Christmas trees around the world on one map
- [Christmas countdown](https://decomytree.link/christmas-countdown): Live countdown to December 25