December holidays include Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, plus observances such as St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucia’s Day, Las Posadas and the winter solstice festivals of Dongzhi and Yalda. The dates and the days people take off vary by country and tradition, so a team that spans several countries plans December country by country, not around December 25 alone.
At a previous job, I booked my team’s year-end planning call for the Monday after Christmas. I’d checked December 25 and stopped there. That year Boxing Day fell on a Saturday, so the UK office had the Monday off, and my one colleague in London accepted the invite with a note: “Happy to join. Should I bring the leftover turkey?” I moved the call. Twice, as it turned out.
On most company calendars, December looks like one holiday. On a team that spans a few countries and traditions, it’s closer to a dozen, and they don’t all land on the 25th. Here’s what each one is, when it falls in 2026, and how to plan work and thank-yous around them.
What Holidays Are in December?
The main December holidays are Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, and several smaller observances fill the weeks between them. Some are public holidays with offices closed, and others are personal or community celebrations that happen around a normal working week.
| Holiday | 2026 dates | Where it’s widely observed |
|---|---|---|
| Hanukkah | Sundown December 4 to nightfall December 12 | Jewish communities worldwide |
| St. Nicholas Day | December 6 (the evening of December 5 in some countries) | The Low Countries and German-speaking areas |
| St. Lucia’s Day | December 13 | Sweden, Norway, Swedish-speaking Finland and Italy |
| Las Posadas | December 16 to 24 | Mexico, Central America and parts of the US |
| Winter solstice festivals | December 21 or 22 | Dongzhi in China, Yalda in Iran |
| Christmas | December 24 (Eve) and December 25 | Worldwide; a US federal holiday |
| Boxing Day | December 26 (UK bank holiday on December 28) | The UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand |
| Kwanzaa | December 26 to January 1 | Mainly the US, plus Canada and the Caribbean |
| New Year’s Eve | December 31 | Worldwide, including Hogmanay in Scotland |
When Is Hanukkah in 2026, and How Is It Celebrated?
Hanukkah in 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, according to Hebcal’s calendar. The eight-day Jewish festival recalls the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and it follows the Hebrew calendar, so its Gregorian dates move each year anywhere from late November to late December.
Each evening, families light one more candle on a nine-branched menorah, starting with one on the first night and reaching eight on the last. Other customs, per Britannica:
- Food fried in oil, such as potato pancakes (latkes) and doughnuts (sufganiyot), which recall the story of one day’s oil lasting eight days.
- Gifts for children, including Hanukkah gelt, which is money or chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil.
- Games and songs, including the spinning-top game of dreidel.
For planning, the evenings matter most: candle lighting starts at sundown, so check an evening party or late call during those eight days with colleagues who observe it.
Which December Holidays Come Before Christmas?
Three December holidays come before Christmas and matter as much as the 25th in parts of Europe and Latin America: St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucia’s Day and Las Posadas. The first is a gift-giving day in its own right.
St. Nicholas Day (December 6). In the Low Countries and some German-speaking areas, children leave out shoes or stockings on the evening before and wake to small presents, sweets and chocolate coins, according to Britannica.
St. Lucia’s Day (December 13). Britannica calls it a festival of lights meant to bring hope during the darkest time of the year. It’s especially important in Sweden, Norway and the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland, and in Sweden it opens the Christmas season with candlelit processions of children singing.
Las Posadas (December 16 to 24). Celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and parts of the United States, Las Posadas reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging before the birth of Jesus. A nightly procession goes from house to house with songs, and each night ends with a party.
What Are the Winter Solstice Festivals?
The winter solstice falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least daylight, and several cultures mark it with a family festival. Two widely celebrated ones are Dongzhi in China and Yalda Night in Iran, both described in Britannica’s list of solstice celebrations.
- Dongzhi, the “arrival of winter,” brings families together to celebrate the year behind them. It usually falls between December 21 and 23 and is known for tang yuan, sweet glutinous rice balls.
- Yalda Night, or Shab-e Yalda, celebrates the longest night as a victory of light over dark. Families share nuts and pomegranates, and some stay up all night to welcome the morning sun.
How Is Christmas Celebrated Around the World?
Christmas falls on December 25 and is celebrated by many Christians and, since the early 20th century, by many non-Christians as a secular family holiday, according to Britannica. In the US, Christmas Day is a federal holiday, and in 2026 it falls on a Friday.
The same holiday runs on different clocks:
- Gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve in most European countries and on Christmas morning in North America.
- January 7 in some Orthodox churches. Eastern Orthodox churches that still use the Julian calendar, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, celebrate on January 7.
If you’re choosing Christmas gifts for staff, our guide to Christmas gift cards for employees covers amounts, timing and payroll.
Is Boxing Day a Public Holiday?
Boxing Day is a public holiday on December 26 in the UK and in Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, according to Britannica. In 2026, December 26 falls on a Saturday, so the UK bank holiday moves to Monday, December 28, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, per GOV.UK.
The name likely comes from boxes of gifts once given to servants and tradespeople, or from church alms boxes opened for the poor. Boxing Day isn’t a US federal holiday, so a US team working December 28 may find its UK colleagues out.
What Is Kwanzaa, and How Is It Celebrated?
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African heritage, family and community, held from December 26 to January 1, mainly in the United States. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies, created it in 1966, and it’s also celebrated by Black communities in Canada and the Caribbean, per Britannica.
Each of the seven days is dedicated to one of the seven principles, the Nguzo Saba, listed on the official Kwanzaa website:
- Umoja (unity)
- Kujichagulia (self-determination)
- Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
- Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
- Nia (purpose)
- Kuumba (creativity)
- Imani (faith)
Families light one candle a day on a kinara, which holds one black, three red and three green candles. On December 31, families join a community feast called the karamu. Gifts, called zawadi, are one of the holiday’s symbols, and the name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.”
How Do Different Countries Celebrate New Year’s Eve?
New Year’s Eve on December 31 closes the year almost everywhere, but the days off around it differ by country. Scotland, Japan and mainland China all give a longer break than January 1 alone, which matters for any first-week-of-January deadline.
- Scotland: Hogmanay. Britannica calls Hogmanay one of Scotland’s most important holidays, and it gave the world the custom of singing “Auld Lang Syne.” Scotland has an extra bank holiday on January 2, which moves to Monday, January 4, in 2027.
- Japan: Shōgatsu. Shōgatsu, Japan’s New Year, is a public holiday from January 1 to 3. On the eve, temple bells ring 108 times, and toshikoshi soba, “year-crossing” noodles, open the holiday. Children receive small money gifts called otoshidama.
- Mainland China. The State Council’s public holidays for 2027 give New Year’s Day three days.
In the US, December 31 isn’t a federal holiday on its own. For the full US calendar, see our post on company holidays and federal dates.
Which Holidays Fall Just Before or After December?
Three major holidays sit just outside December and often get folded into year-end planning: Diwali, Three Kings Day and Lunar New Year, alongside the January 7 Orthodox Christmas covered above.
- Diwali (late October or November). A five-day festival of lights in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, when people light lamps called diyas, exchange gifts and feast, according to Britannica. In 2026 the main day fell on November 8, a gazetted holiday in India’s central government list, so add next year’s date now.
- Three Kings Day (January 6). In Spain, Britannica calls the Day of the Three Kings the most important day of the Christmas period and the day children receive presents. Spain’s official 2027 calendar lists January 6 as a holiday in every region.
- Lunar New Year (February 6, 2027). Hong Kong’s 2027 general holidays list Lunar New Year’s Day on February 6, and mainland China’s Spring Festival break runs nine days, February 5 to 13. Young people traditionally receive money in red envelopes, per Britannica.
How Should HR Teams Plan Around December Holidays?
HR teams plan around December holidays best by starting from each country’s official holiday list, then asking employees which days they personally want kept clear. Public holiday lists tell you when offices close, while personal observances such as Hanukkah evenings or Kwanzaa often happen during a normal working week.
- Pull each country’s official list. Use government sources such as GOV.UK and the US Office of Personnel Management. They also catch national days, such as Spain’s December 6 and 8 holidays in its 2027 calendar.
- Ask, and make answering optional. A short November note (“Are there days in December or January you’d like kept clear?”) beats guessing. Never ask anyone to explain why.
- Keep deadlines and big meetings off the busiest dates. In 2026 that means Christmas Eve for much of Europe, December 28 in the UK, the evenings of December 4 to 12 for colleagues marking Hanukkah, and January 4 in Scotland.
- Use inclusive wording in company-wide messages. “Happy holidays” or “season’s greetings” fits an all-staff note, and a specific greeting fits someone you know celebrates. Our holiday message templates include inclusive versions.
- Time thank-yous to the person, not the 25th. A Hanukkah gift on the first night, or a Lunar New Year gift in February, lands better than one batch on December 24. Our guide to planning a holiday rollout across time zones and local holidays walks through grouping people by calendar.
How Can You Celebrate December Holidays With a Gift Card?
A digital gift card suits December holidays because it doesn’t assume which holiday someone celebrates or where they shop. With a Giftronaut Choice Card, each recipient selects their country when they redeem and chooses from the rewards available there. Our catalog spans 4,300+ brands across 225 countries.
- Send it on their day. A one-time order can go out right away or be scheduled for a specific date and time, as the Help Center’s ordering guide shows, so a card can arrive on the first night of Hanukkah or the morning of Three Kings Day. A scheduled order can still be canceled until it’s sent.
- Write it in their language. Reward emails can be translated into any of 15 languages.
- Deliver it where they’ll see it. Rewards go by email, SMS or reward link. SMS reaches US and Canadian mobile numbers only, so use email or a link for everyone else.
- Order early. Corporate gift card sending peaks in December: in 2025, December alone accounted for 37% of all Giftronaut recipients for the year (Giftronaut data, 2025).
One rule applies whichever holiday you’re marking: in the US, gift cards given to employees count as taxable wages however small the amount, according to IRS Publication 15-B, so tell payroll before the order goes out.
Planning December Holidays One Country at a Time
The planning call did happen, on the third date I picked, after a teammate in Edinburgh pointed out that January 2 is a holiday there too. These days, before I book anything between early December and the first week of January, I open each country’s holiday list and then ask the team one question: “Which days are yours?”
List the countries your team works in, open each one’s official holiday list, and send one short, optional question before the calendar fills up. It takes an afternoon, and nobody spends their holiday on a planning call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main December holidays?
The main December holidays are Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve. Saint Nicholas Day, Saint Lucia’s Day, Las Posadas and the solstice festivals of Dongzhi and Yalda also fall in December.
When does Hanukkah start in 2026?
Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. Its dates change every year because it follows the Hebrew calendar.
Is December 31 a federal holiday in the US?
No, December 31 isn’t a federal holiday on its own. It’s observed only when January 1 falls on a Saturday, so Friday, December 31, 2027, counts because January 1, 2028, is a Saturday.
Is Boxing Day a holiday in the United States?
No, Boxing Day isn’t a US federal holiday. It’s a public holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and in 2026 the UK observes it on Monday, December 28.
How should a company acknowledge December holidays on a diverse team?
Use inclusive wording such as “happy holidays” in company-wide messages and ask employees which days they want kept clear. Then keep deadlines off those days and time any gifts to each person’s holiday.
Can you send gift cards for December holidays to employees in different countries?
Yes. A Giftronaut Choice Card lets each recipient choose their country and brand when they redeem, and you can schedule it for the day they celebrate. In the US, employee gift cards are taxable wages.
