Public holidays in December 2026 close the year with the most festive month on the calendar. Christmas Day is observed in ten of our twelve tracked countries, Boxing Day and its substitutes extend the break in the Commonwealth, the UAE celebrates its National Day, and Catholic Europe marks the Immaculate Conception. It is the month when the world’s holiday calendars most visibly overlap — here is the complete guide.
Every December 2026 Public Holiday, by Country
- December 1 — Commemoration Day: UAE (Tuesday).
- December 2–3 — UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad): UAE (Wednesday–Thursday).
- December 8 — Immaculate Conception: Spain, Italy (Tuesday).
- December 25 — Christmas Day: Germany, France, Spain, Italy, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan (as Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas Day) — Friday.
- December 26 — Second Day of Christmas: Germany; St. Stephen’s Day: Italy; Boxing Day: Canada, Australia; Day after Christmas (Christian employees only): Pakistan — Saturday.
- December 28 — Boxing Day (substitute day): United Kingdom (Monday; December 26 falls on Saturday); Canada and Australia (tentative substitutes).
Saudi Arabia has no public holidays in December 2026.
Regional Highlights
Christmas Day (December 25, Friday): The most widespread holiday in our data — ten countries, one Friday. Expect global quiet: banks, government offices, and markets closed across the Western world and beyond. The Friday placement creates a natural long weekend, and many businesses close through to the New Year, making the final week of December the year’s quietest for commerce.
The Boxing Day complex (December 26–28): The UK, Canada, and Australia extend Christmas with Boxing Day observances. Because December 26 is a Saturday in 2026, the UK shifts the bank holiday to Monday, December 28 — creating a four-day Christmas weekend. Germany and Italy observe December 26 directly as the Second Day of Christmas / St. Stephen’s Day. In the UK, Boxing Day is also famous for its retail sales and Premier League football fixtures.
UAE National Day (December 2–3): Combined with Commemoration Day (December 1), this creates a three-day patriotic break — Tuesday through Thursday — with fireworks, parades, air shows, and celebrations across the Emirates. Many residents bridge to the weekend for five days off, making it one of the UAE’s most cherished long weekends.
Immaculate Conception (December 8, Spain and Italy): This Tuesday Catholic feast day is a full public holiday in both countries, often used as a bridge to a long weekend — and in Spain, it marks the traditional start of the Christmas season.
Planning Tips for December
December is the year’s most disrupted month for business: from Christmas week through New Year’s Day, much of the Western world is on holiday. Schedule critical work for early December or accept the slowdown — nothing important gets decided between December 24 and January 4 in most Western companies. Travel is at its annual peak — book Christmas and New Year trips months in advance, as prices are highest and availability lowest; the Friday Christmas in 2026 makes the final weekend of the year a full holiday. In the UAE, the early-December national holidays offer a bonus long weekend before the Christmas rush. For shoppers, note that Christmas Eve (December 24) is not a public holiday in most countries, but many shops close early — finish gift shopping by the 23rd. And remember: with Christmas on a Friday in 2026, the entire final weekend of the year is a holiday — a fitting end to the calendar.