Winter Holidays When People Exchange Gifts: 2026–27 Calendar
The short answer first. Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24, 2026 and Christmas Day is Friday the 25th. Boxing Day lands on Saturday the 26th, so in the UK the bank holiday moves to Monday, December 28. Kwanzaa runs December 26 to January 1. Three Kings' Day is Wednesday, January 6, 2027. Lunar New Year is Saturday, February 6, 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat. Valentine's Day is a Sunday.
This is the sequel to our autumn gifting calendar. Winter is shorter on occasions and much heavier on each one, and the useful question is less "when" than "which night is the gift night in this family or country". The table answers that too.
The 2026–27 winter gifting calendar
| Date | Occasion | Where | Gifts? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 (Tue) | First door of the advent calendar | Global | Yes — one small gift a day until Christmas Eve |
| Dec 4–12 (from sundown Fri) | Hanukkah | Jewish communities worldwide | Yes — eight nights, small gifts for children |
| Dec 6 (Sun) | St. Nicholas Day | Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium | Yes — sweets in shoes or under pillows, compared with Secret Santa here |
| Mid-December | Office party and Secret Santa at work | Everywhere with an office | Yes — a draw with a fixed budget |
| Dec 24 (Thu) | Christmas Eve | Most of Europe, Latin America, Ukraine | Yes — the main family exchange in most of these countries |
| Dec 25 (Fri) | Christmas Day | US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and now Ukraine | Yes — stockings and presents under the tree in the morning |
| Dec 26 (Sat) | Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day | UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, NZ | Tips and small gifts for people who serve you all year; the big sales start |
| Dec 26 – Jan 1 | Kwanzaa | African American families, US | Yes — modest gifts, ideally handmade or educational, usually on Jan 1 |
| Dec 31 (Thu) | New Year's Eve | Global | In the West, no. In Ukraine it is also Shchedryi Vechir, the generous evening |
| Jan 1 (Fri) | New Year's Day | Ukraine, Kazakhstan and most of the former USSR | Yes — the main gift morning for many families there |
| Jan 6 (Wed) | Three Kings' Day (Epiphany) | Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, much of Latin America | Yes — in Spain this, not Christmas, is the big gift day for children |
| Jan 7 (Thu) | Orthodox Christmas | Serbia, Georgia, Coptic Egypt, churches on the Julian calendar | Varies — family gifts in some homes, none in others |
| Feb 6 (Sat) | Lunar New Year, Year of the Goat | China, Vietnam (Tết), Korea (Feb 7), diaspora | Yes — red envelopes with money, gifts for hosts |
| Feb 14 (Sun) | Valentine's Day | Global | Yes — couples, and in Mexico friends and coworkers too |
Scroll the table sideways →
Christmas Eve or Christmas morning: which one is the gift night
The same holiday splits Europe in two. In Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, Ukraine and most of Latin America presents are opened on the evening of December 24, after dinner. In the US, UK, Ireland and Australia they wait for the morning of the 25th, with stockings first.
This matters the moment a family or a team mixes the two. Agree on the night before anybody starts buying, and if your exchange is a draw, set the reveal for the evening that most of the group expects.
Boxing Day 2026 lands on a Saturday
The name has nothing to do with sport: December 26 was the day households gave a "Christmas box" to the people who had served them all year. The modern version is a tip or small gift for the postman, the cleaner, the building staff.
In 2026 it falls on Saturday, so the UK bank holiday moves to Monday, December 28, and most people get four days off in a row without taking leave. It is also the day the big post-Christmas sales begin, which makes it a good day to buy the January birthdays.
Kwanzaa: seven days, one day of gifts
Kwanzaa runs from December 26 to January 1, each day for one of seven principles. It is a cultural celebration, not a religious one, and families often keep it alongside Christmas.
Gifts, called zawadi, are meant to be modest and meaningful: a book, something handmade, something that teaches. They are traditionally given on January 1, the day of Imani (faith), after the feast on December 31.
Three Kings' Day: the gift day after the gift days
In Spain the Three Wise Men, not Santa, bring children their presents, on the night of January 5 to 6. Parades on the evening of the 5th, shoes left out, a roscón cake with a hidden figure on the 6th. Mexico, Puerto Rico and much of Latin America keep the same night.
If your team or family includes Spaniards, the first week of January is not over yet for them. It is also a natural second slot for an exchange that did not fit before Christmas.
Lunar New Year 2027: red envelopes on February 6
The 2027 Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, February 6, opening the Year of the Goat (also called Sheep or Ram). Celebrations run fifteen days, to the Lantern Festival on February 20.
The gift here is money: red envelopes for children and unmarried relatives, in even amounts, crisp new notes. Visiting someone's home, you bring fruit, tea or sweets. Avoid clocks, sharp objects and anything in fours; they are associated with endings and bad luck.
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday
February 14, 2027 is a Sunday, which means restaurants book out for Saturday the 13th as well. If you are planning a dinner, reserve in January.
In Mexico and much of Central America the day is called Día del Amor y la Amistad, Day of Love and Friendship, and offices run small gift draws on it. The mechanics are the same as Secret Santa, so a wishlist saves the guessing either way.
Frequently asked questions
What day is Christmas 2026?
Friday, December 25, 2026. Christmas Eve is Thursday the 24th, and Boxing Day is Saturday the 26th, with the UK bank holiday moved to Monday the 28th.
When is Kwanzaa 2026?
From Saturday, December 26, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027. Gifts are usually given on the last day.
When is Lunar New Year 2027?
Saturday, February 6, 2027, the first day of the Year of the Goat. In Korea, Seollal is counted from February 7.
When is Three Kings' Day 2027?
Wednesday, January 6, 2027. The parades and the gifts come the night before, on January 5.
When does Hanukkah 2026 start?
At sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026, ending at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. Ideas for each night are in our Hanukkah gift guide.
Zoryana Mykolaychuk. Grew up putting letters under the pillow for St. Nicholas and now explains the difference between Santa, Nicholas and their 40 regional cousins. Yes, Mykolaychuk is her real surname. Probably.
Keep reading
Pick your gift night from the table and set the draw up now — December fills up faster than anyone plans for.
Create a gift exchange