How we count hours
We count whole hours from now until 00:00 on 25 December in your time zone. The number ticks down once an hour, and the ticker below shows the minutes and seconds in between.
| From midnight on | Time left until Christmas 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sunday 1 November 2026 | 1,296 hours |
| Sunday 15 November 2026 | 960 hours |
| Friday 27 November 2026 | 672 hours |
| Tuesday 1 December 2026 | 576 hours |
| Tuesday 15 December 2026 | 240 hours |
| Thursday 24 December 2026 | 24 hours |
All the other units
The same wait in every unit. Tap one to open its page.
How many hours are left until Christmas?
The number above shows how many hours until Christmas: the whole hours left until 00:00 on Friday 25 December 2026, in your own time zone. It drops by one every hour, while the minutes and seconds keep running in the ticker underneath.
Hours are a satisfying unit because they move fast enough to watch. Each day takes 24 off the total, so a week takes 168 hours and a fortnight takes 336.
Handy hour milestones
- 1,000 hours until Christmas: about 41 and a half days out, around the middle of November.
- 500 hours until Christmas: about 21 days out, early December.
- 168 hours until Christmas: exactly one week out, at midnight starting Friday 18 December.
- 24 hours until Christmas: midnight at the start of Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December.
Christmas Eve, hour by hour
Once the counter falls under 24, it is Christmas Eve. A relaxed plan for the final hours:
- 24 to 16 hours: last fresh food shop, collect anything ordered for pickup.
- 16 to 10 hours: prep vegetables, set the table, wrap the last gifts.
- 10 to 6 hours: Christmas Eve dinner, carols or a film from our classic Christmas movies list.
- 6 to 3 hours: stockings out, snack for Santa, children to bed.
- Final hour: watch the seconds until Christmas reach zero.
Many families follow Santa on the NORAD tracker during these hours. Find it on our Christmas videos page.
Hours and time zones
Because the countdown uses your device's clock, the hours left are different for family in other countries. Someone in London has five hours more to wait than someone in Karachi, and someone in New York has ten hours more. To check another place, look at the days until Christmas page on their device, or simply add or take away the time difference.
Hours you can still use well
An hour sounds small, but a few good hours add up. One hour is enough to wrap ten presents, write fifteen cards, or bake a batch of Christmas cookies. Plan a few "Christmas hours" each weekend in the run-up and the last day stays calm.
Questions people ask
Quick answers about this countdown.
How many hours until Christmas 2026?
The number at the top shows the whole hours left until midnight on 25 December in your time zone.
Are these hours to Christmas morning or Christmas dinner?
To midnight at the start of Christmas Day. Add your own dinner time on top.
How many hours are in the last day?
24. Once the counter is under 24, it is Christmas Eve.
How many hours are in a week?
168. A fortnight is 336 hours.
More Christmas countdowns
More countdowns, tools and Christmas reading on Christmas Days Left.