The 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, and end on Tuesday, January 5, 2027. The evening of January 5 is Twelfth Night, and the Feast of the Epiphany follows on Wednesday, January 6, 2027.
The twelve days are the Christian season that runs from Christmas to Epiphany, the feast of the Magi’s visit. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes the period as running from December 25 to January 6, with the evening before Epiphany known as Twelfth Night. This guide lays out every day for 2026–27, explains why some people count differently, covers how Epiphany is observed in the US and abroad, and shows the dates for the next few years.
When do the 12 days of Christmas start?
In the most common Western count, Christmas Day is the first day. That puts the twelfth day on January 5, and Twelfth Night on the evening of January 5, just before Epiphany. This count doesn’t depend on the year: the season always starts December 25 and always ends on January 5, followed by Epiphany on January 6. Only the weekdays change.
The season is not the same thing as the shopping countdown before Christmas. The weeks before December 25 are Advent, which in 2026 begins on Sunday, November 29; see the Advent 2026 guide for those dates. The twelve days begin when Advent ends.
The 12 days of Christmas 2026–27, day by day
The feasts listed are from the US Catholic bishops’ liturgical calendar, which covers this season. Other churches keep many of the same days.
| Day | Date | On the church calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, December 25, 2026 | The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) |
| 2 | Saturday, December 26, 2026 | Saint Stephen, the first martyr |
| 3 | Sunday, December 27, 2026 | The Holy Family |
| 4 | Monday, December 28, 2026 | The Holy Innocents |
| 5 | Tuesday, December 29, 2026 | Fifth day in the octave of Christmas |
| 6 | Wednesday, December 30, 2026 | Sixth day in the octave |
| 7 | Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Seventh day in the octave; New Year’s Eve |
| 8 | Friday, January 1, 2027 | Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God; New Year’s Day |
| 9 | Saturday, January 2, 2027 | Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen |
| 10 | Sunday, January 3, 2027 | The Epiphany, as observed in the US Catholic Church |
| 11 | Monday, January 4, 2027 | Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (US) |
| 12 | Tuesday, January 5, 2027 | Saint John Neumann (US); Twelfth Night that evening |
The first eight days, from Christmas through January 1, form the octave of Christmas. January 1, 2027 is both a federal holiday and, for US Catholics, a holy day of obligation.
Why people count the days differently
You’ll see two ways of counting:
- Starting on December 25. Christmas Day is day one, the twelfth day is January 5, and Twelfth Night is the evening of January 5. This matches the Britannica description and the church calendar above.
- Starting on December 26. Some families and traditions treat Christmas as the feast itself and start counting the next day. Then the twelfth day is January 6, and Twelfth Night shifts to the evening of January 6.
If you’re planning a Twelfth Night party or a date to take the decorations down, either January 5 or January 6 has tradition behind it; pick the one your family or church uses.
Epiphany and Three Kings Day
Epiphany falls on January 6 every year and marks the visit of the Magi. In 2027 it’s a Wednesday. Count down with the days until Epiphany page.
- US Catholic parishes move the celebration to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. In 2027 that’s Sunday, January 3.
- Public holiday abroad. January 6, 2027 is a public holiday in several places, including Spain, Italy, Austria and Puerto Rico. See the Spain 2027 holiday list for an example.
- Orthodox Christmas. Churches that keep the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on January 7 of the civil calendar. In 2027, Russia and Serbia list Christmas on Thursday, January 7.
Other days inside the twelve
Several separate holidays fall in the same stretch:
- Boxing Day, December 26, is a public holiday in the UK and many Commonwealth countries. It’s a Saturday in 2026, so England and Wales get the substitute day on Monday, December 28.
- Kwanzaa runs December 26 to January 1, overlapping days two through eight. The Kwanzaa guide covers its seven principles day by day.
- New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are days seven and eight.
Twelve days of Christmas dates, 2026 to 2030
| Season | Day 1 (Christmas) | Day 12 | Epiphany (January 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | Friday, December 25, 2026 | Tuesday, January 5, 2027 | Wednesday, January 6, 2027 |
| 2027–28 | Saturday, December 25, 2027 | Wednesday, January 5, 2028 | Thursday, January 6, 2028 |
| 2028–29 | Monday, December 25, 2028 | Friday, January 5, 2029 | Saturday, January 6, 2029 |
| 2029–30 | Tuesday, December 25, 2029 | Saturday, January 5, 2030 | Sunday, January 6, 2030 |
| 2030–31 | Wednesday, December 25, 2030 | Sunday, January 5, 2031 | Monday, January 6, 2031 |
Because Christmas moves one weekday later each year (two after a leap day), Epiphany and Twelfth Night move with it. For the full countdown to the start of the season, see how many days until Christmas.
How many gifts are in the song?
The carol adds a new gift each day and repeats all the earlier ones, so the gifts pile up. On day one there is 1 gift; on day two, 1 + 2 = 3; on day twelve, 1 + 2 + … + 12 = 78. Add up all twelve days and the singer receives 364 gifts, one fewer than the 365 days in 2027.
| Day | Gifts that day | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | 10 | 20 |
| 6 | 21 | 56 |
| 8 | 36 | 120 |
| 10 | 55 | 220 |
| 12 | 78 | 364 |
Frequently asked questions
When do the 12 days of Christmas start in 2026?
On Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026. They run through Tuesday, January 5, 2027.
Do the 12 days of Christmas start before Christmas?
No. The days before Christmas are Advent. The twelve days start on December 25, or on December 26 in some family traditions.
When is Twelfth Night 2027?
The evening of Tuesday, January 5, 2027, the eve of Epiphany. If you count from December 26, it’s the evening of Wednesday, January 6.
Is Epiphany a federal holiday?
No. January 6 is not on the US federal holiday list, so federal offices and banks stay open. It is a public holiday in Puerto Rico and in several European countries.
When should you take down Christmas decorations?
Many households wait until Twelfth Night or Epiphany, which in 2027 means January 5 or 6. It’s a custom, not a rule, so any date works.