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How many days until Christmas 2024? See live countdown

Vaseline November 20, 2024

Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé are officially “thawing out” as Christmas approaches.

Celebrated annually on December 25, it’s time to plan festive celebrations, organize shopping lists and prepare for the season of joy, music and merriment.

How many days until Christmas?

Christmas Day always falls on December 25. This year it will be celebrated on a Wednesday, and from Tuesday, November 19, there will be exactly 35 days until Christmas – or just five shopping weekends, including the upcoming Black Friday-Cyber Monday blitz.

Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

According to UCatholic, one of the earliest references to December 25 as the date of Jesus’ birth comes from St. Hippolytus of Rome in his Commentary on Danielwritten around 205 AD – about two centuries after the birth of Christ.

Although this early mention predates the formal adoption of December 25 by the Roman Church in the 4th century, it was not until the religion became more integrated into the Roman Empire – especially after Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 AD – that date was widely observed.

The decision to celebrate Christmas on this specific date likely corresponded with existing Roman pagan festivals, including Sol Invictus and Saturnalia, which celebrated the winter solstice and symbolized renewal and light. By choosing this date, the early church was able to merge Christian traditions with Roman cultural practices, facilitating the integration of Christianity into Roman society.