December 2026 Holidays: Every Fun, National and International Day

December has the year’s biggest holidays and some of its strangest. Here is every day on the Fun Calendar in December 2026, from National Cookie Day to Festivus, with the dates worked out for this year.

Dates to know in December 2026

The December solstice falls on December 21 (in UTC). It is the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day in the Southern. The same date is World Meditation Day, which the UN General Assembly proclaimed in December 2024.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day keep their dates every year. December 26 is also St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland and the Second Day of Christmas in Germany. New Year’s Eve closes the year.

Seven fun days worth planning for

National Cookie Day, December 4

The start of baking season gets its own day. Bake a batch and give half away, or finally ask a relative for the family recipe.

Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day, December 8

Act amazed by a toaster. Ask strangers what year it is. A day for playful nonsense, best done with a friend who is in on it.

Poinsettia Day, December 12

The date marks the death in 1851 of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico, who brought the plant to the United States. It is also a reminder that poinsettias are easier to keep alive than their reputation suggests.

St. Lucia Day, December 13

In Sweden the day is marked with candlelit processions led by a girl in a white gown with a crown of candles, one of the brightest traditions of the darkest month.

Wright Brothers Day, December 17

On December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, controlled airplane flights. The first lasted twelve seconds.

Festivus, December 23

A Festivus for the rest of us. The holiday reached the world through the 1997 Seinfeld episode “The Strike”, based on a tradition in writer Dan O’Keefe’s family: an unadorned aluminum pole, the Airing of Grievances and the Feats of Strength.

Bacon Day, December 30

One last indulgence before the resolutions start. Try a new recipe, or a plant-based version at breakfast.

Days for remembering

World AIDS Day opens the month, as it has since 1988. December 7 remembers the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, and Bill of Rights Day the ratification of the first ten amendments to the US Constitution in 1791.

December 2026 holidays in our calendar

This expanded selection includes fun days, food observances, cultural holidays and days of remembrance. Informal “national days” are not necessarily public holidays. Each date links to its page, with background, ideas and sources.

1. Dec 1
   • 🐧 Antarctica Day
   • 🍎 Eat a Red Apple Day
   • 🎗️ World AIDS Day
2. Dec 2
   • 🍩 Fritters Day
   • ✊ International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3. Dec 3
   • 🎁 Make a Gift Day
   • 🏠 Roof Over Your Head Day
   • ♿ International Day of Persons with Disabilities
4. Dec 4
   • 🧦 National Sock Day
   • 📜 Santa’s List Day
   • 🍪 National Cookie Day
5. Dec 5
   • 🥷 Day of the Ninja
   • 🛁 Bathtub Party Day
   • 🎂 Sacher Torte Day
   • 🤲 International Volunteer Day
6. Dec 6
   • 🍿 Microwave Oven Day
   • 🧤 Mitten Tree Day
   • 🎁 St. Nicholas Day
   • 🎁 St. Nicholas Day (Poland)
   • 🇺🇦 Armed Forces Day (Ukraine)
7. Dec 7
   • ✉️ Letter Writing Day
   • 🍭 National Cotton Candy Day
   • 🕊️ National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
8. Dec 8
   • ⏳ Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day
   • 🍫 National Brownie Day
9. Dec 9
   • 💌 Christmas Card Day
   • 🥐 National Pastry Day
   • ⚖️ International Anti-Corruption Day
10. Dec 10
    • 📚 Dewey Decimal System Day
    • 🏅 Nobel Prize Day
    • 🌍 Human Rights Day
11. Dec 11
    • 🔍 Official Lost and Found Day
    • 🍝 Noodle Ring Day
    • ⛰️ International Mountain Day
12. Dec 12
    • 🌺 Poinsettia Day
    • 🏡 Gingerbread House Day
13. Dec 13
    • 🎻 National Violin Day
    • ☕ National Cocoa Day
    • 🕯️ St. Lucia Day
14. Dec 14
    • 🐒 Monkey Day
    • 🍲 National Bouillabaisse Day
15. Dec 15
    • 🧁 National Cupcake Day
    • 📜 Bill of Rights Day
16. Dec 16
    • 🎼 Beethoven's Birthday (Traditional Date)
    • 🍓 Chocolate-Covered Anything Day
17. Dec 17
    • ✈️ Wright Brothers Day
    • 🍁 National Maple Syrup Day
18. Dec 18
    • 🧶 Ugly Sweater Day
    • 🐕 Underdog Day
    • 🍪 Bake Cookies Day
    • 🗺️ International Migrants Day
19. Dec 19
    • 🍬 National Hard Candy Day
    • 🥣 Oatmeal Muffin Day
20. Dec 20
    • 🎶 Go Caroling Day
21. Dec 21
    • 🌍 December Solstice
    • 🧩 Crossword Puzzle Day
    • 😤 Humbug Day
    • 🧘 World Meditation Day
22. Dec 22
    • 🍞 Date Nut Bread Day
23. Dec 23
    • 🎉 Festivus
    • 🍪 Pfeffernüsse Day
24. Dec 24
    • 🌟 Christmas Eve
    • 🥛 Eggnog Day
25. Dec 25
    • 🎄 Christmas Day
    • 🔤 A’phabet Day or No “L” Day
    • 🥧 National Pumpkin Pie Day
26. Dec 26
    • 📝 Thank-You Note Day
    • 🍬 National Candy Cane Day
    • 📦 Boxing Day
    • 🌿 St. Stephen’s Day (Ireland)
    • 🎄 Second Day of Christmas (Germany)
27. Dec 27
    • ❄️ Make Cut-Out Snowflakes Day
    • 🔕 No Interruptions Day
    • 🍰 National Fruitcake Day
28. Dec 28
    • 🃏 Card Playing Day
    • 🍫 Chocolate Candy Day
    • 🕯️ Day of the Holy Innocents
29. Dec 29
    • 📋 Tick Tock Day
    • 🍲 National Pepper Pot Day
30. Dec 30
    • 🫧 Bicarbonate of Soda Day
    • 🥓 Bacon Day
31. Dec 31
    • 🥂 New Year's Eve
    • 🤔 Make Up Your Mind Day

Looking back a month? Here is every holiday in November 2026. And for Thanksgiving, Easter and the rest, see which holidays change date every year.

Planning into the new year? Explore January 2027 holidays and February 2027 holidays. For a plan you can use together, try our low-cost date ideas.

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