Christmas Day
Christmas Day — the Nativity of the Lord — is celebrated every 25 December: the birth of Jesus and Spain's great winter family feast.
National holiday
25 December 2026
49,114,494
Verified data
Christmas Day in the working calendar
In 2026, Christmas Day is recorded as a national holiday on 25 December 2026. The calendars included in the dataset apply it in 19 regions and autonomous cities, covering 49,114,494 residents in the 2025 register.
This comparison uses only the official working calendars incorporated into the dataset for each year.
| Year | Main date | Where recorded | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 25 December 2024 | 19 regions and autonomous cities | 48,587,813 |
| 2025 | 25 December 2025 | 19 regions and autonomous cities | 49,114,494 |
| 2026 | 25 December 2026 | 19 regions and autonomous cities | 49,114,494 |
Demographic profile
Demographics of the covered population
Age, citizenship, birthplace and average-age structure from the 2025 Annual Population Census.
51% / 49%
12.9%
66.4%
20.7%
14.1%
19.3%
44.6 years
How it differs from its surroundings
Comparison with Spain. All five comparisons are population-weighted and use only the 2025 Annual Census. A positive sign means the covered population has a higher value than the benchmark.
| Demographic profile | Covered population | Compared with Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0–14 | 12.9% | 0 pp |
| Aged 65+ | 20.7% | 0 pp |
| Foreign citizenship | 14.1% | 0 pp |
| Born outside Spain | 19.3% | 0 pp |
| Weighted mean age | 44.6 years | 0 years |
The covered population matches Spain overall on these indicators.
Sex comes from the 2025 municipal register; all other metrics come from the 2025 Annual Census. Each percentage uses the total from its own statistical operation. INE municipal tables 68535 and 68541.
What is Christmas Day
25 December commemorates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem according to Christian tradition. It is the central feast of the Christmas cycle, preceded by Christmas Eve on the 24th — family dinner, carols and, in many homes, Midnight Mass — and followed in some territories by Saint Stephen's Day on the 26th.
In Spain Christmas is lived mainly at home: the Christmas Eve table, the nativity scene or the tree, carols and the reunion of families who travel. Nougat, marzipan, shortbread and cava are part of the foodscape; Neapolitan cribs or the popular nativity remain present in churches and shop windows.
The religious dimension — Masses, liturgical carols, Advent — coexist with a cultural celebration widely shared even by those who do not practise. Street lights, markets and concerts turn December into a festive month that peaks on the 25th.
Together with 1 and 6 January, Christmas forms the winter core of the calendar. It closes Advent's liturgical wait and opens a few days of rest when ordinary rhythm pauses for long meals and gathering.
Other holidays
Per-municipality data with its official source (regional gazette). Every date is verifiable on the municipality page. Data from festivos.io — CC BY 4.0.