Christmas 2026 Calendar: Key Dates From Thanksgiving to New Year's

Late November: the shopping weekend

Black Friday 2026 is November 27 and Cyber Monday 2026 is November 30, so the sales weekend runs from Thanksgiving Thursday through Monday. If you plan to buy early, our guide on when to start Christmas shopping explains how to use it.

December: the countdown begins

The shipping dates come from the carriers and USPS 2026 schedules. They are recommended cutoffs, not guarantees. Our last day to ship Christmas gifts in 2026 covers each service in more detail.

January: returns and resets

Return deadlines vary by store, and many retailers extend their windows for holiday purchases. The date that applies to you is printed on the receipt or in the retailer's policy, so check it when you buy. Our guide to Christmas return policies lists the common windows.

Official, customary and forecast dates

Not every date in this calendar carries the same certainty:

• Official: shipping cutoffs, return deadlines and federal holidays. Always confirm on the issuing page.
• Calendar-based: Advent, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa follow religious calendars and are computed from them. Hanukkah begins at sundown the evening before the first day listed.
• Customary: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday are shopping and charity traditions, not legal holidays.
• Forecast: any dollar figure or expected discount is a prediction by a retailer group or analyst, not a promise.

A week-by-week plan

• Week of November 23: Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Buy only what you price-checked in advance.
• Week of November 30: Advent calendar doors open on December 1. Order gifts you need to ship.
• Week of December 7: Hanukkah is underway, and the first international cutoff, December 9, arrives.
• Week of December 14: the pressure week. Ground services close December 17 and Priority Mail closes December 18.
• Week of December 21: express shipping, store pickup and digital gifts only.

How to use the calendar

Work backward from Christmas Eve. Choose the last shipping date that suits your gifts, and mark it. Then place your biggest purchases before Thanksgiving weekend if prices are good, and your smaller shipments by the first week of December. Add school concerts, family dinners and travel dates. Our countdown shows how many days remain, and our guide on when to start Christmas shopping offers a week-by-week plan.

Traditions around the calendar

Many traditions fit neatly onto these dates. Advent calendars start December 1. Christmas Eve is the centerpiece of many European traditions, such as Poland's Wigilia supper or Germany's gift exchange on the evening of the 24th. Kwanzaa starts on the day after Christmas. For more, read about Christmas traditions around the world or use our Advent calendar to open a door a day.

Keep it in one place

Print or screenshot the table, or add the dates to your phone calendar. If you want a reminder before each shipping cutoff, add them to the tracker in our shipping tool. And whatever else you do this year, take one day off from the shopping and enjoy the lights.