Some countdowns are happy with a number of days. This one is for people who want to watch Christmas actually approaching: … calendar days remain until Christmas Day, and the timer above breaks the wait down into hours, minutes and seconds, ticking away one second at a time until midnight strikes and 25 December begins.
The timer runs in your own timezone, so the zero moment is the start of Christmas Day where you live. Leave the page open on a spare screen or a tablet in the kitchen and it becomes part of the decorations — children, in particular, can watch a whole minute of their lives tick off the total whenever they wander past.
A small technical note, because people ask: the day box in the timer counts complete 24-hour periods left, while the headline figure counts calendar days. On the morning of Christmas Eve, for example, the calendar says one day to go, but fewer than 24 whole hours remain, so the timer's day box reads zero while the hours count down. Both numbers are honest; they simply answer slightly different questions.
When the timer reaches zero, Christmas Day has arrived — and this page does not retire. From 26 December it quietly resets and starts counting down to the next 25 December, so the link you bookmark today is the same one you will want next year.
More countdowns
Timer questions
What time does the countdown end?
The timer runs to midnight at the start of 25 December in your own timezone — the moment Christmas Day begins.
Why does the timer show a different day count to the headline?
The headline counts whole calendar days. The timer's day box counts complete 24-hour periods, so during the day it can read one less. Both are correct; they measure the wait differently.
Does the countdown work all year?
Yes — it runs every day, and from 26 December it automatically counts down to the next Christmas.
What happens at midnight on Christmas Eve?
The timer reaches zero as 24 December ends and Christmas Day begins. Merry Christmas!
Can I leave the timer open on my screen?
Of course. It updates every second while the page is open — no refreshing needed.