Holidays and observances
Holidays and observances on December 26
18 holidays and special days are celebrated on December 26 around the world.
- 18observances
- 52events
Holidays and observances
Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances:
Day of Good Will (South Africa and Namibia)Boxing Day, also known as Offering Day, is a holiday celebrated on 26 December, the day after Christmas Day. Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities. It originated in the United K
Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances:
Family Day (Vanuatu)Family Day is a public holiday in the countries of Angola, Israel, Namibia, South Africa, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam; in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan; in the American states of Arizona and Nev- Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands) The people of the Solomon Islands observe these holidays nationally.
- Christian feast day: Abadiu of Antinoe (Coptic Church)Abadiu of Antinoe was a bishop of Antinoe in the Fourth Century. He is commemorated as a saint in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and is said to have been killed in a theological dispute with the Arians. His feast day is 26 December. He is referenced in Les Martyr
Christian feast day:
Pope DionysiusPope Dionysius was the Bishop of Rome from 22 July 259 to 26 December 268. His pontificate oversaw the transition from Valerian's persecutions to the toleration issued by Gallienus in 260. During this period, he reorganized the Roman church, assigning presbyte
Christian feast day:
James the Just (Eastern Orthodox Church)James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord, was, according to the New Testament, a brother of Jesus. James was personally known to Paul the Apostle. He was the first leader of the Church of Jerusalem. James was martyred, though the year and m
Christian feast day:
Saint Stephen (Western Church)Stephen is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who angered members of various synagogues by his teachings. Accused of blasphemy at h
Christian feast day:
Synaxis of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Church)A synaxis is a liturgical assembly in Eastern Christianity.
Christian feast day:
Vicenta María López i VicuñaVicenta María López y Vicuña was a Spanish professed religious and the founder of the Religious of Mary Immaculate. Her order was dedicated to administering to "working girls", or young women in domestic employment, and she took the view that these housemaids 
Christian feast day:
December 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)December 25 – Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar – December 27- Independence and Unity Day (Slovenia)Independence and Unity Day is a Slovenian national holiday that occurs on every 26 December to commemorate the official proclamation of the Slovenian independence referendum on 26 December 1990. The referendum took place on 23 December that year. In it, 95% of
- Mauro Hamza Day (Houston, Texas)Maher "Mauro" Hamza is a fencing coach who was born in Cairo, Egypt. He coached at Texas A&M, Rice University, for US national teams, and for the Egyptian Olympic team.
- Mummer's Day (Padstow, Cornwall)Mummer's Day, or "Darkie Day" as it is sometimes known, is a traditional Cornish midwinter celebration that occurs every year on Boxing Day and New Year's Day in Padstow, Cornwall. It was originally part of the pagan heritage of midwinter celebrations that wer
Saint Stephen's Day (public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland), and its related observances:
Father's Day (Bulgaria)Father's Day is a day set aside for honoring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. "Father's Day" complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in some countries, Sib
The first day of Kwanzaa, celebrated until January 1 (United States)Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga based on Karenga's research of African harvest festi
The first day of Junkanoo street parade, the second day is on the New Year's Day (The Bahamas)Junkanoo is a festival that originated during the period of African chattel slavery in British American colonies. It is practiced most notably today in the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize, and historically in North Carolina and Miami, where there have been signifi- The second day of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity) Second day of Christmas (Public holiday in the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia)The national holidays in the Netherlands are the following:
Wren Day (Ireland and the Isle of Man)Wren Day, or Hunt the Wren Day, or Hunt the Wren, is an Irish and Manx custom on 26 December, Saint Stephen's Day. Traditionally, men and boys hunted a wren, which was revered as the 'king of the birds'. They displayed it on top of a staff decorated with holly
Frequently asked questions
What is celebrated on December 26?
18 observances are celebrated on December 26 around the world: Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Day of Good Will (South Africa and Namibia), Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Family Day (Vanuatu), Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday. If it is a Sunday, Boxing Day is transferred to December 27 by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances: Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands), Christian feast day: Abadiu of Antinoe (Coptic Church), Christian feast day: Pope Dionysius, Christian feast day: James the Just (Eastern Orthodox Church). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
What happened on December 26?
52 documented historical events happened on December 26, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: The first known performance of King Lear, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare (pictured) and based on the legend of Leir of Britain, took place before King James I. On the same day, in another year: The opera Agrippina, described as George Frideric Handel's first masterpiece, premiered in Venice. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
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