December 2026 Calendar
31 days · 23 weekdays · 8 weekend days · Starts on Tuesday
December 2026 Calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 Winter Solstice | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 Christmas Day | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 New Year's Eve |
December 2026 Printable Calendar Templates
Choose from six free printable calendar styles. Click any image to open the PDF — ready to download or print.
Standard Calendar with Holidays
A classic monthly calendar with all US federal holidays clearly marked. Sunday start, perfect for home and office use. Holidays are highlighted in red so you never miss an important date.
Blank Calendar (Customizable)
A clean, uncluttered calendar with dates but no holidays or markings. Perfect for adding your own appointments, deadlines, birthdays, and personal events. Make it truly yours.
Printable Minimal Calendar
A minimalist design optimized for printing. Clean lines, no distractions, and printer-friendly layout that looks great on any paper size. Ink-saving design.
Calendar — Week Starts Monday
A specially formatted calendar with Monday as the first day of the week. Ideal for business planning and for users who prefer the international week layout used in Europe and many parts of the world.
Stylish Themed Calendar
A beautifully designed calendar with charming seasonal themes, floral accents, and appealing colors. Brighten up your workspace or kitchen wall with this delightful design.
Completely Blank Template
A truly blank calendar grid with no dates at all — just the day headers and empty cells. Use it for any month of any year. Ideal for reusable planning, classroom activities, or custom scheduling.
December 2026 Holidays & Observances
Winter Solstice
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. After this day, daylight hours begin to increase. It is celebrated across cultures as the return of light and the promise of spring.
Christmas Day
Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. In the United States, it is both a religious and cultural celebration marked by gift-giving, festive decorations, family gatherings, and acts of charity.
Tradition: Decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, attending church services, hanging stockings, Santa Claus visits, and sharing meals with family.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve marks the final day of the year. Celebrated with parties, fireworks, and countdowns to midnight, it is a night of reflection on the year past and hope for the year ahead.
Tradition: Countdown parties, fireworks, champagne toasts at midnight, singing "Auld Lang Syne," and making New Year's resolutions.
Sky Events in December 2026
Geminid Meteor Shower
December 13-14, 2026The Geminids are arguably the best meteor shower of the year, producing bright, multi-colored meteors at rates of up to 120 per hour. Unlike most meteor showers that come from comets, the Geminids originate from an asteroid (3200 Phaethon).
Best viewing: Best viewed after 9 PM, looking toward the constellation Gemini. The Geminids are one of the few showers active before midnight. A dark sky location is ideal.
Peak rate: Up to 120 meteors per hour
Full Moon — Cold Moon
December 13, 2026December's full moon is called the Cold Moon, named for the long, cold nights of December. Other names include the Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule.
December: History and Traditions
Origin of the Name
December comes from the Latin word "decem," meaning "ten." In the original Roman calendar, December was the tenth month. Despite becoming the twelfth month, it kept its numerical name.
What Was It Called Before?
In Old English, December was called 'Ǣrra Gēola' (Before Yule) — the month leading up to the Yule winter festival.
Fun Facts
- December is the month with the shortest daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere, bottoming out at the winter solstice.
- Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday in the United States until 1870.
- The tradition of the Christmas tree originated in 16th-century Germany. The first Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was put up in 1931 by construction workers.
- December 7 is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, marking the 1941 attack that led the US into World War II.
December Birthstone and Flowers
Turquoise — Birthstone
Color: Sky blue to blue-green
Symbolizes protection, wisdom, and good fortune. Native American cultures have prized turquoise for thousands of years as a sacred stone that connects heaven and earth.
The word "turquoise" comes from the French for "Turkish stone" because the gem was first brought to Europe through Turkey from mines in Persia (modern Iran).
Birth Flowers
Protection, goodwill, and eternal life. Holly has been associated with winter celebrations since ancient times.
Self-esteem, rebirth, and new beginnings. Blooms in late winter, symbolizing the triumph of life over winter.
December Zodiac Signs
Sagittarius
Date: November 22 – December 21
Element: Fire
Sagittarians are adventurous, optimistic, philosophical, and independent travelers of the zodiac.
Capricorn
Date: December 22 – January 19
Element: Earth
Capricorns are disciplined, responsible, patient, and ambitious. They value hard work, tradition, and long-term success.
December 2026 Highlights
December is the most festive month of the year, dominated by Christmas preparations and celebrations. Use our December 2026 calendar to track gift shopping, holiday parties, school events, and family gatherings throughout this busy month.
As 2026 draws to a close, December is a natural time for reflection and planning. Review your year's accomplishments and set intentions for 2027. The winter solstice on December 21 reminds us that even in the darkest days, light begins to return.
Frequently Asked Questions About December 2026
How many days are in December?
December has 31 days.
What holidays are in December 2026?
December 2026 includes the Winter Solstice (December 21), Christmas Day (December 25), and New Year's Eve (December 31).
What day of the week is Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, creating a three-day weekend for many workers.
When is the winter solstice in 2026?
The winter solstice occurs on December 21, 2026 — the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is the December birthstone?
The December birthstone is turquoise, a sky-blue gemstone symbolizing protection and good fortune.
What are the December zodiac signs?
December has two zodiac signs: Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) and Capricorn (December 22 – January 19).
What day of the week is December 1, 2026?
December 1, 2026 falls on a Tuesday.