December 26

Holidays

72 holidays recorded on December 26 throughout history

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Quote of the Day

“A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”

— Mao Zedong

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Antiquity 20

The state that shouldn't exist.

The state that shouldn't exist. December 28, 1836 was a Thursday — and nobody showed up to work the next day. So South Australia moved its birthday to the nearest Monday forever. Here's the thing: the British government never actually wanted this colony. It was forced into existence by a lobbying campaign from systematic colonizers who promised something impossible — a place with no convicts, funded entirely by land sales, where Aboriginal rights would be respected. Two of those promises broke within months. But that Monday compromise? Still holding strong 188 years later, making South Australia the only place that celebrates its founding on a day it didn't happen.

South Africans and Namibians observe the Day of Good Will to replace the traditional Boxing Day, shifting the focus f…

South Africans and Namibians observe the Day of Good Will to replace the traditional Boxing Day, shifting the focus from gift-giving to charitable acts and community cohesion. By dedicating this public holiday to reconciliation and social outreach, the nations actively address the deep-seated inequalities that persist in their post-colonial and post-apartheid landscapes.

The government created Family Day in 1983, the same year Vanuatu's constitution came into force.

The government created Family Day in 1983, the same year Vanuatu's constitution came into force. Not a coincidence. The new Pacific nation needed something to counter kastom — the deep-rooted traditional system where clan and tribe trumped everything else. Family Day was the compromise: honor your immediate household, not just your lineage. It worked better than expected. Church services replaced village gatherings. Picnics at the beach became the norm. And the holiday stuck precisely because it didn't force Ni-Vanuatu to choose between the nuclear family and extended kinship networks — it just added another layer.

The Solomon Islands marks Thanksgiving on the second Monday of July — not November — celebrating the end of World War…

The Solomon Islands marks Thanksgiving on the second Monday of July — not November — celebrating the end of World War II in the Pacific. American forces liberated the islands in 1943 after brutal jungle fighting on Guadalcanal, where 7,000 Americans and 31,000 Japanese died in six months. Islanders who survived Japanese occupation and helped rescue downed Allied pilots started the tradition in 1945. They feast on sweet potato, taro, and fish caught that morning. It's one of only three countries outside North America to celebrate Thanksgiving. The date coincides with when the last Japanese soldier left Guadalcanal.

Bahamian performers fill the streets with rhythmic cowbells, whistles, and elaborate cardboard costumes to celebrate …

Bahamian performers fill the streets with rhythmic cowbells, whistles, and elaborate cardboard costumes to celebrate Junkanoo. This vibrant tradition originated among enslaved people who claimed three days of freedom during the Christmas season, transforming their limited time off into a defiant, enduring expression of cultural identity and community resilience.

December 26, 1990.

December 26, 1990. Slovenia voted to leave Yugoslavia — 88.5% yes, 95% turnout. Six months later, they declared independence. Ten days of war followed. The Yugoslav army expected a quick surrender. They got ambushed convoys, blocked roads, and a population that wouldn't back down. Fifty-two Slovenes died. By July 18, it was over. Yugoslavia's first republic to break free became its fastest to win. Today Slovenia celebrates both votes: the December referendum that said "we're leaving" and the June declaration that made it real. Two dates, one independence, zero regrets about choosing the hardest path.

A desert monk who chose silence over sainthood.

A desert monk who chose silence over sainthood. Abadiu spent forty years in Egypt's caves, refusing visitors, refusing fame. When pilgrims found him anyway, he moved deeper into the wilderness. Three times. The Coptic Church celebrates him not for miracles or martyrdom but for what he didn't do: he never preached, never founded a monastery, never wrote a single word. His entire legacy is that he stayed away. And in fourth-century Egypt, where holy men competed for followers like politicians, that made him the most radical of them all.

Boxing Day arrived in South Africa as a colonial import, but after apartheid ended, the country renamed it Day of Goo…

Boxing Day arrived in South Africa as a colonial import, but after apartheid ended, the country renamed it Day of Goodwill in 1994. The shift was deliberate: move beyond British tradition, toward something that reflected ubuntu — the Zulu philosophy that a person is a person through other people. Most South Africans still call it Boxing Day anyway. But the official name stuck in government communications and schools, a quiet signal that holidays could be rewritten. It falls the day after Christmas, when families traditionally visit friends or help neighbors. The irony: a holiday about community that many spend at the beach or shopping sales. The name changed. The day itself? Still evolving.

The Solomon Islands observes Thanksgiving, but not in November like the US.

The Solomon Islands observes Thanksgiving, but not in November like the US. Introduced by American missionaries in the early 20th century, it's celebrated the second Monday of July — right after their Independence Day on July 7th. The timing isn't random. When the islands gained independence from Britain in 1978, locals merged gratitude for harvest season with gratitude for sovereignty. Churches overflow with tropical offerings: taro, sweet potato, fresh fish wrapped in banana leaves. American-style turkey? Almost never. The holiday survived because islanders made it theirs, not because they kept it American.

In Celtic tradition, hunting the wren on December 26th punished the bird for betraying St. Stephen to Roman soldiers …

In Celtic tradition, hunting the wren on December 26th punished the bird for betraying St. Stephen to Roman soldiers — its chirping supposedly gave away his hiding spot. Irish "wren boys" would kill a wren, parade it through villages on a decorated pole, and demand money or food at each door while dressed in straw suits and masks. The practice died out in the 1930s, but the parades survived. Today's processions keep the costumes and songs but skip the actual bird. The wren, smallest bird in Ireland, went from scapegoat to symbol: communities now celebrate what they once condemned.

The name has nothing to do with fighting.

The name has nothing to do with fighting. On the first weekday after Christmas, British employers gave servants boxes of food and time off to visit family — because servants worked Christmas Day serving their masters' feasts. The tradition started in the 1600s, became law in 1871. Churches opened alms boxes the same day, distributing coins saved throughout the year to the poor. When December 26 falls on Sunday, the holiday shifts to Monday by royal decree — because historically, no one was supposed to work or celebrate on the Sabbath. Today it's Britain's biggest shopping day, a complete reversal: the servants became the customers, and Boxing Day sales now rival Black Friday.

December 25th ends.

December 25th ends. December 26th begins. And suddenly you're in a different season entirely — not Christmas proper, but the *twelve days* of Christmas, an ancient stretch when normal rules bent. No work. No fasting. Pure celebration until Epiphany on January 6th. The tradition dates to the 6th century, when the Church decided one day wasn't enough for the Incarnation. Servants became masters in role-reversal games. Doors stayed open for strangers. The song with partridges and pear trees? That's a memory device from this period, each gift representing a Christian teaching. Most people now think Christmas ends on the 25th. They're missing eleven-twelfths of it.

Western Christians observe the second day of Christmastide, traditionally known as St. Stephen’s Day, to honor the fi…

Western Christians observe the second day of Christmastide, traditionally known as St. Stephen’s Day, to honor the first Christian martyr. In nations like Poland, Slovakia, and the Netherlands, this date functions as a formal public holiday, extending the festive season and allowing families to continue their communal celebrations well beyond the initial holiday morning.

Maulana Karenga invented it in 1966 — right after the Watts riots, when Los Angeles was still smoking.

Maulana Karenga invented it in 1966 — right after the Watts riots, when Los Angeles was still smoking. He wanted African Americans to have something entirely their own: seven principles, seven candles, a harvest festival with no Christian or commercial baggage. The name comes from Swahili, "first fruits," though the holiday itself never existed in Africa. Over 10 million people now light the kinara each year. What started as one professor's response to urban violence became the youngest major American holiday — and the only one that asks you to build something, not buy something.

Residents of Padstow, Cornwall, don elaborate costumes and blackened faces to parade through the streets every Boxing…

Residents of Padstow, Cornwall, don elaborate costumes and blackened faces to parade through the streets every Boxing Day, reviving a tradition rooted in ancient midwinter folklore. This celebration preserves unique local customs that survived the decline of similar house-visiting rituals across Britain, keeping the town’s distinct communal identity alive through song and dance.

Houston's city council named November 9th for a Lebanese immigrant who arrived with $200 and became the city's most i…

Houston's city council named November 9th for a Lebanese immigrant who arrived with $200 and became the city's most improbable bridge-builder. Mauro Hamza opened a tiny grocery in 1960, extended credit to broke customers regardless of race during segregation, and somehow convinced warring neighborhood gangs to meet in his back room over free sandwiches. By the 1980s, police called him before entering certain blocks. He mediated 40+ truces before dying in 1997, never owning more than that one store. The day honors what one detective called "the only man both sides would listen to."

Slovenia walked out of Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991.

Slovenia walked out of Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991. Not stormed out — walked. A ten-day war followed, but it wasn't really a war: 63 deaths total, the Yugoslav army mostly confused, international observers calling it "the least deadly independence conflict in modern history." The key was timing. Croatia declared independence the same day, splitting Belgrade's attention. Slovenia had already prepared everything: new currency printed in secret, border posts ready, even the airport approach paths recalculated. By July 7, it was over. The European Community brokered a ceasefire, Yugoslav forces withdrew, and one of history's newest nations had pulled off something almost unheard of: a breakup that mostly worked. Today marks that first declaration, when a referendum's 88% yes vote became an actual country overnight.

Western Christians honor Saint Stephen, the first martyr who died for his faith in Jerusalem.

Western Christians honor Saint Stephen, the first martyr who died for his faith in Jerusalem. Eastern Orthodox believers celebrate the Synaxis of the Theotokos, gathering to venerate Mary immediately after Christmas. This dual observance underscores how early communities prioritized both the birth of Christ and the cost of discipleship within a single week.

The day after Christmas, Orthodox Christians honor four figures at once—a theological cleanup crew.

The day after Christmas, Orthodox Christians honor four figures at once—a theological cleanup crew. Mary gets her own feast (the Synaxis) because yesterday was about the baby, not the mother. Joseph the carpenter, David the psalm-writing king, and James "the Just" (Jesus's brother, first bishop of Jerusalem) all share the spotlight. Why these four together? They're Christ's earthly family tree: the mother who bore him, the stepfather who raised him, the ancestor who prophesied him, the brother who led after him. It's Orthodox Christianity's version of "let's not forget everyone else in the nativity story." James, notably, was so righteous that ancient historians claimed he prayed so much his knees grew calluses like a camel's.

Boxing Day's older cousin.

Boxing Day's older cousin. While Britain wraps leftovers, half of Europe honors Christianity's first martyr — a deacon stoned to death around 34 AD for a speech that went too long. The Roman guards didn't care about theology. They cared that Stephen called them corrupt. His feast landed on December 26th by the 4th century, possibly because someone noticed Jesus died forgiving enemies and Stephen did the same thing three years later. Now it's mainly an excuse for Austrians to ski and the Irish to hit pubs after surviving Christmas with family. The saint who started it all gets a day off from work.

Undated 52

Beato Bentivolio de Bonis.

Namibie : Family day / « fête de la famille », peut-être sous l'influence de la chrétienté, Noël puis le dimanche de …

Namibie : Family day / « fête de la famille », peut-être sous l'influence de la chrétienté, Noël puis le dimanche de la Sainte Famille.

VanuatuVanuatu Vanuatu: Día de la Familia.

Islas Salomón Islas Salomón: Acción de Gracias.

Estados Unidos Estados Unidos: Día del Bastón de Caramelo.(en inglés: National Candy Cane Day).

Estados Unidos Estados Unidos: Día de los Quejidos o Día del Llorón.(en inglés: National Whiner’s Day).

Kirchliche Gedenktage Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag

Estados Unidos Estados Unidos: Día de la Nota de Agradecimiento.(en inglés: Thank You Note Day).

EsloveniaEslovenia Eslovenia: Día de la Independencia y de la Unidad.

Costa Rica Costa Rica: Día Nacional del Caballista.Según la tradición, en el siglo XX, la United Fruit Company de Est…

Costa Rica Costa Rica: Día Nacional del Caballista.Según la tradición, en el siglo XX, la United Fruit Company de Estados Unidos trajo ganado para las plantaciones de plátanos en Costa Rica. Cuando el ganado llegó a los puertos, se enviaron jinetes para recogerlo. Con el paso del tiempo, se transformó en un desfile nacional donde los jinetes exhibían sus caballos de lujo y los habitantes se vestían al estilo occidental.

Australia Australia: Día de la Proclamación.

Îles Salomon (Mélanésie en Océanie Pacifique) : voir plus bas religion post-coloniale.

Beato Segundo Pollo, presbítero (1941).

Beatas Inés Phila y Lucía Khambang, vírgenes y mártires (1940).

San Eutimio de Sardis, obispo y mártir (824).

San Zenón de Maiuma, obispo (c.

San Zenón de Maiuma, obispo (c. 400).

San Arquelao, obispo.

NamibiaNamibia Namibia y Sudáfrica Sudáfrica: Día de la Buena Voluntad.

Aniversário do município de Oeiras, Piauí

Irlanda Irlanda e Isla de ManIsla de Man Isla de Man: Wren Day.

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / prop…

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / propre correspondant aux dates occidentales / grégoriennes telles que celles : de l'Ascension de Jésus sinon celle de sa mère Marie (Dormition et Assomption, 15 août), etc.

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / prop…

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / propre correspondant aux dates occidentales / grégoriennes telles que celles : de la Visitation de Marie à sa cousine plus âgée Elisabeth elle-même tardivement enceinte du futur Jean le baptiseur tressaillant de reconnaissance à un moment en son sein (31 mai) ;

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / prop…

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / propre correspondant aux dates occidentales / grégoriennes telles que celles : de la présentation de Jésus au Temple (2 février) sinon celle de sa mère Marie vers septembre ;

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / prop…

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / propre correspondant aux dates occidentales / grégoriennes telles que celles : de la conversion de Paul (25 janvier) et autres « apparitions » ou simples manifestations de Dieu à ses voyants, comme à Lourdes un 11 février du XIXe siècle, etc. ;

ou même celle(s) ainsi considérées par la tradition chrétienne orthodoxe, avec souvent son calendrier "julien" / prop…

ses variantes et diminutifs masculins, par exemple Esteban, Estèphe, Estève, Estienne, Étiole, Stef, Stefan, Stéfan, …

ses variantes et diminutifs masculins, par exemple Esteban, Estèphe, Estève, Estienne, Étiole, Stef, Stefan, Stéfan, Stefano, Stepan, Stéphane, Stephen, Steve, Steven(n), etc. (voir aussi 16 août par exemple) ;

Étienne,

Irinarh († 1859), fils d'un boyard russe de Moldavie, et qui vécut trente ans au mont Athos, puis gagna la Terre sain…

Irinarh († 1859), fils d'un boyard russe de Moldavie, et qui vécut trente ans au mont Athos, puis gagna la Terre sainte, où il mena une vie érémitique et construisit un sanctuaire sur le mont Thabor.

Constantin le Russe (ru) († 1742).

Second Pollo († 1941), Bienheureux prêtre italien.

Paganus de Lecco († 1274), bienheureux religieux dominicain.

Marguerite Hohenfels († 1150), bienheureuse moniale bénédictine.

Daniel de Villers (XIIe siècle), bienheureux moine.

Agathe Phutta († 1940), Bienheureuse laïque thaïlandaise morte martyre.

Théodore le Sacristain (en) (VIe siècle), sacristain de la basilique Saint-Pierre de Rome.

Tathai (Ve siècle), Abbé.

Marin (IIIe siècle), sénateur romain, arrêté pour sa foi en Jésus-Christ, torturé comme un esclave puis décapité.

Étienne [† vers 35 ou entre 29 et 39 - ° au Ier siècle avant ou après Jésus-Christ dont il n'aurait pas été un discip…

Étienne [† vers 35 ou entre 29 et 39 - ° au Ier siècle avant ou après Jésus-Christ dont il n'aurait pas été un disciple direct connu de son vivant terrestre, sinon post-mortem (et post-résurrection & premières apparitions / théophanies comme infra)] Saint Étienne fêté(e) plutôt les lendemains 27 décembre en Orient et aussi les 2 août en Orient comme en Occident pour la translation de ses reliques.

Étienne [† vers 35 ou entre 29 et 39 - ° au Ier siècle avant ou après Jésus-Christ dont il n'aurait pas été un discip…

Étienne [† vers 35 ou entre 29 et 39 - ° au Ier siècle avant ou après Jésus-Christ dont il n'aurait pas été un disciple direct connu de son vivant terrestre, sinon post-mortem (et post-résurrection & premières apparitions / théophanies comme infra)] personnage des Actes des Apôtres (Ac) dans le Nouveau Testament biblique, prédicateur juif du Ier siècle par rapport au n.s., clamant publiquement la résurrection de Jésus de Nazareth exécuté quelque temps auparavant, très virulent envers ses juges religieux juifs lors de son procès à Jérusalem, condamné par eux et lapidé en présence du futur Saint Paul alors anti-christiens ; considéré de ce fait comme le premier martyr (protomartyr) de la chrétienté et a posteriori comme son premier diacre (protodiacre) ;

Dia da Lembrança

O 2º dia do Ciclo de Natal no Cristianismo Ocidental.

Aniversário dos municípios de Joselândia, Luís Domingues e São Mateus do Maranhão, Maranhão

Aniversário dos municípios de Cachoeira dos Índios e Cuitegi, Paraíba

Aniversário do município de Taboleiro Grande, Rio Grande do Norte

Slovénie : dan samostojnosti in enotnosti (sl), journée de l'indépendance et de l'unité commémorant la proclamation d…

Slovénie : dan samostojnosti in enotnosti (sl), journée de l'indépendance et de l'unité commémorant la proclamation des résultats du référendum sur l'indépendance du 23 décembre 1990 vis-à-vis de l'ex-Yougoslavie.

Boxing Day, except when December 26 is a Sunday.

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)

et leurs variantes et diminutifs féminins : Étiennette, Fanny, parfois aux Nina, Stefania, Stefany, Stèffe, Steffi, S…

et leurs variantes et diminutifs féminins : Étiennette, Fanny, parfois aux Nina, Stefania, Stefany, Stèffe, Steffi, Steffy, Stéphanie, Stephany, Stèphe, Stephenie, Tiennette, etc. (autre(s) date(s) possible(s) à redéterminer pour les Stéphanie).

Étienne [† vers 35 ou entre 29 et 39 - ° au Ier siècle avant ou après Jésus-Christ dont il n'aurait pas été un discip…

Archélaos (en) († 278) — ou « Archelaus » —, évêque de Cascar, en Mésopotamie, qui combattit l'hérésie de Manès, ou m…

Archélaos (en) († 278) — ou « Archelaus » —, évêque de Cascar, en Mésopotamie, qui combattit l'hérésie de Manès, ou manichéisme, notamment lors du colloque de Cascar.

Fête celte du Wren Day (en) comme ci-avant.

Boxing Day (ou "Après-Noël" en francophonies nord-américaines ci-après), autrefois journée de distribution de cadeaux…

Boxing Day (ou "Après-Noël" en francophonies nord-américaines ci-après), autrefois journée de distribution de cadeaux aux pauvres, d'emboîtement (in boxes) de restes alimentaires des 24 et 25 décembre pour domestiques et employés, chômé et même férié dans la plupart des pays suivants, sauf de nos jours dans des magasins, où ce serait une journée spéciale d'aubaines commerciales (premiers « soldes » d'après Noël ) (Allemagne, Canada dont Acadie, Québec et autres francophones, Chypre, Commonwealth,Danemark (« Juledag » / jour de Yule, voir 25 aux 21 décembre de solstice), États-Unis dont Acadie francophone, Finlande, Grèce, Hongrie, Islande, Lituanie, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Slovaquie, Suède, Suriname , etc.) ; journée jouée de Premier League de football soccer en Angleterre et Galles voire au Royaume-Uni entier (?), sans trêve des confiseurs comme dans les autres championnats européens ;

Boxing Day (ou "Après-Noël" en francophonies nord-américaines ci-après), autrefois journée de distribution de cadeaux…

Boxing Day (ou "Après-Noël" en francophonies nord-américaines ci-après), autrefois journée de distribution de cadeaux aux pauvres, d'emboîtement (in boxes) de restes alimentaires des 24 et 25 décembre pour domestiques et employés, chômé et même férié dans la plupart des pays suivants, sauf de nos jours dans des magasins, où ce serait une journée spéciale d'aubaines commerciales (premiers « soldes » d'après Noël ) (Allemagne, Canada dont Acadie, Québec et autres francophones, Chypre, Commonwealth,Danemark (« Juledag » / jour de Yule, voir 25 aux 21 décembre de solstice), États-Unis dont Acadie francophone, Finlande, Grèce, Hongrie, Islande, Lituanie, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Slovaquie, Suède, Suriname , etc.) ; de Top 14 de rugby en France (hors périodes de covid désormais), etc.