December 2026 calendar: free printable with holidays and a planner page

The short answer: this free December 2026 calendar prints in Sunday-start and Monday-start styles, with holidays and key dates marked, plus a planner page.

• Hanukkah: begins at sundown Friday, December 4
• Winter solstice: Monday, December 21
• Planner page for the holiday budget, gift list, meals and year-end tasks
• Year-end money tasks and a week-by-week plan below
• Next step: Get the free December 2026 calendar (we email it to you); want more? The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner is $4.99.

This free December 2026 calendar is ready to print in two styles, Sunday-start and Monday-start, with holidays and key dates marked. A third page keeps your holiday budget, gift list, meals and year-end tasks together, so the busiest month of the year stays organized.

What's in the free download

The PDF has three pages:

1. December 2026, Sunday start. Five rows of large boxes, with holidays in red.
2. December 2026, Monday start. Also five rows, for anyone who plans the week from Monday.
3. A December planner. A holiday budget, a gift list, holiday meals and a year-end to-do list.

Print it on plain paper or cardstock. It fits US Letter, and A4 with "fit to page." Hang the calendar on the fridge and keep the planner page in a folder or binder.

December 2026 holidays and key dates

The Office of Personnel Management's federal holiday list confirms Christmas Day as the only federal holiday this month. Because Christmas falls on a Friday, many families get a three-day weekend from December 25 to 27. December 26 is also Boxing Day, a public holiday in the UK, Canada and Australia. Kwanzaa also begins December 26 and runs through January 1; our Kwanzaa decor guide explains its seven symbols.

Hanukkah 2026 starts early

Hanukkah 2026 runs from sundown on Friday, December 4, to nightfall on Saturday, December 12. That is early in the month, so it doesn't overlap with Christmas week this year. Britannica's overview of Hanukkah explains that the eight-night festival follows the Hebrew calendar, which is why its dates move each year. If your family celebrates, write each night's plans in the boxes. Add the meals, guests and gifts too, so the first week of December doesn't sneak up on you. Planning the meals? Our Hanukkah food guide has an eight-night menu.

The winter solstice is December 21

The shortest day of the year falls on Monday, December 21, 2026. The U.S. Naval Observatory's seasons table lists the exact time. After that, days slowly get longer again. Some families mark it with a candle-lit dinner, a walk at sunset or a simple craft with the kids. It is also a handy check-in point: four days before Christmas, look over your list and see what's left. For the Cold Moon on December 23 and the rest of the month's phases, see our moon calendar.

Planning Christmas on your December 2026 calendar

Christmas is Friday, December 25. Working backward keeps the month calm:

• By December 6: set your holiday budget and finish the gift list. December 6 is also St. Nicholas Day, when kids find small treats in their shoes.
• By December 11: order photo cards and anything that ships from far away.
• By December 15: finish most shopping, so shipping delays don't matter.
• December 19 to 20: do the big grocery shop for shelf-stable items.
• December 22 to 23: thaw or pick up the main dish, and prep sides.
• December 24: set the table, wrap the last gifts and rest. For the evening itself, try a few simple Christmas Eve traditions.

Our Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) keeps each person's budget, gift ideas and what you spent in one place. It also has card, menu and to-do pages. If you are hosting, the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly menu and a grocery list sorted by aisle. If your family celebrates on December 23, mark Christmas Eve Eve on the calendar before scheduling the final holiday errands.

Year-end money tasks for December

December is the last chance to tidy up the year's money before January starts. Use the planner page to note each one:

1. Pay December bills early. Holiday travel and mail delays can make late payments more likely.
2. Track holiday spending. Write down what you spend each week, so January bills hold no surprises.
3. Review the year. Add up what you spent on gifts, food and travel. Use that number to plan next year.
4. Check deadlines at work. Some benefits, like flexible spending accounts, have year-end rules. Check your plan's dates.
5. Set one or two goals for January. Write them on the calendar's last row, so they are ready on January 1.

Our guide on how to make a budget for the new year walks through the January reset step by step.

December 2026 week by week

Each week of December has its own job. Seeing them side by side makes the month feel smaller.

Write the focus for each week in the margin of your calendar. On each Sunday, glance at the next row and move anything that won't fit.

A countdown for hosting a holiday meal

If you're cooking for a crowd on December 24 or 25, a short countdown on the calendar takes the pressure off:

1. Three weeks out: confirm the guest count and choose the main dish.
2. Two weeks out: plan the menu and write who is bringing what.
3. Ten days out: order a ham, roast or turkey if you need to reserve one.
4. One week out: buy drinks, paper goods and pantry items.
5. Three days out: buy fresh produce and dairy, and thaw anything frozen in the fridge.
6. The day before: set the table, chill drinks and prep cold sides.

Our Christmas dinner menu planner and the guide on how to cook a ham help with the menu itself.

Winter break, travel and school days off

Most school districts start winter break around December 18 to 21 and return in early January. Check your district's calendar and shade the break days so they stand out. Then fill in who is watching the kids each day, any camps, and any visits from grandparents. If you are traveling, write the departure time, flight or drive plan and the packing day on the calendar. A packed car or bag the night before beats a frantic morning.

Planning the end of break? Our guide when is New Years? has the 2026, 2027 and 2028 dates.

For days at home, plan a few low-cost activities ahead of time: a cookie baking day, a movie night, a walk to see lights, or a puzzle on the table. Our list of Christmas activities has more ideas.

Tax and benefit deadlines on December 31

December is also the last month of the tax and benefits year. A few dates worth writing on the calendar:

• Flexible spending account deadlines. Many FSA plans end on December 31. Check your plan and book any eye exams or refills before then.
• Charitable gifts. Donations count for 2026 taxes only if they're made by December 31. Keep the receipts in one folder.
• Retirement contributions. Workplace 401(k) contributions for 2026 must come out of a paycheck by the end of the year, so check your last pay date.
• Subscriptions and renewals. Note any annual renewals that hit in January, so you can cancel the ones you don't use.

Put these on the planner page under year-end to-do. Then the last week of the year is for rest, not paperwork.

Planning the December grocery budget

Holiday food often costs more than gifts. Before the month starts, write a food budget for each big event: a cookie exchange, a school party, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Then plan simple, low-cost dinners for the other nights, like soup, pasta and leftovers. Our Christmas week meal plan has a full week of ideas.

Who uses a December 2026 calendar

Families hang it on the fridge so everyone sees the parties, concerts and visits. Hosts use the planner page as their single list for guests and food. Students track finals and the first day of break. Small business owners mark holiday hours, the last shipping day and year-end paperwork. Caregivers use it to plan holiday visits and medicine refills before pharmacies change their hours.

Tips for keeping the month on track

• Use one color per person, so you can see at a glance who is busy.
• Write money next to plans. A party that needs a gift or a dish costs money, so note it.
• Leave white space. Keep at least one evening a week blank on purpose.
• Pin the gift list nearby. Cross things off as they arrive, so nothing gets bought twice.

If you want everything in one place, the Household Binder ($6.99) includes calendars, meal and grocery pages, cleaning lists, bill pages, family info and an emergency plan.

December calendar printable: getting the most from it

If you need a December calendar for the busiest month of the year, the December calendar printable on this page is dated for 2026 with the month's holidays marked. It includes a Sunday-start page, a Monday-start page and a December planner page with a holiday budget, a gift list, holiday meals and a year-end to-do list.

Fill in the fixed dates first: school breaks, work parties, travel days and the day you're hosting. Then work backward from each event and write the prep tasks on earlier days, so the last week isn't crowded. Keep the planner page next to the calendar so the gift list and the holiday budget stay in one place.

December calendar 2026: the dates in one place

December 2026 starts on a Tuesday and has 31 days. Christmas Day is Friday, December 25, and New Year's Eve is Thursday, December 31, so the last full weekend before Christmas is December 19 and 20. The December calendar 2026 printable on this page marks the holidays and key dates listed above, so you can fill in parties, school breaks and travel around them.

Print the Sunday-start page for the family and the planner page for the gift list and holiday budget. When January comes, our January 2027 calendar uses the same layout.

More free calendars and holiday planners

Need more months? Our November 2026 calendar covers Thanksgiving month, and the free January 2027 calendar is ready for the new year. The 2027 calendar has every month of next year. For the holidays, see our Christmas planning checklist, the Christmas budget planner and the holiday calendar for a season-long timeline.

Looking further ahead? The free February 2027 calendar is ready too, with Presidents' Day marked and a tax prep checklist.

For the full year at a glance, see the 2026 holidays list, with each federal holiday, its observed day off and the long weekends to plan around.