How many days until the First Day of Winter 2026?
Updated Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · How we count
The answer
Today is the December solstice
The next one is Monday, December 21, 2026.
Counted from today, Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Today is not included. Your time zone is America/New_York.
As of Wednesday, November 4, 2026, there are 47 days until the December solstice on Monday, December 21, 2026. That is 6 weeks and 5 days, or 1,128 hours.
Tomorrow counts as day one, so the December solstice is day 47. That is 47 sleeps, or 32 weekdays, Monday to Friday.
Today is the December solstice, Monday, December 21, 2026. The countdown for next year starts tomorrow.
On this page
How the count works
Start at tomorrow, stop short of the December solstice, and count what lies between. The answer is 47 days, and today is not part of it.
Sleeps give the same number, because tonight counts as the first sleep. Weekdays are Monday to Friday, and each weekend is counted once by its Saturday. The hours figure runs from the start of today in your time zone.
the First Day of Winter 2026 on the calendar
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
the December solstice in blue. Today is outlined.
the December solstice falls on Monday, December 21, 2026. Today is Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
What day is the First Day of Winter 2026?
the December solstice 2026 falls on a Monday. That gives most people a three-day weekend from Saturday, December 19 to Monday, December 21.
Countdown milestones
Handy waypoints before the December solstice. The card for each shows how many days away it is today.
the First Day of Winter in the next 10 years
The date stays fixed, so the weekday moves forward one day each year. After a leap year it jumps two.
| Year | Weekday | Long weekend? |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Wednesday | Midweek |
| 2028 | Thursday | Midweek |
| 2029 | Friday | Yes, three days |
| 2030 | Saturday | Falls on a weekend |
| 2031 | Monday | Yes, three days |
| 2032 | Tuesday | Midweek |
| 2033 | Wednesday | Midweek |
| 2034 | Thursday | Midweek |
| 2035 | Saturday | Falls on a weekend |
| 2036 | Sunday | Falls on a weekend |
Last the First Day of Winter and next the First Day of Winter
the First Day of Winter around the world
The day does not begin everywhere at once. Choose a city to compare when the December solstice starts there with the start in New York.
For travellers, the date can change in the air. A flight that leaves before the December solstice and lands after it can skip the day or repeat a part of it.
Most of the world sits within a day of your own zone. Only a few places, in the Pacific, are far enough ahead to reach the December solstice a full day early.
About the First Day of Winter
The first day of winter in the north is the December solstice, the shortest day of the year. It falls on December 21 or 22, depending on the year and the time zone.
Knowing the day count to the December solstice makes it easier to compare it with other dates in the year. The links below help you count in other ways.
Planning for the First Day of Winter
Put the key dates in your calendar now. The table above gives some, and you can add your own, such as a booking deadline or a delivery cut-off.
Work days matter if you need to book leave. The tiles show how many weekdays remain before the December solstice, so you know how many you could still take off.
Check the weekday of the December solstice before you plan. A date that falls on a weekend gives more free time than one in the middle of the week.
Use the page as a shared reference. When several people are planning for the December solstice, everyone sees the same figure and the same key dates.
The figures on this page come from the calendar rules for the date. For official closures and holidays, check the source linked on this page or your local notice.
Questions people ask
Does the count include today?
Today is not counted. The number shown is the days that remain after today and before the December solstice.
How many weeks until the First Day of Winter?
the December solstice is 6 weeks and 5 days from today.
Is the count the same everywhere?
Only at midnight. The day number follows your local clock, which means the December solstice arrives in Sydney hours ahead of New York.
How many sleeps until the First Day of Winter?
The answer is 47 sleeps, the same figure as days.
How many hours until the First Day of Winter?
Use 1,128 hours as the whole day figure, counted from the start of today. The countdown above shows the live remainder.
What day of the week is the First Day of Winter 2027?
the First Day of Winter 2027 falls on a Wednesday. The date stays fixed, so the weekday moves forward one day each year. After a leap year it jumps two.
What happens when the countdown reaches zero?
At the start of the December solstice in your zone the countdown stops. The page then marks the day and, a day later, moves on to 2027.