Orthodox Christmas Day 2026 in Israel

Many Orthodox Christians annually celebrate Christmas Day on or near January 7 to remember Jesus Christ’s birth, described in the Christian Bible. This date works to the Julian calendar that pre-dates the Gregorian calendar, which is commonly observed.

Is Orthodox Christmas Day a Public Holiday?

While government and private businesses are open on this day, non-Jewish employees and businesses may take the day off to observe their religious holy day.

About Orthodox Christmas Day

Note: Israeli labor law grants non-Jewish employees the option to observe their own religious holidays rather than the national Jewish holidays. Certain employers, collective agreements, or workplace policies may also permit employees of all faiths to take up to two elective leave days per calendar year, in addition to their statutory annual vacation entitlement.

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.