The Answer, With Its Convention Stated
Different sources give slightly different answers to this question, and the difference is almost always about which Sundays get counted. Here's how I'm counting on this page: every Sunday from today's date onward, up through the last Sunday before Christmas Day. That gives 21.
Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, so unlike the Fridays count (where Christmas Day itself is a Friday), there's no ambiguity for Sundays. The last Sunday you'll experience before Christmas is Sunday, December 20, 2026, 5 days before the holiday.
Sundays are the rest-and-reset day of the week for most people, and in the Christmas countdown they take on extra weight: Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so Sundays literally structure how the church season is observed.
Every Remaining Sunday, With Dates
The full list, from the next Sunday through the last Sunday before Christmas:
- 1.Sunday, August 2, 2026
- 2.Sunday, August 9, 2026
- 3.Sunday, August 16, 2026
- 4.Sunday, August 23, 2026
- 5.Sunday, August 30, 2026
- 6.Sunday, September 6, 2026
- 7.Sunday, September 13, 2026
- 8.Sunday, September 20, 2026
- 9.Sunday, September 27, 2026
- 10.Sunday, October 4, 2026
- 11.Sunday, October 11, 2026
- 12.Sunday, October 18, 2026
- 13.Sunday, October 25, 2026
- 14.Sunday, November 1, 2026
- 15.Sunday, November 8, 2026
- 16.Sunday, November 15, 2026
- 17.Sunday, November 22, 2026
- 18.Sunday, November 29, 2026 First Sunday of Advent
- 19.Sunday, December 6, 2026 Second Sunday of Advent
- 20.Sunday, December 13, 2026 Third Sunday of Advent
- 21.Sunday, December 20, 2026 Fourth Sunday of Advent
Why This Number Matters for Planning
Sundays are the rest-and-reset day of the week for most people, and in the Christmas countdown they take on extra weight: Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so Sundays literally structure how the church season is observed.
Advent tradition. Advent 2026 begins on Sunday, November 29 — the fourth Sunday before Christmas. That means Advent covers four Sundays: November 29, December 6, December 13, and December 20.
Family and church routines. For anyone whose weekly rhythm centers on Sunday, 21 Sundays gives you 21 natural planning windows, with Advent starting at the 18th Sunday from today.
Related Counting Questions
How many Sundays are there until Christmas 2026?
There are 21 Mondays until Christmas Day 2026, counted from Monday, August 3, 2026 through Monday, December 21, 2026. Christmas Day itself falls on a Friday.
When is the last Sunday before Christmas 2026?
The last Monday before Christmas Day 2026 is Monday, December 21, 2026, exactly four days before Christmas.
What day of the week is Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday. That's why the Mondays count ends on December 21, four days before the holiday itself.
How many weeks is 21 Sundays?
Twenty-one Mondays gives you 21 working weeks between now and Christmas Day 2026. For the exact weeks-and-days figure, see how many weeks until Christmas.