Are Banks Open on Christmas Eve 2026?
Yes. Banks are open on Thursday, December 24, and some close early. They are closed on Christmas Day.
Immediate Answer
Yes. Banks are open on Christmas Eve, and some close their branches early.
Christmas Eve is not a federal holiday. The Federal Reserve is open, so ACH, Fedwire and check clearing run normally and direct deposits arrive on time. Branches open at their usual time; Truist branches close at 2 PM and Huntington branches at noon. Banks are closed on Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, and do not reopen until Monday, December 28.
Federal Reserve
Open. ACH, Fedwire and check clearing run normally.
Bank Branches
Open; some close early (Truist 2 PM, Huntington noon). Next open day: Monday, Dec 28.
Stock Market
Open with an early close at 1 PM ET. Closed on Christmas Day.
🕑 Last verified: November 2026
Major Bank Status: Christmas Eve and Christmas 2026§
No major U.S. bank lists Christmas Eve as a closed holiday. Wells Fargo lists the 11 federal holidays as its branch closures and notes that 'some locations may have reduced hours around the holidays (for example: Christmas Eve).' TD Bank's 2026 schedule lists Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, as closed. Two large banks have already published 2026 early closes: Truist (branches close at 2 PM) and Huntington (noon local time). For other banks, check your branch page closer to the date.
| Bank | Thursday, Dec 24 | Friday, Dec 25 |
|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase | Open — early close possible; check branch | Closed |
| Bank of America* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| Wells Fargo | Open — early close possible; check branch | Closed |
| Citibank* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| U.S. Bank* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| PNC Bank* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| Truist | Open — branches close at 2 PM | Closed |
| Capital One* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| TD Bank | Open — early close possible; check branch | Closed |
| Huntington Bank | Open — branches close at noon local time | Closed |
| Regions Bank | Open — early close possible; check branch | Closed |
| Citizens Bank* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| Fifth Third Bank* | Open — early close possible; check branch | Expected closed |
| KeyBank | Open — early close possible; check branch | Closed |
| M&T Bank | Open — early close possible; check branch | Closed |
Confirmed on each bank's own 2026 holiday schedule: Chase, Wells Fargo, Truist, TD Bank, Huntington, Regions, KeyBank and M&T. *We could not load a 2026 holiday list on the bank's own website for the banks marked with an asterisk, so confirm with your branch.
How Early Do Banks Close on Christmas Eve?§
Early closes are set by each bank, and sometimes by each branch. For 2026, Truist says its banking offices close at 2 PM and Huntington says all branches close at 12:00 PM local time. For the banks that have not announced 2026 hours, last year is a guide: on Christmas Eve 2025, news reports quoted Bank of America saying its financial centers would close at 2 PM local time and Chase saying its branches would be open until 1 PM.
Some banks have already published their 2026 schedules. Busey Bank says all locations will close at noon on Thursday, December 24, Bank Midwest lists a 1 PM close, and MA Bank lists a noon close. We will update this page as other large banks announce their hours.
Plan to finish any branch visit by late morning.
What Works When Branches Close Early§
After your branch closes on Christmas Eve, and all day on Christmas, most everyday banking still works:
Waits for the next business day
- ACH transfers and bill payments sent after the cut-off
- Wire transfers after the cut-off
- Checks deposited after the cut-off
- Cashier's checks, notary services and safe deposit boxes
- Account openings and loan closings that need a banker
Instant payments through the Federal Reserve's FedNow Service and the RTP network run 24 hours a day, every day, including Christmas, if your bank offers them.
How to Check Your Branch's Christmas Eve Hours§
Because early closes can differ from branch to branch, the most reliable source is your bank itself. Many banks show holiday hours on each branch's page in their online locator.
- Branch locator: search for your branch on your bank's website and look for a holiday hours note for December 24.
- Mobile app or online banking: many banks post holiday notices on the sign-in page.
- Phone: call the branch directly.
- Map apps: treat holiday hours on map apps with caution — they may not reflect holiday changes.
For bank-by-bank regular hours, see our pages for Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and all U.S. banks.
Why Banks Open on Christmas Eve§
Banks close when the Federal Reserve closes, because most payments between banks settle through the Fed. The Federal Reserve's holiday schedule follows the federal holidays set in 5 U.S.C. 6103. Christmas Day is on that list; Christmas Eve is not.
That means December 24 is a full settlement day. Payments sent before the cut-off settle the same day, and employers, billers and the government can pay on Christmas Eve.
In 2026 the timing is especially tight. Christmas falls on a Friday, so Christmas Eve is the last business day of the week, and the next one is Monday, December 28. Anything that needs a bank — a wire, a cashier's check, a large cash deposit, a loan payoff — should be done by Thursday morning, or it waits four days. If you are traveling for the holidays, remember that mobile deposit and online transfers work from anywhere, but a teller visit does not.
What If the President Gives Federal Workers Christmas Eve Off?§
Presidents have closed federal agencies on Christmas Eve by executive order in several years, including 2024 and 2025. In 2025 the order closed agencies on Wednesday, December 24 and Friday, December 26.
These orders apply to federal employees. They do not add a holiday to the Federal Reserve's published schedule, and in 2025 banks still opened on Christmas Eve, according to news reports at the time. If an order is issued for 2026, expect federal offices to close while banks keep their announced holiday hours. We will update this page if that happens.
Payment Systems on Christmas Eve§
| System | Thursday, December 24 |
|---|---|
| Federal Reserve Banks | Open — normal business day |
| Fedwire (wire transfers) | Open — normal hours |
| ACH (direct deposit, bill pay) | Processing normally |
| FedNow and RTP instant payments | Available 24/7 |
| NYSE and Nasdaq | Open — early close 1:00 PM ET |
| U.S. bond market | Early close 2:00 PM ET (SIFMA) |
| ATMs, cards and mobile banking | Available 24/7 |
The NYSE holidays and trading hours page lists the 1:00 PM ET early close on December 24, 2026 and the full closure on December 25. The FINRA holiday schedule shows the same dates. For the bond market, see the SIFMA holiday schedule.
Christmas and New Year Banking Calendar§
| Day | Banks | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Dec 23 | Open | Normal business day. |
| Thursday, Dec 24 | Open | Christmas Eve. Some banks close early. Stocks close 1 PM ET, bonds 2 PM ET. |
| Friday, Dec 25 | Closed | Christmas Day. Fed, banks and markets closed. |
| Saturday, Dec 26 | Weekend | No settlement. |
| Sunday, Dec 27 | Weekend | No settlement. |
| Monday, Dec 28 | Open | Normal business day. |
| Tuesday to Thursday, Dec 29-31 | Open | Last three business days of 2026. |
| Friday, Jan 1, 2027 | Closed | New Year's Day. |
Between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day there are four business days: Thursday, December 24 and Monday to Thursday, December 28-31. For the closure itself, see our Christmas Day bank guide, and for January, the New Year's Day guide.
Check Deposits Over Christmas§
Under the Federal Reserve's Regulation CC, banks count only business days when they hold deposited checks. Christmas Day and the weekend are not business days, so the next business day after Christmas Eve is Monday, December 28.
- Deposited Thursday before the cut-off: counts as a Thursday deposit. The first $275 is usually available Monday, December 28, and most of the rest by Tuesday, December 29.
- Deposited Thursday after the cut-off, or Friday to Sunday: counts as a Monday deposit. The first $275 is usually available Tuesday, December 29.
- Large deposits: banks can hold amounts over $6,725 in a day longer, which can push year-end money into January.
- Holiday gift checks: deposit them by mobile as soon as you get them; they will be processed on the next business day.
Your bank's funds availability policy may be faster than these minimums. The CFPB explains check holds and your rights if a hold seems too long.
Payroll, Direct Deposit and Benefits§
Payroll scheduled for Friday, December 25 cannot settle that day. Employers paying by direct deposit need to pay on Thursday, December 24 instead, which means submitting payroll a business day earlier than usual — by Tuesday, December 22 for 2-day ACH, or Wednesday, December 23 for next-day ACH. Check the exact cut-off in your payroll provider's holiday calendar.
Government payments are scheduled around the holiday. According to the Social Security Administration's 2026 schedule, December's Wednesday payments go out on December 9, 16 and 23, and January 2027 SSI payments arrive early, on Thursday, December 31, because January 1 is a holiday. See our full Social Security payment schedule.
Friday payday
Expect your direct deposit on Thursday, December 24. Some banks post it earlier if they receive the payment file early.
Thursday payday
Arrives on Christmas Eve as usual.
Bonus payments
Year-end bonuses paid on Christmas Eve count as 2026 income. Ask your employer about the pay date if timing matters for taxes.
Early direct deposit
Banks that release pay early do so when they receive the file; holiday weeks can shift the timing. See banks with early direct deposit.
Credit Card, Loan and Bill Due Dates§
Due Thursday, December 24
Christmas Eve is a business day. Pay by your issuer's cut-off time that day; there is no extension.
Due Friday, December 25
Under Regulation Z, section 1026.10, if your card issuer does not accept payments on the due date, a payment received by the next business day — Monday, December 28 — is on time.
Mortgages and loans
Check your loan agreement for what happens when a due date falls on a holiday and how long any grace period is.
Autopay
Autopay scheduled for Christmas Day may run on Thursday or Monday, depending on the biller. Keep enough in your account for both possibilities.
Stock Market and Year-End Investing§
Stocks trade until 1:00 PM ET on Christmas Eve and markets are closed on Christmas Day. Most U.S. stock trades settle one business day after the trade (T+1), so a trade on Thursday, December 24 settles on Monday, December 28.
December 31, 2026 is a full trading day. For tax purposes, a stock sale counts in the year of the trade date, so a sale on December 31 counts for 2026 even though it settles on Monday, January 4, 2027. Cash you need to move out of a brokerage account before the end of the year should be requested by about December 29 to allow for ACH timing.
Year-End Money Deadlines§
Christmas week is also the last chance for several year-end deadlines. Because December 31 is a Thursday and a business day, you have until then for most of them — but leave room for holiday processing.
- Charitable donations: gifts charged to a credit card or mailed with a postmark by December 31 generally count for 2026. See IRS Publication 526 or a tax professional.
- Required minimum distributions: if you must take one for 2026, ask your account custodian for its deadline; many need the request before December 31.
- Business payments: if you want an expense paid in 2026, send it by December 30 so it settles in time.
- Flexible spending accounts: check your plan's deadline for using 2026 funds.
Sending Money as a Gift§
A few things are worth knowing before you send or receive money as a gift:
- Zelle and similar apps usually move money within minutes between enrolled users, including on Christmas Day. Payments are hard to reverse, so double-check the recipient's phone number or email.
- Cashier's checks need a teller, so get them by Christmas Eve morning at the latest.
- Paper checks given as gifts can be deposited by mobile right away, but they are processed on the next business day, Monday, December 28.
- Gift cards are a common scam payment. No legitimate business or government agency asks to be paid in gift cards. The FTC explains how to avoid scams.
- Cash from an ATM is subject to daily withdrawal limits. If you need more than your usual limit for the holiday weekend, ask your bank to raise it before Christmas Eve.
For Businesses: Christmas Eve Cash and Card Sales§
After Christmas Eve there is a three-day break before banks process deposits again.
Cash deposits
Deposit cash at a teller before your branch's early close for same-day credit. A night deposit made after the close on Thursday is usually processed Monday, December 28.
Card settlements
Card processors fund on business days, so sales from Thursday evening through Sunday are funded after the weekend.
Payroll
Submit payroll for a Christmas Eve pay date one business day earlier than usual. Your provider will publish exact holiday cut-offs.
Vendor payments
If you want a payment counted in 2026, send it by Wednesday, December 30 so it settles by December 31.
Common Christmas Eve Banking Mistakes§
- Arriving in the afternoon. Huntington branches close at noon and Truist at 2 PM. Go in the morning.
- Waiting until Christmas Eve for a cashier's check. Get it on Wednesday, December 23, when branches keep normal hours.
- Forgetting the long weekend. After Thursday's cut-off, nothing settles until Monday, December 28.
- Assuming the bills due on Christmas Eve get extra time. Christmas Eve is a business day; only bills due on Christmas Day get the next-business-day rule.
- Leaving year-end payments to December 31. It is a business day, but payments sent late in the day may not settle until January 4, 2027.
Post Offices and Government Offices§
Christmas Eve is not a postal holiday, so the Postal Service operates. Post offices are closed on Christmas Day with no regular mail delivery. If you are mailing a payment that must arrive by a deadline, mail it early in the week.
Federal agencies are open on Christmas Eve unless the President closes them by executive order, and the OPM federal holiday list shows Friday, December 25 as the holiday. State and local government offices set their own schedules. For example, Indiana, North Carolina and Oklahoma close state offices on Thursday, December 24, 2026.
Christmas Eve Banking Checklist§
- This week: check your branch's Christmas Eve hours on your bank's website or app.
- By Tuesday, December 22: submit payroll for a December 24 pay date if your provider uses 2-day ACH.
- Wednesday, December 23: the last normal-hours day before Christmas — the best day for a teller, a cashier's check or a notary.
- Thursday morning, December 24: send wires and deposit checks before the cut-off. Get cash for the long weekend.
- Friday, December 25: banks closed. ATMs, cards and mobile banking work. Mobile deposits count as Monday.
- Monday, December 28: confirm that holiday deposits and payments posted.
- By Thursday, December 31: finish anything that must happen in 2026.
Christmas Eve and the Federal Holiday Calendar§
Christmas Day has been a federal holiday since 1870, when Congress made it one of the first four federal holidays along with New Year's Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Christmas Eve has never been added, so it stays a regular business day for the Federal Reserve and for banks.
Because many people take the day off anyway, the government and markets treat it as a half day in practice. Stock exchanges and the bond market close early, federal agencies have sometimes been closed by executive order, and some banks, including Truist and Huntington, close branches early.
Countries Where Christmas Eve Is a Bank Holiday§
In the United States, Christmas Eve is a normal business day for banks. In several other countries it is a bank holiday. Our holiday data lists December 24, 2026 as a bank closure in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and the Philippines.
If you are sending an international wire before Christmas, a closure at the receiving bank can delay it even when U.S. banks are open. Send international payments by December 22 or 23 to be safe.
Christmas Eve in Future Years§
Christmas Eve itself is never a federal holiday, but in some years it is the day Christmas is observed.
2027 — Friday, December 24
Christmas falls on Saturday, so the federal holiday is observed on Friday, December 24. Stock markets are closed. The Federal Reserve does not close on the Friday before a Saturday holiday, so some banks may open — we will publish the 2027 details.
2028 — Sunday, December 24
Christmas is Monday, December 25. Banks closed Monday.
2029 — Monday, December 24
Banks open; check for early-close announcements. Christmas is Tuesday.
2030 — Tuesday, December 24
Banks open; check for early-close announcements. Christmas is Wednesday.
Next: New Year's Eve and New Year's Day§
New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2026, is a business day. The stock market keeps normal hours, and SIFMA recommends a 2:00 PM ET early close for the bond market. New Year's Day, Friday, January 1, 2027, is a federal holiday: banks, the Federal Reserve and markets are closed, and the weekend follows. A check deposited after the cut-off on December 31 counts as a Monday, January 4 deposit. See our New Year's Day bank guide.
Frequently Asked Questions§
Are banks open on Christmas Eve 2026?
Yes. Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2026, is not a federal holiday. The Federal Reserve, ACH and Fedwire are open and banks open their branches. Some close early: Truist branches at 2 PM and Huntington branches at noon local time. Banks are closed the next day, Friday, December 25, for Christmas.
What time do banks close on Christmas Eve?
There is no single closing time. For 2026, Truist branches close at 2 PM and Huntington branches at noon local time. In 2025, news reports quoted Bank of America closing at 2 PM and Chase at 1 PM. Some smaller banks have published 2026 hours with a noon or 1 PM close. Check your branch before you go.
Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday?
No. Christmas Eve is not one of the 11 federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103. Presidents have given federal employees the day off by executive order in several years, most recently in 2024 and 2025, but that closes federal agencies, not banks.
Is the Federal Reserve open on Christmas Eve?
Yes. December 24 is not on the Federal Reserve's holiday schedule, so ACH, Fedwire and check clearing run normally. The Fed is closed on Christmas Day, Friday, December 25.
Is the stock market open on Christmas Eve 2026?
Yes, with shortened hours. The NYSE and Nasdaq close early at 1:00 PM ET on Thursday, December 24, 2026, and are closed on Friday, December 25. SIFMA recommends a 2:00 PM ET early close for the bond market on Christmas Eve.
Will my direct deposit arrive before Christmas?
If your normal payday is Friday, December 25, your employer needs to pay on Thursday, December 24 instead, because Christmas is not a business day. If your payday is Thursday, your deposit should arrive as usual. If it is missing on Thursday, contact your employer before the holiday.
When will a check I deposit on Christmas Eve be available?
A check deposited before your bank's cut-off on Thursday, December 24 counts as a Thursday deposit. Because Friday is Christmas and the weekend follows, the next business day is Monday, December 28, when the first $275 is usually available. Deposits made after the cut-off count as Monday deposits.
Can I send a wire transfer on Christmas Eve?
Yes. Fedwire is open, but send it early. If your branch closes at noon or 1 PM, use online banking if your bank allows it, and submit before the bank's wire cut-off. A wire that misses Thursday's cut-off goes out on Monday, December 28.
What if my credit card payment is due on Christmas Day?
Under Regulation Z, if your card issuer does not accept payments on the due date, a payment received by the next business day is on time. For a December 25, 2026 due date, that is Monday, December 28. A payment due on Christmas Eve, a business day, is due that day.
Are banks open the day after Christmas 2026?
December 26, 2026 is a Saturday, so branches with Saturday hours open but no payments settle until Monday, December 28. Banks are fully open again on Monday.
When does Social Security pay in late December 2026?
December's Wednesday payments go out on December 9, 16 and 23, all before Christmas. Because January 1, 2027 is a holiday, January SSI payments arrive early, on Thursday, December 31, 2026.
What is the last banking day of 2026?
Thursday, December 31, 2026. It is a normal business day for the Federal Reserve and the stock market. New Year's Day, Friday, January 1, 2027, is a federal holiday, so anything that must be completed in 2026 has to settle by December 31.
Authoritative Sources§
- Federal Reserve Holiday Schedule — Christmas Eve NOT listed.
- FINRA Operating Schedule — Early close 1 PM.
- SIFMA Holiday Recommendations — Bond market 2 PM ET early close.
Don't Wait Until After Christmas
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