The year-end holiday season is upon us, and millions of Americans will be celebrating Christmas Day, a major U.S. holiday. Christmas Day in 2025 takes place on Thursday, December 25. 

While many Americans will be celebrating at home with family and friends, others will be traveling abroad. It’s projected to be a busy holiday travel season, with a record number of people expected to travel, according to AAA. 

Here’s what’s open and closed on Christmas Day 2025.

Photo by Rudy Sulgan on Getty Images

What’s open on Christmas Day 2025?

Christmas Day is a national holiday, but some businesses will remain open. Companies that sell online, like Amazon and Walmart, will have their websites and apps open for transactions. In many cases, there will be post-Christmas Boxing Day specials and deals.

Fast-food and convenience store chains

Fast-food operators, such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King, will have many of their stores open. Diners and restaurants in local areas may be open on limited hours, so it’s best to call ahead to check.

People who wait until the last minute to cook or bake will likely find that their neighborhood supermarket is closed, though convenience stores such as 7-11 will be open. Some Safeways may be open on limited holiday hours.  

Major movie theater chains

Going out to watch movies is a popular way for some to spend Christmas, and many Hollywood studios use the holiday for year-end releases and to promote popular films to boost ticket sales. Major movie theater chains such as AMC Theaters, Regal Cinemas, and Alamo Drafthouse will be open.

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Public transportation

Mass transit in most major metropolitan areas will be accessible, although buses and trains may be running less frequently due to holiday schedules.

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What’s closed on Christmas Day?

Christmas is one of the few holidays when many businesses are closed to give workers a day off. Banks, government offices, and public services such as libraries and USPS will be closed.  

Financial markets

The stock and bond markets will be closed on Christmas, and there is a half-day of trading the day before, on Christmas Eve. The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Markets will end trading on Christmas Eve at 1 p.m. E.T. and will close on Christmas. 

The bond market will also close early on Christmas Eve at 2 p.m., and there’ll be no trading on Christmas, according to TheStreet. Currency markets will be closed on Christmas since many countries will also halt trading for that day.

Related: Is the stock market open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2025?

Major grocery chains

Large grocery chains, including Kroger, Whole Foods, and Wegmans will be closed.

Major retail chains

Large retailers with stores across the country will be closed. Target, Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, and Best Buy are among the big retailers that will be closed. But many will be open the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day, when retailers offer specials and discounts on items to boost their year-end revenue.

National parks 

Visitors’ centers at National parks and monuments will be closed on Christmas, although hiking trails may remain accessible.

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Christmas Day & travel: Info from AAA

The weeks before, during, and after Christmas are a major time for holiday travel for many Americans. According to AAA, this Christmas season is likely to be a period of record travel. 

AAA projects 122.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Christmas holiday period from December 20 to January 1, up 2.2% from the same period in 2024. Of that forecasted number, 109.5 million people will travel by car—accounting for almost 90% of travelers—while 8.03 million will travel by air, and 4.9 million will travel by bus, train, or cruise. 

The top five Christmas travel destinations within the U.S. are cities in Florida, California, and Hawaii: Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, the Anaheim/Los Angeles area, and Honolulu. 

Outside the U.S., the top five Christmas destinations are also in warmer-climate areas: Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Cozumel, Mexico; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 

A short history of Christmas Day in the United States

Christmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated by Christians to recognize the birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago, designated by Pope Julius I to align with extant pagan holidays like Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. It’s also celebrated as a secular holiday in the U.S., marked by year-end festivities like gift-giving, family dining, and visits to seasonal attractions like light displays at zoos and botanical gardens. 

In the formative years of colonization in America, some religious groups, such as the Puritans, seeking religious freedom from persecution, opposed the celebration of Christmas due to its Catholic origins. But by the 19th century, as more immigrants from different cultural backgrounds poured into the U.S., Christmas turned into a secular celebration. Some states made Christmas a state holiday, but it wouldn’t be until after the Civil War that it became a federal holiday.

In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law granting paid time-off to federal workers in the District of Columbia on Christmas Day and three other days—New Year’s Day (January 1), Independence Day (July 4), and Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November). The institution of other federal holidays would follow in subsequent years.

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