What it is
Christmas Eve is a day of travel, last-minute shopping and family gatherings. Many churches hold evening services.
Is it a day off?
It is not a federal holiday. It becomes the observed Christmas holiday only when December 25 is a Saturday, which happens in 2027.
Presidents have closed federal offices on Christmas Eve by executive order in several years. Many private employers give a half or full day, and the stock market usually closes early at 1 p.m. Eastern.
History
Federal workers have received Christmas Eve off by executive order in a number of recent years, usually when it falls on a Monday or Friday next to a weekend.