Is UPS running on Christmas Eve?
UPS · Christmas Eve
Varies
It depends on direction — UPS delivers on Christmas Eve, but there's no Ground pickup.
Christmas Eve is a split day, and which half you're asking about decides the answer. Deliveries run for every service, Ground and Air alike, so packages do arrive on December 24 — it's one of the biggest delivery days on the calendar.
Pickup is the other half, and it's mostly stopped. There is no Ground pickup on Christmas Eve, and Air pickup runs only where it has been arranged with UPS in advance. In practice December 24 is a day for receiving rather than shipping: if something has to leave, the arrangement needs to be made before the day arrives.
| Holiday | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve | Thursday, December 24, 2026 | Modified Deliveries run for all services; no Ground pickup — Air pickup only if prearranged. |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25, 2026 | Closed UPS holiday — no pickup or delivery on Christmas. |
UPS hasn't published its 2027 holiday schedule yet — this page updates when it posts.
What else on Christmas Eve?
| Who | Status |
|---|---|
| Banks | Open Yes — banks are open on Christmas Eve, though some branches close early. |
| Mail & the Post Office | Open Yes — mail is delivered on Christmas Eve, though some post office lobbies close early. |
| The Stock Market | Early close Yes — but it's a half day: when December 24 is a trading day, the stock market closes at 1pm ET. |
| FedEx | Varies Yes — FedEx delivers on Christmas Eve, with Ground pickups modified. |
| Federal Offices | Varies It depends — December 24 is normally a regular workday for federal offices, but in some years it isn't. |
| Schools | Closed No — December 24 falls inside winter break in nearly every district. |
Questions people ask
Is The UPS Store open on Christmas Eve?
Each store decides. The UPS Store locations are independently owned franchises, so holiday hours are set store by store rather than by UPS — many close early on December 24 and some close for the day. The individual store's listing is the only reliable answer.
Can I ship a package on Christmas Eve?
Ground pickup isn't running, so a Ground package generally waits for the next business day. Air pickup happens only if it was arranged with UPS ahead of time. Deliveries, going the other direction, run for all services.
Checked against the UPS holiday schedule, verified August 2026. When a schedule for a new year has not been published yet, this page says so — it never guesses.