Sts. Adam and Eve, December 24
On Christmas Eve, the Eastern Churches and many medieval Western calendars remembered Adam and Eve, the first parents in the Book of Genesis. Medieval “paradise plays” performed on this day used an evergreen hung with apples, one origin of the Christmas tree. The day is the vigil of the Nativity.
December 24 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saints Adam and Eve, our first parents on this date.
Name days on December 24
In countries that keep name days, December 24 is the day for people named Adam, Eve, and Eva. These names come from the same saint, as variants, nicknames or forms used in other languages.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Adam | December 24 |
| Eve | December 24 |
| Eva | December 24 |
December 24 on the calendar
December 24 is the 358th day of the year (the 359th in a leap year), with 7 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday |
| 2027 | Friday |
| 2028 | Sunday |
| 2029 | Monday |
| 2030 | Tuesday |
Keeping December 24
December 24 falls in the last days of Advent. Since the general calendar has no celebration that day, the Mass is usually that of the weekday of the season, and the saint may be remembered in local calendars or in personal prayer. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Adam, Eve, and Eva, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around December 24
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| December 21 | St. Peter Canisius |
| December 22 | St. Frances Xavier Cabrini |
| December 23 | St. John of Kanty |
| December 25 | Christmas |
| December 26 | St. Stephen |
| December 27 | St. John the Apostle |
The day before, December 23, is the day of St. John of Kanty. The day after, December 25, belongs to Christmas. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.