Christmas Day in Wallis & Futuna
Christmas Day falls on December 25 and is listed as a public holiday in Wallis and Futuna. The territory’s official tourism guide identifies Christmas as a major religious festival marked by processions and special Masses.[1][2]
A public holiday in the territory
Wallis and Futuna’s administration sets out public holidays in an annual order. Its 2025 order classified Christmas among the territory’s “fêtes légales et nationales” and described the listed holidays as “jours fériés, chômés et payés”—public holidays that are not worked and are paid. This establishes Christmas Day’s official holiday status, though the order does not give a detailed account of how every workplace or service operates.[1]
Christmas is observed on December 25. The annual order confirms Christmas as a holiday for 2025 but does not set a general substitute-day rule.[1]
A major Catholic celebration
Christmas marks the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. In Wallis and Futuna, it is part of a strong local Catholic tradition: the territory’s tourism guide says Catholic faith has a fundamental place in daily life and specifically lists Christmas among the major religious festivals.[2][3]
The history of Catholicism in the territory goes back to the arrival of the first Catholic missionaries in Wallis in 1837. The tourism guide records that the missionaries began work in Wallis and that Father Chanel established a mission in Futuna. This history helps explain the local roots of Christmas as a religious observance, alongside the holiday’s place in the territory’s official calendar.[2]
Church services and local traditions
The tourism guide says that Christmas, like other major religious festivals, is celebrated with processions and special Masses. Check locally for service times and arrangements. Wallis has the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Mata’Utu, while Futuna has the Basilica at Poï and other churches and chapels.[2]
The same guide describes a broader local pattern for significant occasions and feast days: Mass may be followed by a katoaga, a sharing of gifts, and traditional dances. It also explains that a katoaga can involve gifts shared around customary chiefs. These details provide context for the territory’s religious and customary life, but the guide does not say that every Christmas celebration includes a katoaga, kava ceremony, or communal feast.[2]
Planning around the holiday
Christmas is a paid non-working public holiday for those covered by the official order. Check with specific shops, banks, post offices, schools and transport services before making plans.[1]
For local religious events, the tourism guide points readers to the territory’s separate Wallis and Futuna festivals calendar. Because it lists events by island, travelers can consult it for information relevant to Wallis or Futuna rather than assume that every observance is identical across both islands.[2]
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas Day in Wallis and Futuna?
It is observed on December 25. The territory’s 2025 official holiday order lists Christmas on that date.[1]
Is Christmas Day a day off?
The administration’s annual order lists Christmas among the public holidays designated as not worked and paid. The order does not describe every workplace’s arrangements.[1]
Is there a substitute day when Christmas falls on a weekend?
The 2025 order lists Christmas itself and does not set a general weekend substitution rule.[1]
Are shops and public transport open?
Check with individual businesses and transport providers before making plans.
Are there Christmas services on both Wallis and Futuna?
The territory’s tourism guide describes Christmas as a major religious festival with processions and special Masses, and identifies churches on both islands. Check the local parish for service details.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for Christmas Day in Wallis & Futuna:
- Arrêté jours fériés 2025- Les services de l'État et du Territoire à Wallis et Futuna
- Churches- Wallis and Futuna Tourism Office
- Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord or Christmas- Vatican News