It is not automatically illegal everywhere to sell alcohol on Christmas, but in many places it is restricted or banned, especially in parts of the United States and other countries that still enforce holiday or “blue law” style rules. Whether it is legal for you depends entirely on your country, state/province, and even county or city.

Key point in plain language

  • In some regions, selling alcohol on Christmas is completely banned for certain businesses (for example, some U.S. states prohibit all retail liquor sales on December 25).
  • In others, only specific types of sales are restricted (for example, retail liquor stores closed, but bars and restaurants can still serve drinks).
  • A number of places have no Christmas‑specific alcohol law at all, leaving it up to normal licensing rules or store policies.

How the rules usually work

  • By level of government:
    • In the U.S., there is no federal rule banning Christmas alcohol sales; states and local governments set the rules.
* Similar patterns exist in other countries, where national law sets a framework but local rules or licensing conditions determine holiday openings.
  • By type of business:
    • “Off‑premise” (take‑home) sales like liquor stores and supermarkets are the most likely to be forced to close or stop alcohol sales on Christmas.
* “On‑premise” sellers like bars, hotels, and restaurants are often allowed to keep serving, even where shops cannot sell bottles to go.

Examples from the United States

  • Some states (or state‑run store systems) require liquor stores to close on Christmas, even if bars can still serve alcohol.
  • A group of roughly two dozen states has, or has recently had, specific bans or heavy limits on Christmas Day alcohol sales, often rooted in older religious or Prohibition‑era laws.
  • In contrast, a number of states (for example, several on the West Coast) allow normal alcohol sales on December 25, leaving it up to business owners whether to open.

If you are asking for your own situation

  • Check:
    • Your national law (if outside the U.S.), or your state/provincial alcohol authority (if inside the U.S. or similar federal systems).
* Local **city/county by‑laws** and your alcohol **license conditions** , which may add their own Christmas‑specific restrictions or opening‑hour limits.
  • When in doubt, the safest course for a business is to confirm in writing with the licensing or alcohol control agency before planning Christmas Day sales.

Meta description (SEO‑style):
Wondering “is it illegal to sell alcohol on Christmas”? Laws vary widely by country, state, and even city: some ban retail liquor sales on December 25, others only limit hours, and many allow normal sales under standard licenses.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.