American Christmas Traditions and Customs: How Americans Celebrate Christmas
September 28, 2026
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On December 25, most of America goes quiet. Malls are closed, offices are dark and many restaurants give their staff the day off. Yet in cities and suburbs across the country, one kind of restaurant is often busier than on almost any other day of the year: the neighborhood Chinese place. Finding Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day has become a tradition in its own right, especially for Jewish American families, for people who do not celebrate Christmas and for anyone who simply does not want to cook.
This guide covers both sides of the question. First, the practical part: how to find Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day near you, which chains usually open, and how to avoid long waits and sold-out menus. Then the interesting part: how Chinese food on Christmas became an American tradition, and why it has lasted for well over a century.
In most US cities, yes. Many independent, family-owned Chinese restaurants stay open on Christmas Day, and a good number of them treat it as one of their biggest days of the year. The exact picture depends on where you live.
Hours at Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day can differ from normal. Some restaurants open late morning and close early in the evening, others stay open late because demand is so high. The only safe approach is to confirm the day’s hours before you go.
A few quick steps will save you from driving to a dark restaurant.
Because so many people have the same idea, the best Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day often book out days in advance. If a restaurant takes reservations, book a week ahead. If it does not, arrive early, eat at an off-peak time such as mid-afternoon, or order takeout.
If you live in or are visiting a big city, these neighborhoods are the most reliable places to find Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day. Individual restaurants change their plans each year, so use these areas as a starting point and confirm hours with the restaurant.
| City | Neighborhoods to check |
|---|---|
| New York City | Manhattan Chinatown, Flushing (Queens), Sunset Park (Brooklyn) |
| San Francisco Bay Area | Chinatown, the Richmond and Sunset districts, Millbrae, Cupertino |
| Los Angeles | San Gabriel Valley (Alhambra, San Gabriel, Arcadia, Monterey Park), Chinatown |
| Chicago | Chinatown around Wentworth Avenue and Archer Avenue |
| Boston | Chinatown, Quincy |
| Philadelphia | Chinatown near Race Street |
| Houston | Bellaire Boulevard corridor |
| Seattle | Chinatown-International District |
| Washington, DC area | Rockville and other Montgomery County suburbs |
| Las Vegas | Spring Mountain Road |
In these areas you will often find everything from dim sum parlors and hand-pulled noodle shops to Sichuan hot pot restaurants and old-school Cantonese-American dining rooms, many of them busy all day on December 25.
From a business point of view, it makes sense. Christmas is not a traditional holiday in Chinese culture. For many Chinese American restaurant owners, the big family holiday of the year is Lunar New Year, which falls in late January or February, and that is when many of them close or reduce hours. On December 25, meanwhile, demand is enormous because so many competitors are closed. For a small family business, one of the busiest days of the year is hard to turn down. That combination is why Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day have remained so dependable for generations.
Chains make planning easier because they often publish holiday hours. Policies can change each year and individual locations may decide differently, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with your nearest restaurant.
| Chain | Usual Christmas Day status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P.F. Chang’s | Typically open | Reservations recommended; hours vary by location |
| Panda Express | Many locations open in recent years | Mall and airport locations may follow host hours |
| Benihana (Japanese) | Typically open | Hibachi seating fills quickly on holidays |
| Local Chinese buffets | Varies | Some open with a holiday buffet, others close |
Independent, family-run spots are where most of the classic Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day are found, and they often have more authentic menus than chains. If you want a chain for convenience, check its location finder in the days before Christmas.
In recent years many Panda Express locations have opened on Christmas Day, sometimes with shorter hours. Restaurants inside malls, airports and casinos follow the hours of the building they are in. Use the store locator or call your nearest location.
Each option has trade-offs on December 25.
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Dine-in | Hot food, full menu, festive atmosphere | Long waits without a reservation |
| Takeout | Faster, eat at home in comfort | Pickup lines at peak times |
| Delivery | No driving | Longest waits, extra fees, limited drivers |
If you search “Chinese open Xmas day” at 6 p.m. on Christmas, you will be competing with thousands of people doing the same. Ordering takeout for pickup at 3 or 4 p.m. is usually the sweet spot at Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day: the kitchen is busy but not overwhelmed, and your food is ready when you arrive.
A little strategy helps you get the best experience from Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day.
If you are building a family-style Christmas meal, these dishes are crowd-pleasers:
The popularity of Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day is not an accident. It grew out of a specific moment in American history.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, New York’s Lower East Side was home to large numbers of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and it bordered the city’s growing Chinatown. Neither community celebrated Christmas as a religious holiday. On December 25, when most other businesses were shut, Chinese restaurants stayed open, and Jewish families had a day off with nowhere else to go.
Historians and writers have pointed to a few reasons the match worked so well:
Over the decades, the habit spread wherever Jewish communities settled, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to South Florida. By the late twentieth century, “Chinese food and a movie” on December 25 had become shorthand for how many Jewish Americans spend the day. The tradition even reached the US Senate: during Elena Kagan’s 2010 Supreme Court confirmation hearing, when Senator Lindsey Graham asked where she was on Christmas, she replied that, like many Jewish Americans, she was probably at a Chinese restaurant. The room burst out laughing.
Rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut’s book *A Kosher Christmas* explores this history in detail, and many American synagogues and Jewish community centers now host Chinese dinners or comedy nights on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| Mid-1800s | Chinese immigrants arrive in California and later settle in cities across the US, opening restaurants and laundries |
| Late 1800s to early 1900s | Jewish immigrants and Chinese communities live side by side in New York’s Lower East Side; December 25 meals at Chinese restaurants become a habit |
| Mid-1900s | The custom spreads to suburbs and other cities as families move |
| 1990s to 2000s | “Chinese food and a movie” becomes a well-known joke in American pop culture and comedy |
| 2010 | Elena Kagan’s confirmation-hearing quip brings the tradition to national headlines |
| Today | Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day serve a wide mix of diners from every background |
Today, the people filling Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day are a diverse crowd: Jewish families, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, people working holiday shifts, travelers, students far from home and Christians who have finished their celebrations and want a night off from cooking. It is also popular with people who prefer a quieter holiday. That shared, low-pressure meal is a big part of the appeal.
Christmas is a great excuse to explore regional Chinese cooking. Many Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day specialize in a particular region, and the menus go far beyond sweet-and-sour dishes.
Dim sum, the Cantonese tradition of small plates served from carts or ordered from a checklist, has become a Christmas morning ritual for many families. It is usually served from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, which makes it a good way to avoid the dinner rush at Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day. Arrive before the doors open if the restaurant does not take reservations, because lines can form quickly.
Many Chinese restaurants are busy on Christmas Eve as well, especially for takeout. If you want to avoid the busiest night, Christmas Eve lunch or an early dinner is often calmer. Some families make it a double tradition: Chinese takeout on Christmas Eve while wrapping gifts, and dim sum on Christmas Day.
If you cannot find Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day nearby, or you want a different option, these types of restaurants often open too:
As always, confirm hours before heading out, because holiday schedules vary by location.
If you are building your own version of the tradition, here is a simple plan.
If you are traveling for the holidays and eating out in a new city, our guides to the best travel booking sites and how much a hotel room really costs can help you plan the rest of the trip.
Holiday meals can add up quickly, but Chinese food is one of the more affordable ways to feed a group.
Ordering from Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day for a family gathering? Use these rough guidelines to avoid running short or wasting food.
| Group size | Suggested order |
|---|---|
| 2 people | 1 appetizer, 2 mains, 1 rice or noodle dish |
| 4 people | 2 appetizers, 3 to 4 mains, 2 rice or noodle dishes, 1 vegetable |
| 6 to 8 people | 3 appetizers, 5 to 6 mains, 3 rice or noodle dishes, 2 vegetables, 1 soup |
| 10+ people | Call ahead for a party tray or banquet menu if available |
Place large orders the day before if the restaurant allows it, and give a firm pickup time. Busy kitchens appreciate customers who plan ahead.
Leftovers are part of the fun, but store them properly. Refrigerate cooked food within two hours, keep rice cold and reheat it until steaming hot, and eat leftovers within three to four days.
Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day can be crowded and loud. A few habits make the day easier for everyone:
In larger US cities, many independent Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day, and some consider it one of their busiest days. In small towns, availability is more limited. Always check hours before you go.
The tradition began in New York in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Chinese restaurants were open when most businesses were closed, the setting had no Christian imagery and the food felt approachable to Jewish immigrant families.
P.F. Chang’s has typically been open on Christmas Day in recent years, but hours vary by location. Book ahead or call your nearest restaurant.
Many Panda Express locations have opened on Christmas Day in recent years, sometimes with reduced hours. Locations in malls or airports may follow the building’s schedule.
Search a maps app with the “open now” filter, check delivery apps, look at the restaurant’s social media or website, and call ahead to confirm.
Yes, if the restaurant accepts them. The most popular Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day can be fully booked days in advance.
Finding Chinese restaurants open on Christmas Day is usually easy in cities and takes a little more planning elsewhere. Search with an “open now” filter, call ahead and order early, and you will likely enjoy one of the most relaxed meals of the holiday season. Behind every busy dining room is a uniquely American story about immigrant communities, open doors and shared tables.
Curious about how other traditions developed? Read our guides to American Christmas traditions and customs, traditional Irish Christmas customs and why the traditional holiday meal in England was goose.
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