How the 2024-2025 Holiday Season Moved Internet Traffic
Year-end celebrations across Christmas, New Year's Eve, and a late January Lunar New Year shaped when people logged off and when they came back online. Cloudflare's analysis of non-bot Internet traffic across more than 50 countries from December 2024 through early February 2025 shows that, despite cultural differences, human online behavior follows remarkably consistent patterns year after year.
Globally, the biggest offline moments aligned with major festivities. December 25 saw a 19% drop in traffic from the prior week, followed by December 24 with a 14% drop. Those two days, plus January 1 and December 31, accounted for the four lowest-traffic days between October 1, 2024, and February 6, 2025.
Key regional observations from the data:
- Europe: Christmas Eve traffic dips reached 67% in Denmark and 66% in Spain.
- Americas: December 25 was the primary offline day, with drops from 26% in the US to 70% at midnight in Argentina.
- Regional timing: Nordic countries disconnect earlier on Christmas Eve (around 18:00), Southern Europe follows at 21:00-22:00, and Latin America later still.
- New Year's: The strongest global impact was in Latin America, with Chile dropping 73% and Argentina 68%.
- Lunar New Year: January 29 drove drops of 25% in Hong Kong, 24% in Vietnam, and 23% in Singapore.
Unless noted otherwise, all times are local; in multi-timezone countries, the most populous timezone is used (Eastern time for the US).
Lowest-Traffic Days by Region
Country-level rankings of the lowest holiday traffic days show where Christmas dominates and where it does not. Most countries with strong Christmas traditions logged off on either December 24 or 25. Across Europe, the majority—including Denmark, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Austria, the UK, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, and Romania—hit their largest drop on Christmas Eve. Some also showed secondary dips on Christmas Day or December 31.
In North and Latin America, the pattern shifts slightly. The US, Canada, and Mexico all saw their largest declines on December 25. Argentina, Chile, and Colombia also dropped most on December 25, though in some cases January 1 emerged as a comparable offline moment.
Location | December 24 | December 25 | December 31 | January 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Denmark | -42% | -19% | ||
Portugal | -34% | -29% | ||
Poland | -33% | -24% | ||
Norway | -33% | -15% | ||
Spain | -31% | -26% | ||
Switzerland | -30% | -28% | ||
Finland | -30% | -22% | ||
Austria | -29% | -19% | ||
Ireland | -28% | -31% | ||
Chile | -28% | -25% | -5% | |
Czech Republic | -28% | -16% | ||
Sweden | -28% | -11% | ||
Colombia | -26% | -35% | -5% | -8% |
Italy | -26% | -31% | -1% | |
Argentina | -25% | -30% | -3% | |
Belgium | -25% | -23% | -1% | |
France | -24% | -24% | ||
Mexico | -24% | -21% | -1% | |
Germany | -24% | -16% | ||
United Kingdom | -22% | -32% | ||
Brazil | -22% | -23% | -2% | -1% |
United States | -21% | -26% | ||
Canada | -20% | -22% | ||
Netherlands | -19% | -30% | -8% | |
Australia | -19% | -29% | ||
New Zealand | -18% | -27% | ||
Greece | -17% | -22% | -5% | |
Romania | -16% | -12% | -7% | |
South Africa | -12% | -31% | -4% | |
Nigeria | -10% | -17% | ||
Japan | -6% | -6% | ||
Philippines | -4% | -6% | -5% | -3% |
Asia shows milder Christmas effects. Japan had only modest declines on December 24-25, and while the Philippines recorded a 6% drop on December 25, January 1 was only 3% lower than the prior week. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia—where Lunar New Year plays a bigger role—still registered Christmas Day drops of 12%, 13%, and 9%, respectively. In Indonesia and Turkey, December 31 was the peak low-traffic day, signaling that Christmas is not the central offline driver there.
For the US perspective, the Christmas and New Year's dips are clear in year-over-year traffic data:
Comparing 2023 to 2024, most European regions saw stronger traffic drops on their key Christmas day. The ranking of the lowest-traffic days also shifted in some cases, with dates like December 23 or January 1 entering the top three. In the Americas, January 1 increasingly appears alongside December 24-25 as a major offline day.
Orthodox Christmas: A Different Rhythm
Countries observing Orthodox Christmas on January 7 show a distinct pattern. Around December 25, traffic drops are comparatively modest—Russia saw a 6% decrease on that day, while Romania and Ukraine registered declines of 16% on December 24 and 12-13% on December 25. The more significant offline period was December 30-31. As a result, traffic on January 6-7 was markedly higher than the prior week—surges of 30% in Russia, 32% in Romania, 24% in Ukraine, 31% in Belarus, and 15% in Kazakhstan compared with December 31.
The daily chart for Russia shows the pronounced December 30-31 drop followed by a strong rebound after the new year. A smaller dip of 4% on January 6—Orthodox Christmas Eve—reflects the timing of that celebration.
When Christmas Isn’t the Focus
In countries where Christmas is less central, other events set the offline rhythm. Hanukkah’s shifting dates matter: in 2024, it began on the evening of December 25, producing a 5% drop in Israeli traffic that day and 4% declines on the following two days. A granular view shows traffic fell roughly 15% between 14:45 and 20:00 on December 25. In 2023, when Hanukkah started December 7, the drop was 8% that day and 7% on subsequent days, with the largest dip of 17% occurring around 17:00.
For Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Indonesia, neither December 24-25 nor January 1 aligns with the lowest traffic days. In those regions, Ramadan has a far more substantial effect, as seen in prior analyses. Similarly, in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and South Korea, the Lunar New Year takes precedence and drives the biggest offline moments of the season.
The period between late December and late January offers a clear look at how deeply local traditions—whether Christmas Eve dinners, New Year countdowns, or Lunar New Year gatherings—shape global connectivity.
Christmas: a regional look
This year's Christmas Eve traffic data shows how strongly local dinner traditions shape when people log off. In Europe, the deepest declines align with evening meal times, with notable differences between regions.
Europe: dinner time tells the story
Spain sees its sharpest drop of 66% at 21:45 compared with the previous week, with further declines of 55% at 08:00 and 47% at 15:30 on Christmas Day. Denmark peaks earlier with a 67% drop at 18:45, followed by 50% at 07:00 the next morning. Poland and the Czech Republic record declines of 60% at 17:15 and 55% at 17:45 respectively. France, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany show similar patterns, with dinnertime drops between 46% and 57%.
Nordic countries and parts of Central Europe tend to celebrate earlier. Norway's drop occurs between 17:45 and 18:15, while Sweden and Finland also show early declines. The Czech Republic peaks at 17:45. Some countries show mixed patterns: the UK sees a 34% drop at both 16:15 and 20:30, while Switzerland records 47% at 19:00 and 50% at 21:00, and Germany 46% at 19:15.
Southern Europe leans later. Italy and Portugal see their largest declines at 21:15, while Greece peaks between 21:45 and 22:45 with a 37% drop. Romania and France hit their low points at 20:45.
Americas: Nochebuena drives the dip
In the United States, Christmas Eve traffic drops 30% between 19:45 and 20:45, with Christmas morning down 39% at 09:30 and 33% at 13:15. Canada follows closely with a 35% drop at 20:30.
Across Latin America, Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) is the dominant offline period, with patterns consistent with 2023. Late-night traditions like the Midnight Toast and Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass) produce significant declines:
- Chile: -62% at 22:45, -63% at midnight (December 25)
- Argentina: -60% at 22:15, -70% at midnight
- Colombia: -49% at 22:15, -34% at midnight
- Peru: -47% at 22:30, -53% at midnight
- Mexico: -48% at 22:30, -40% at midnight
- Brazil: -46% at 22:00
Asia Pacific: a milder effect
The impact in Asia Pacific is far less pronounced. Japan's Christmas Eve dinner drop is just 11%, while South Korea's is 18%. Indonesia and Thailand also record smaller declines. Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines show more variation, with moderate dinnertime drops and stronger later declines in places like Singapore and Hong Kong. In the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand and Australia see 29% and 30% drops at dinner respectively, followed by even deeper declines the next morning and early afternoon.
Middle East and Africa
Regions with smaller Christian populations show gentler Christmas impacts. Nigeria records a 20% dinner drop, while the United Arab Emirates sees a modest -12% at dinner with deeper declines later in the day.
As noted in previous analyses, religious events shape traffic in other parts of the year. Data from the Year in Review 2024, for example, highlights traffic drops in Indonesia and the UAE during Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan on April 9-10, 2024.
Boxing Day rebound
December 26 marks a sharp recovery in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. While daily traffic in the UK and Canada remains slightly below the previous week (-2% and -3%), it is much higher than Christmas Day itself — up +42% in the UK and +24% in Canada.
Location | December 26 increase/decrease in daily traffic | Peak traffic increase on December 26 |
|---|---|---|
Australia | +6% | December 26, 10:00: +12% |
United Kingdom | -2% | December 26, 12:45: +7% |
Canada | -3% | December 26, 12:15: +1% |
New Zealand | +2% | December 26, 10:30: +7%, 17:15: +11% |
Which countries log off, and when
A review of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traffic shows clear drops in many locations, with the largest declines occurring at dinner, morning, or lunch. Countries where Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 7 — including Russia — showed no Christmas impact, nor did Japan, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Israel, Thailand, Egypt, Singapore, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
Location | Christmas Eve Dinner Drop | Christmas Day Morning/Lunch Drop |
|---|---|---|
Spain | -66% at 21:45 | -55% at 08:00, -47% at 15:30 |
Denmark | -67% at 18:45 | -50% at 07:00 |
Argentina | -60% at 22:15, (-70% at 00:00, December 25) | -60% at 08:30 |
Poland | -60% at 17:15 | -52% at 07:15, -33% at 15:45 |
Chile | -62% at 22:45, (-63% at 00:00, December 25) | -55% at 08:45 |
Norway | -56% at 17:45, -56% at 18:15 | -49% at 07:30, -23% at 13:30 |
Czech Republic | -55% at 17:45 | -51% at 06:45, -26% at 14:00 |
France | -54% at 20:45 | -50% at 07:00, -43% at 13:45 |
Portugal | -57% at 21:15 | -54% at 07:30, -47% at 14:15 |
Italy | -48% at 21:15 | -53% at 06:45, -55% at 13:45 |
Switzerland | -47% at 19:00, -50% at 21:00 | -50% at 06:45, -37% at 13:45 |
Germany | -46% at 19:15 | -40% at 07:15, -21% at 13:45 |
Brazil | -46% at 22:00 | -42% at 08:15, -35% at 13:45 |
Sweden | -46% at 15:15, -46% at 16:30 | -43% at 07:15, -20% at 13:15 |
Colombia | -49% at 22:15, (-34% at 00:00, December 25) | -55% at 07:45, -44% at 15:15 |
Belgium | -51% at 19:45 | -49% at 07:15 |
Mexico | -48% at 22:30, (-40% at 00:00, December 25) | -46% at 08:00 |
Finland | -45% at 15:30, -43% at 17:00-17:45 | -46% at 08:30, -34% at 14:30 |
Austria | -48% at 19:30 | -47% at 06:15, -29% at 14:15 |
United Kingdom | -34% at 16:15, -34% at 20:30 | -36% at 09:00, -43% at 14:45 |
Romania | -34% at 20:45 | -34% at 06:30 |
Ireland | -38% at 16:15, -40% at 21:00 | -42% at 09:30, -42% at 15:15 |
Canada | -35% at 20:30 | -35% at 09:30, -27% at 16:00 |
South Africa | -26% at 19:30 | -35% at 09:30, -46% at 14:30 |
Netherlands | -35% at 21:00 | -38% at 08:30, -40% at 16:00 |
United States | -30% at 19:45-20:45 | -39% at 09:30, -33% at 13:15 |
Australia | -30% at 21:00 | -44% at 13:45 |
New Zealand | -29% at 19:45 | -39% at 09:30, -44% at 13:45 |
Ukraine | -25% at 18:15 | -25% at 09:00, -19% at 14:30 |
Nigeria | -20% at 16:45, -21% at 22:30 | -22% at 13:45, (-36% at 21:45) |
South Korea | -18% at 21:00 | -19% at 07:45 |
Malaysia | -19% at 22:15 | -22% at 09:15, -13% at 14:15 |
Philippines | -19% at 21:30 | -26% at 06:00 |
Hong Kong | -13% at 20:30 | -20% at 10:00, -17% at 16:15 |
Japan | -11% at 19:45 | -12% at 18:00 |
Christmas Day lunch also produced significant declines across many countries, mostly in the early afternoon. Spain, Poland, Norway, the Czech Republic, France, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, Sweden, Colombia, Finland, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, the US, New Zealand, and Ukraine all recorded notable drops. Denmark, Argentina, Chile, Belgium, Mexico, Romania, and Australia, by contrast, showed no such lunch dip.
New Year's Eve: a coordinated disconnect
Comparing traffic at midnight on January 1 with midnight on December 18 (avoiding Christmas distortions) reveals where the strongest New Year's disconnects occur. The pattern is consistent with 2023, with Latin America leading the declines.
Chile tops the list with a 73% drop at midnight, followed by Argentina at 68% and Colombia at 50%. European countries with Latin or Southern European traditions follow closely: Romania (-60%), Italy (-58%), Portugal (-57%), and Spain (-56%), with Germany (-48%) and Switzerland (-42%) also showing substantial drops. Northern Europe is milder, with Norway at -41% and Sweden at -22%.
North America shows the least impact among Western regions because of time zone staggering: the US drops just 11% and Canada 15%, consistent with the 12% and 14% declines recorded in 2023.
In Asia Pacific, the Philippines (-41%), Australia (-21%), South Korea (-18%), and Singapore (-18%) show meaningful declines, while Indonesia (-7%) and Malaysia (-11%) are more muted. In the Middle East, the UAE drops 29% and Egypt 7%, while Israel records an 11% increase.
Locations | January 1, 00:00 drop (compared to December 18) | Locations | January 1, 00:00 drop (compare to December 18) |
|---|---|---|---|
Chile | -73% | Australia | -21% |
Argentina | -68% | Ireland | -21% |
Romania | -60% | United Kingdom | -20% |
Italy | -58% | France | -20% |
Portugal | -57% | Hong Kong | -20% |
Spain | -56% | South Africa | -19% |
Colombia | -50% | South Korea | -18% |
Germany | -48% | Singapore | -18% |
Brazil | -48% | Thailand | -17% |
Mexico | -48% | Nigeria | -17% |
Switzerland | -42% | Finland | -17% |
Netherlands | -41% | Taiwan | -17% |
Norway | -41% | Canada | -15% |
Philippines | -41% | New Zealand | -15% |
Poland | -40% | China | -12% |
Ukraine | -39% | United States | -11% |
Belgium | -38% | Malaysia | -11% |
Austria | -38% | Indonesia | -7% |
Russia | -35% | Egypt | -7% |
Czech Republic | -31% | Vietnam | -3% |
United Arab Emirates | -29% | Saudi Arabia | 10% |
Sweden | -22% | Israel | 11% |
Lunar New Year: family takes priority
The Lunar New Year began on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, opening the Year of the Snake. China's extended holiday ran from January 29 to February 4, 2025, and the period kicked off with Chunyun, the world's largest annual human migration. South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore observed a shorter break from January 28 to 30. In Vietnam, traffic already starts declining after January 21.
Across the region, January 29 was the most common day for traffic lows. Hong Kong saw its sharpest decline that day at -25%, with Singapore at -23%, Vietnam at -24%, and Malaysia at -16%. Taiwan's biggest drop came slightly earlier on January 28 at -15%, while South Korea recorded moderate 8% declines on both January 28 and 29. China dropped 17% on January 28, and Indonesia fell 11% on January 29.
Location | January 28 | January 29 | January 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong | -22% | -25% | -22% |
Vietnam | -12% | -24% | -18% |
Singapore | -17% | -23% | -16% |
Malaysia | -9% | -16% | -12% |
Taiwan | -15% | -14% | -12% |
Indonesia | -11% | ||
China | -17% | -9% | |
South Korea | -8% | -8% |
Looking at more granular timing, China's digital activity fell sharply on January 28 around midday (-36%) and again in the late afternoon, with a 28% drop at 00:00 on January 29. Hong Kong, Vietnam, and the Philippines also showed significant declines around midnight. Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan recorded notable but more varied dips.
Location | January 28/29 drops in traffic |
|---|---|
China | January 28, 12:30: -36%, 18:15-20:15: -32% |
Singapore | January 29, 00:00: -12%, 15:00: -35% |
Vietnam | January 28, 21:30: -33%, |
Philippines | January 28, 20:30: -7% |
Hong Kong | January 28, 19:45: -36% |
Malaysia | January 28, 20:30-21:45: -18%, |
Taiwan | January 28, 18:30: -34%; |
The midnight drop during Lunar New Year, however, never reached the magnitude seen during the Gregorian New Year, consistent with prior years' data.
Holiday Rhythms Persist in 2024 Data
Cloudflare’s traffic telemetry for the 2024 holiday season shows that despite the Internet's global reach, local cultural rhythms still dictate when people step away from their screens. The patterns align closely with what was observed in 2023, suggesting a reliable seasonality in online behavior tied to traditional celebrations.
Christmas Timing Varies by Region
In Europe, Christmas Eve remains the dominant offline moment, with traffic drops reaching 67% in Denmark and 66% in Spain. Across the Atlantic, Christmas Day itself is the primary disconnection point: the US saw a 26% drop in traffic on December 25, while Argentina experienced a midnight plunge of up to 70%.
Asian Celebrations Shift the Calendar
In Asia, the Lunar New Year generated the most notable lull in online activity, with peak disconnection occurring around January 29 in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam. The data underscores how regional festivities form a separate trough in global Internet usage patterns, distinct from the December holidays observed in the West.
A Consistent Cultural Signal
The 2024 figures reinforce a broader observation: while the Internet connects billions of people, long-standing cultural rituals still modulate technology use in predictable ways. Ramadan, occurring at a different point in the year, shows similarly pronounced effects, further demonstrating that offline traditions repeatedly leave their mark on digital metrics.
Further Reading
For more trends and insights about the Internet, refer to Cloudflare Radar. Follow updates on social media at @CloudflareRadar (X), noc.social/@cloudflareradar (Mastodon), and radar.cloudflare.com (Bluesky), or contact via email.
