How long until Christmas?

Kooyeen wrote:

Hi, I'm in trouble. How long until Christmas? How long until your birthday? How long until is it Christmas? Are these ok? The first two are fine; the third one should be "until it is". How long before Christmas? How long before your birthday? How long before is it Christmas? So what about using "before"? I think "until" is better for these cases...  Colloquially quite usual, but not as grammatically correct. Those are quick questions. What would the extended versions be? I think they are like... How long is it until Christmas? Fine But not "How long will it be until Christmas?"... also fine And if I say "How long until/before Bush causes the Third World War?", are both "until" and "before" ok? I would use "before" in these cases. And I think the extended version would be "How long will it be until/before Bush causes the Third World War?" and not "How long is it until/before Bush causes the Third World War?" This last one could be used in a rhetorical way - for instance, if someone is making a speech. Advice? Thank you