For a local business in the US, the end of 2026 runs from Halloween on Saturday, October 31 to New Year's Eve on Thursday, December 31. In between: Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, then the busiest stretch of the year with Black Friday (November 27), Small Business Saturday (November 28), Cyber Monday (November 30) and Giving Tuesday (December 1). Hanukkah starts on the evening of Friday, December 4, and Christmas falls on Friday, December 25. This calendar is for the US; dates and rules differ in Canada and other countries.

What are the key end-of-year 2026 dates in the US?

Oct 31
Halloween (Saturday)
Nov 11
Veterans Day (Wednesday)
Nov 26
Thanksgiving, then Black Friday on Friday 27
Nov 28
Small Business Saturday, then Cyber Monday on Monday 30
Dec 4
Hanukkah begins at sundown (through December 12)
Dec 25
Christmas (Friday), New Year's Eve on Thursday 31

Remember the federal holidays too, since they change your customers' schedules and often your opening hours. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the end-of-year 2026 federal holidays are Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11), Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 26) and Christmas Day (Friday, December 25), followed by New Year's Day (Friday, January 1, 2027). Private businesses are not required to close on these days, but Google may show a warning on your Business Profile that your hours might differ on holidays such as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Setting special hours for those dates tells customers exactly when you are open.

How should you prepare for each date?

To avoid chasing every date, use the same rhythm for all of them:

  • D-30: choose the offer or event, check inventory, prepare visuals and copy.
  • D-14: tell your regular customers by email, publish the first posts (behind the scenes, preparation, window display).
  • D-7: publish an “Offer” or “Event” post on your Google Business Profile, follow up on social media.
  • D-1 or the day itself: a short text reminder to customers who agreed in writing to receive them, a post on the day.
  • D+1: thank your customers, note what worked and what didn't, for next year.

Halloween: Saturday, October 31, 2026

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. For a bakery, a candy store, a florist, a coffee shop or a hair salon, it's a chance for a decorated window, a seasonal product or an activity for kids. If you had nothing planned at D-30, a simple event can still be prepared in a week: an “Event” post on Google at D-7, two or three social media posts, and a reminder on the day.

Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Veterans Day is a federal holiday: federal offices close, and some of your customers will have a day off midweek. A local business can mark it with a thank-you to veterans and military families, for example a small discount or a free coffee. Keep the tone respectful, announce it a few days before on social media, and check your hours on Google.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday: November 26 and 27, 2026

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, which is Thursday, November 26 in 2026. Many businesses close or shorten their hours that day: set it on Google. For a bakery, a caterer, a florist or a wine shop, the weeks before are the time for pre-orders (pies, side dishes, centerpieces), with a clear order deadline. Black Friday falls the next day, Friday, November 27.

Nothing forces you to cut prices on Black Friday. A free service, a gift with a minimum purchase or an evening for loyal customers marks the date without touching your prices. Suggested timeline: at D-30 (late October), decide on the offer and write down your regular prices; at D-7 (Friday, November 20), announce it by email and with an “Offer” post on Google, with dates and terms; on the day, send a short text to customers who have given their written consent.

Small Business Saturday: Saturday, November 28, 2026

Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express in 2010 and cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011, celebrates local shops on the Saturday after Thanksgiving: November 28 in 2026. American Express offers free Shop Small marketing materials to businesses that take part. It's the date that suits a local business best: a window display, an event or a small thank-you for customers that day, announced a week before with a social media post and an “Event” post on your Google Business Profile.

Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday: November 30 and December 1, 2026

Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving (November 30), focuses on online shopping: if you sell gift cards or take orders online, it's the day to remind people by email. Giving Tuesday, the global day of generosity, falls on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. For a local business, it's a chance to support a cause in your neighborhood, for example by donating part of the day's sales or collecting food or coats, and to say so in a post.

Hanukkah: from the evening of Friday, December 4 to Saturday, December 12, 2026

In 2026, the first Hanukkah candle is lit on the evening of Friday, December 4, and the holiday ends on Saturday, December 12. For a bakery, a gift shop, a florist or a caterer, it's eight days for themed products, gift ideas or platters, ideally announced in mid-November alongside your Christmas offers. Use “happy holidays” wording in messages to your whole list, and save holiday-specific messages for customers who will appreciate them.

Christmas: Friday, December 25, 2026

Christmas falls on a Friday, and Christmas Eve on a Thursday. It's the longest period to prepare, especially if you take orders (cakes, cookie boxes, gift baskets, wreaths, platters).

  • Early November: prepare your gift selection, your gift cards and, if you take orders, order forms with a deadline.
  • Mid-November: first “gift ideas” or “holiday orders” email, regular social media posts.
  • Early December: set special hours on Google for December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1; publish an “Offer” or “Event” post.
  • One week before the order deadline: email reminder, then a text the day before.
  • After Christmas: thank your customers and get ready for New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve: Thursday, December 31, 2026

December 31 falls on a Thursday and New Year's Day, a federal holiday, on a Friday. For a restaurant, a caterer, a wine shop or a bakery, it's time for the New Year's Eve menu and pre-orders; for a hair or beauty salon, for appointments on the 31st. At D-30 (December 1), set the offer and booking terms; at D-14, announce it by email; at D-3, send a text reminder for the last spots.

If you run sales after Christmas, the same rule applies as on Black Friday: any “regular” or “was” price must be one you genuinely offered, openly and for a reasonably substantial period, before the sale.

Which channel should you use, and when?

  • Email: to announce and explain (gift selection, menu, schedule), from D-14 to D-7.
  • Text messages: for a short reminder, the day before or on the day. Under the FCC's rules, a marketing text sent with automated technology needs the customer's prior express written consent; send between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the customer's time zone (8 p.m. in Florida and Oklahoma), say who you are, and honor every STOP within 10 business days.
  • Social media: to show behind the scenes, preparation and your window display, from D-14 to the day.
  • Google Business Profile: an “Offer” post (title, dates and, if needed, a coupon code and terms) or an “Event” post, plus your special hours. Google lets you set special hours for closures of up to 6 days in a row; from 7 days, you should mark the business as temporarily closed.

This many dates means a lot of content to write in a few weeks. Ooklo uses AI to prepare the posts, emails and texts for each date, tailored to your business, and you approve every piece before it goes out. Google Business updates are coming soon.

When is Thanksgiving 2026?+
Thursday, November 26, 2026, the fourth Thursday of November. It is a federal holiday, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
When is Black Friday 2026?+
Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday is on Monday, November 30.
When is Small Business Saturday 2026?+
Saturday, November 28, 2026, according to American Express and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Do I have to run a Black Friday sale?+
No. If you do show a reduction from a “regular” or “was” price, the FTC's pricing guides expect that price to be genuine: the actual price at which you openly offered the item for a reasonably substantial period, recently.
Can I send a promotional text to all my customers?+
Only to those who gave their prior express written consent, with a way to opt out (Reply STOP), between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in their time zone, or 8 p.m. in Florida and Oklahoma.
How do I show my holiday hours on Google?+
In your Business Profile, under hours, set special hours for each date concerned. Otherwise, Google may warn people that your hours might differ on those days.
Does this calendar apply outside the US?+
No. The holidays and rules listed here are for the US; they differ in Canada and other countries.
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Sources

  • U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Holidays, https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • American Express, Shop Small, https://www.americanexpress.com/us/merchant/shop-small.html (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • U.S. Small Business Administration, Small Business Saturday, https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/organization/observances/small-business-saturday/ (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • GivingTuesday, https://www.givingtuesday.org/ (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • Hebcal, Jewish holidays for December 2026, https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal?v=1&maj=on&year=2026&month=12 (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • eCFR, 16 CFR Part 233, Guides Against Deceptive Pricing, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-233 (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • eCFR, 47 CFR 64.1200, Delivery restrictions, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200 (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 501.616, http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.616.html (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • Oklahoma Legislature, HB 3168 (enrolled), Telephone Solicitation Act of 2022, https://oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/hB/HB3168%20ENR.PDF (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • Google, About holidays on Google, https://support.google.com/business/answer/6333474?hl=en (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • Google, How to set Special hours, https://support.google.com/business/answer/6303076?hl=en (accessed October 22, 2026)
  • Google, Create & manage posts on your Business Profile, https://support.google.com/business/answer/7342169?hl=en (accessed October 5, 2026)