PostEaseThe short answer
Plan holiday posts a month ahead and start posting about each date one to three weeks before it, since people decide plans and purchases early. The dates that matter most for most businesses in the rest of 2026 are Halloween (Saturday 31 October), Thanksgiving in the US (Thursday 26 November), Black Friday (27 November), Small Business Saturday (28 November), Cyber Monday (30 November), Giving Tuesday (1 December), Christmas (Friday 25 December) and New Year’s Eve (Thursday 31 December).
People use social media to decide where to go and what to buy. In Sprout Social’s Q2 2026 survey of 2,250 social media users, restaurants and things to do were the most searched topics on social (38%), and in Signs.com’s survey reported by Net Influencer, 59% had bought from a small business because of its social content.
Key dates, late 2026
With a suggested start for posts about each:
| Date | Occasion | Start posting |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 31 October | Halloween | Mid-October |
| Thursday 26 November | Thanksgiving (US) | Early November |
| Friday 27 November | Black Friday | Early November, with teasers |
| Saturday 28 November | Small Business Saturday (US) | Mid-November |
| Monday 30 November | Cyber Monday | The week before |
| Tuesday 1 December | Giving Tuesday | Mid-November, for nonprofits |
| Friday 25 December | Christmas | Gift posts from mid-November |
| Thursday 31 December | New Year’s Eve | Mid-December |
Key dates, 2027
Dates that move each year, worked out for 2027:
| Date | Occasion |
|---|---|
| Sunday 14 February | Valentine’s Day |
| Sunday 28 March | Easter Sunday |
| Sunday 9 May | Mother’s Day (US) |
| Monday 31 May | Memorial Day (US) |
| Sunday 20 June | Father’s Day (US) |
| Monday 6 September | Labor Day (US) |
| Thursday 25 November | Thanksgiving (US) |
| Friday 26 November | Black Friday |
| Monday 29 November | Cyber Monday |
| Tuesday 30 November | Giving Tuesday |
How to plan holiday posts
A month-ahead routine:
- Mark the dates that matter to your customers on the calendar; skip the rest.
- For each, plan a teaser, the main post, and a last-chance or thank-you post.
- Make visual posts in your brand look, not generic holiday stock images.
- Schedule offers with clear start and end times, and pin the main one.
- Leave room for ordinary posts; a feed that is all holiday promotions gets scrolled past.
Local and cultural dates
Many of the dates that matter most are local: a town’s festival, a school term, a sports final, a religious holiday your customers observe, a national day in another country you sell to. Add them to the calendar alongside the big retail dates, and be respectful: mark a holiday only if you can do it with care, and never use a serious date to sell.
Questions
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday 27 November 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November). Cyber Monday is 30 November and Giving Tuesday 1 December.
How far ahead should I plan holiday social media posts?
A month ahead for planning, and start posting one to three weeks before the date, earlier for gifts and travel.
Should every business post about every holiday?
No. Post about the dates your customers care about, in a way that fits your brand, and skip the rest.
Sources
- Sprout Social, Social media is now the primary channel for brand crisis response, new research finds, June 2026.
- Net Influencer, UGC tops trust rankings as AI posts face consumer skepticism, survey shows, December 2025.