Sometimes, a formula works so well that it becomes timeless. Holidays – whether historical, cultural, or purely made-by-marketers – are a good example.
Nobody questions the validity of a holiday. Each holiday has its unique energy, and it’s ritualistic for humans to feel that energy, and be a part of the social conversations that ensue.
Think of Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday sales, and Thanksgiving Day sales. Even though so many research studies in retail reveal that products are available for the same prices (or even cheaper) at other times of the year, the euphoria of these events does not flag.
That’s the power of holidays. That’s the power of every human’s hard-wired desire to be a part of the bigger conversation.
For brands, e-stores, and D2C companies, these ‘special holidays’ are the most important dates in the year. So it’s natural that somebody thought, “Why not make every day of the year a holiday?”. And that’s how the first social media holiday calendar would have been compiled.
That’s what this guide is about. You can also download the calendar template from here
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
- What is a social media holiday calendar?
- Key elements of a social media holiday calendar
- The complete list of holidays to add to your social media holiday calendar for 2024
- 7 tips for planning your social media holiday calendar
- FAQs about social media holiday calendars
Let’s begin with the most fundamental question.
What is a social media holiday calendar?
Before we explain that, think whether the following sounds familiar or not.
You see a fresh Facebook ad that’s telling you to try the craziest possible flavor of ice-cream that day, because what else would you do on 21st July – the National Ice Cream Day.
That’s when you remember that you could have riffed on the idea and come up with something spectacular for your hemp-based proteins brand. Perhaps a recipe for a hemp ice cream – world’s first, at that.
FOMO hits you hard.
What do you do then? Scramble for ideas and share a half-baked post.
The result? No engagement. No sales.
You could have done so much better had you used a social media holidays calendar to plan your content.
So now you know what this calendar is all about. A social media holidays calendar is a list of all relevant holidays for the year – not just bank holidays, but also holidays related to cultural memes, historical days, and whatnot. We’re talking of 200+ holidays at least. There’s no way you can rely on memory for this; you need this calendar.
It can take many forms.
- You could have your social media holiday calendar for 2024 in a simple spreadsheet.
- It can also be a sophisticated digital planner.
- Or even a social media management platform with scheduling capabilities.
Irrespective of the form and format, the core remains the same.
Note: Please don’t let yourself be confused with two similar-sounding terms: ‘social media holiday calendar’ and ‘social media content calendar’. We’ve used both these terms generously in this guide, and that’s why this distinction is important.
We’ve already explained what a social media holidays calendar is. A social media content calendar is something different. It’s a date-wise plan for the whole year, of what you’ll post on your social media accounts. So, it’s obvious – a holidays calendar can be a part of your content calendar.
Now, let’s get back to the holidays calendar for social media and try to understand it better.
Types of holidays for a social media calendar
Social media holidays come in all shapes and sizes. These are divided into types such as:
Major holidays
Widely celebrated events like Christmas, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving
Lesser-known holidays
Obscure holidays that may not be widely recognized. But these can still be used for social media content, like Pizza Day or World Emoji Day.
Niche holidays
Holidays specific to certain interests, hobbies, or subcultures, like Star Wars Day or Pi Day.
Cultural holidays
Celebrations tied to particular cultures, regions, or ethnic groups like Diwali or Lunar New Year.
Religious holidays
Holidays observed by followers of various religions around the world like Easter or Hanukkah.
Awareness days/weeks
Events focused on raising awareness about important causes, issues, or health topics. Examples include World Environment Day and Mental Health Awareness Week.
Industry-specific holidays:
Holidays or observances relevant to specific industries or professions, like National Small Business Week or National Nurses Day.
Each type of social media holiday is an opportunity to superimpose your brand atop a wave of history, culture, or pure marketer-made hysteria.
The bigger events are already on the radar for most brands; it is the lesser-known festivals and days that get missed out. But these overlooked occasions provide opportunities for brands to stand out. How?
By celebrating lesser-known holidays on social media, you can:
- Connect with niche audiences
- Demonstrate authenticity.
- Differentiate yourself from competitors
- Foster deeper connections with your communities.
- Demonstrate their cultural awareness.
- Showcase willingness to engage with diverse audiences.
So don’t skip these from your social media holiday calendar for 2024.
Right, let’s now give you a calendar you can simply copy and reuse for your brand.
Social media holiday calendar for 2024 [Template]
Let us take a look at the all events/days to include on your social media holiday calendar for 2024.
January social media holidays calendar 2024
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| January 2 | Science Fiction Day |
| January 2 | World Introvert Day |
| January 3 | International Mind-Body Wellness Day |
| January 4 | National Trivia Day |
| January 5 | National Bird Day |
| January 8 | World Typing Day |
| January 11 | Clean Off Your Desk Day |
| January 11 | Human Trafficking Awareness Day |
| January 13 | National Sticker Day |
| January 14 | World Logic Day |
| January 15 | National Hat Day |
| January 15 | National Bagel Day |
| January 15 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
| January 16 | International Hot and Spicy Food Day |
| January 17 | Ditch Your Resolution Day |
| January 18 | Get to Know Your Customers Day |
| January 19 | National Popcorn Day |
| January 20 | Cheese Lovers Day |
| January 21 | National Hugging Day |
| January 22 | Community Manager Appreciation Day |
| January 24 | National Compliment Day |
| January 24 | International Education Day |
| January 25 | Opposite Day |
| January 28 | Data Privacy Day |
| January 28 | International Lego Day |
| January 31 | Inspire Your Heart With Art Day |
February social media holidays calendar 2024
| February 2 | Groundhog Day |
| February 2 | World Wetlands Day |
| February 4 | World Cancer Day |
| February 5 | National Weatherperson’s Day |
| February 6 | Safer Internet Day |
| February 7 | National Send a Card to a Friend Day |
| February 8 | National Boy Scouts Day |
| February 9 | National Pizza Day |
| February 10 | Chinese New Year |
| February 11 | Inventors Day |
| February 11 | International Day of Women and Girls in Science |
| February 13 | World Radio Day |
| February 13 | Galentine’s Day |
| February 14 | Valentine’s Day |
| February 17 | Random Acts of Kindness Day |
| February 18 | National Battery Day |
| February 18 | World Whale Day |
| February 19 | Presidents’ Day |
| February 20 | World Day of Social Justice |
| February 20 | Love Your Pet Day |
| February 21 | International Mother Language Day |
| February 22 | World Thinking Day |
| February 23 | National Skip the Straw Day |
March social media holidays calendar 2024
| March 1 | World Compliment Day |
| March 1 | National Employee Appreciation Day |
| March 2 | National Read Across America Day |
| March 3 | World Wildlife Day |
| March 4 | National Grammar Day |
| March 6 | National Dentist’s Day |
| March 7 | National Be Heard Day |
| March 8 | International Women’s Day |
| March 10 | National Pack Your Lunch Day |
| March 10 | International Day of Awesomeness |
| March 11 | National Worship of Tools Day |
| March 12 | National Girl Scout Day |
| March 14 | Pi Day |
| March 14 | Popcorn Lover’s Day |
| March 15 | World Consumer Rights Day |
| March 15 | World Sleep Day |
| March 16 | National Freedom of Information Day |
| March 17 | St. Patrick’s Day |
| March 18 | Global Recycling Day |
| March 19 | National Let’s Laugh Day |
| March 20 | International Day of Happiness |
| March 20 | World Storytelling Day |
| March 21 | International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination |
| March 22 | World Water Day |
| March 23 | National Puppy Day |
| March 23 | Earth Hour Day |
| March 25 | Tolkien Reading Day |
| March 25 | International Waffle Day |
| March 26 | Purple Day |
| March 30 | Doctor’s Day |
| March 31 | Easter |
| March 31 | Daylight Savings |
| March 31 | World Backup Day |
| March 31 | Transgender Day of Visibility |
April
| April 1 | April Fools Day |
| April 2 | World Autism Awareness Day |
| April 3 | Find a Rainbow Day & World Party Day |
| April 4 | Hug a Newsperson Day |
| April 5 | Walk to Work Day |
| April 6 | National Carbonara Day |
| April 7 | World Health Day |
| April 10 | National Siblings Day Encourage a Young Writer Day |
| April 11 | National Pet Day |
| April 12 | International Day of Human Space Flight |
| April 15 | National Tax Day |
| April 16 | National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day |
| April 17 | Haiku Poetry Day |
| April 18 | National Columnists’ Day |
| April 20 | National Look-Alike Day |
| April 21 | National High-Five Day National Administrative Professionals Day World Creativity and Innovation Day |
| April 22 | Earth Day |
| April 23 | World Book Day |
| April 25 | National Telephone Day |
| April 27 | Denim Day |
| April 28 | National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day National Superhero Day |
| April 29 | International Dance Day & World Wish Day |
| April 30 | National Honesty Day National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day International Jazz Day |
May
| May 1 | International Workers Day May Day |
| May 2 | World Password Day |
| May 4 | Star Wars Day |
| May 5 | Cinco de Mayo World Password Day World Laughter Day |
| May 6 | Space Day |
| May 9 | Europe Day |
| May 11 | National Receptionist Day |
| May 12 | National Nurses Day Mother’s Day |
| May 15 | International Day of Families |
| May 16 | Love a Tree Day |
| May 17 | International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia National Bike to Work Day |
| May 18 | International Museum Day |
| May 24 | National Scavenger Hunt Day |
| May 25 | National Wine Day |
| May 27 | Heat Awareness Day & Memorial Day |
| May 28 | Hamburger Day |
| May 29 | Paperclip Day |
June
| June 1 | International Children’s Day Global Day of Parents |
| June 2 | National Leave the Office Early Day |
| June 3 | World Bicycle Day |
| June 5 | World Environment Day |
| June 6 | National Higher Education Day |
| June 7 | National Doughnut Day |
| June 8 | World Oceans Day National Best Friends Day |
| June 14 | World Blood Donor Day |
| June 16 | Father’s Day |
| June 19 | Juneteenth (Freedom Day) |
| June 20 | First Day of Summer |
| June 21 | International Yoga Day National Selfie Day World Music Day |
| June 27 | National Sunglasses Day |
| June 30 | Social Media Day |
July
| July 1 | International Joke Day |
| July 2 | World UFO Day |
| July 4 | Independence Day (United States) |
| July 7 | World Chocolate Day |
| July 11 | Cheer Up the Lonely Day |
| July 14 | Bastille Day – National Day in France |
| July 15 | Give Something Away Day |
| July 17 | World Emoji Day |
| July 18 | World Listening Day Nelson Mandela International Day |
| July 21 | National Ice Cream Day |
| July 24 | Tell an Old Joke Day |
| July 30 | International Day of Friendship |
August
| August 1 | World Wide Web Day Respect for Parents Day |
| August 2 | National Coloring Book Day |
| August 8 | International Cat Day |
| August 9 | National Book Lovers Day |
| August 10 | National Lazy Day |
| August 11 | National Sons and Daughters Day |
| August 12 | International Youth Day World Elephant Day |
| August 13 | International Lefthanders Day |
| August 14 | National Financial Awareness Day |
| August 15 | National Relaxation Day |
| August 16 | National Tell a Joke Day |
| August 19 | World Photo Day World Humanitarian Day |
| August 20 | National Lemonade Day |
| August 26 | National Dog Day National Women’s Equality Day |
September
| September 1 | World Letter Writing Day |
| September 2 | Labor Day |
| September 5 | International Day of Charity |
| September 6 | National Lazy Mom’s Day Read a Book Day |
| September 8 | International Literacy Day |
| September 11 | National Day of Service and Remembrance |
| September 12 | National Video Games Day |
| September 18 | International Equal Pay Day |
| September 21 | International Day of Peace |
| September 22 | Hobbit Day First Day of Fall |
| September 27 | World Tourism Day |
| September 30 | International Podcast Day |
October
| October 1 | International Coffee Day World Vegetarian Day |
| October 2 | International Day of Nonviolence |
| October 3 | National Techies Day |
| October 4 | National Taco Day World Animal Day World Smile Day |
| October 5 | World Teachers Day |
| October 8 | World Octopus Day |
| October 10 | World Mental Health Day World Sight Day |
| October 14 | National Dessert Day |
| October 15 | Global Handwashing Day |
| October 16 | Bosses Day World Food Day |
| October 24 | United Nations Day |
| October 25 | Greasy Foods Day |
| October 30 | Checklist Day |
| October 31 | Halloween |
November
| November 1 | World Vegan Day National Authors Day |
| November 4 | National Candy Day |
| November 8 | Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) Day |
| November 13 | World Kindness Day |
| November 14 | World Diabetes Day |
| November 16 | International Day for Tolerance |
| November 17 | International Students Day |
| November 19 | International Men’s Day National Entrepreneurs Day |
| November 20 | Universal Children’s Day |
| November 21 | World Hello Day |
| November 28 | Thanksgiving Day |
| November 29 | Black Friday |
| November 30 | Small Business Saturday Computer Security Day |
December
| December 1 | World AIDS Day |
| December 2 | Cyber Monday |
| December 3 | International Day of Persons with Disabilities |
| December 4 | National Cookie Day |
| December 5 | World Soil Day International Ninja Day |
| December 8 | Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day |
| December 10 | International Human Rights Day International Animal Rights Day Nobel Prize Day |
| December 11 | International Mountain Day |
| December 21 | First Day of Winter |
| December 23 | Festivus |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve |
| December 25 | Christmas Day Hanukkah Begins |
| December 31 | New Year’s Eve |
Sure, you’re equal parts excited and intimidated (make no mistakes, doing fresh content around all these holidays will demand mental horsepower).
At the outset, you may even have two valid objections to adopting a holidays calendar based content-approach for your social media accounts:
- This sounds like a lot of work; is it worth the effort?
- Given every brand would use the same calendar, does this make us look ‘average’ and ‘ordinary’?
Let’s address the first of these objections, and in doing so, we hope to have answered the second one too.
Is planning a social media content calendar based on holidays worth it?
The quick answer is: yes, planning a content calendar is 100% worth it.
Why? Let’s find out.
By design, the ‘social media holidays’ approach takes care of your content plan for the year.
With a social media holiday calendar for 2024, you won’t have to create and share content at the last minute.
You can plan ahead and batch-build your content. This saves you precious time in the long run.
At the same time, the social media holidays approach forces you to be consistent
Regular posting is crucial for audience engagement. A calendar ensures a steady stream of content. This keeps your brand at the forefront of your followers’ minds.
This approach promotes efficiency in how you prepare and schedule content for your socials
With a social media holiday calendar, team members can see the content pipeline, plan accordingly, and avoid duplicate efforts. We’ve seen it so many times; when you’re planning content for March (for instance), you’d hit upon some great ideas to use in October. This is so much better than dealing with the stress of an empty Google Sheet on the first day of the month.
This approach means you can experiment with different content formats in a balanced way
When we audit our clients’ Facebook content history, it’s common for us to find the content skewed towards a particular theme and type. That’s because the team or individual in charge of the account has no mechanism to challenge themselves to experiment in a deliberate yet balanced way.
We’ve always found that the decision to adopt a social media holiday calendar for a year naturally brings a spirit for experimentation.
With a holidays calendar, you can strike a balance between different types of content. You can create a perfect mix of promotional messages, industry insights, and engaging content. (Think polls, quizzes, or user-generated content).
Next up, we share some tips that can help you blend the social media holidays calendar into your content mix.
7 Tips for planning your social media holiday calendar
Now you know what holidays/events you can add to your social media holiday calendar. Remember, this holiday calendar will be a big part of your content calendar. Of course, the content calendar is the bigger unit.
Now, time for some tips to help you plan your social media content calendar for 2024. You can use the same method for any other year too.
Be yourself
Make sure your holiday posts fit your brand’s personality. For example, say your brand promotes sustainability. Mindlessly urging people to shop more just because it is ‘some special day’ won’t help. Instead, you can share tips to celebrate the day in an eco-friendly way.
Do more than just sales
Don’t just hawk your wares. Special days and holidays are all about fun. So show some behind-the-scenes action, share what your fans are up to, or run a fun holiday challenge.
Starbucks is one brand that gets this right. Their festive cup designs are a whole thing on social media. And that’s way more interesting than just announcing new drinks.
Involve your audience
Social media isn’t a one-way channel. Instead of blasting content, get users to engage with your brand on social media. Running campaigns that urge users to post branded content helps.
Then you can repost their posts to build loyalty and social proof during the holiday season.
Tell a story
Make people feel something with your posts. Special days and the holiday season are all about feelings. So don’t shy away from using emotions in your social media holiday calendar.
You can take cues from John Lewis. Every year, they come up with a beautiful ad that tells a touching story. It’s not just about selling stuff. It’s about capturing the true spirit of the holidays – love, friendship, and the joy of giving.
Jump on trends
You have a holiday post created in advance. But don’t forget to tweak it, if needed, as per the latest trends. Pay attention to trending topics and hashtags during the holidays. Include that trend in your social media posts.
Make it shareable
Create stuff that people can’t wait to share with their friends. Run contests, polls, or quizzes to get people talking and spread the word about your brand.
T-Mobile’s #GivingTWOgether campaign is a good example. They embraced the spirit of giving during the holiday season. How? By encouraging people to nominate someone for a holiday surprise. That’s how they got a lot of shares and engagement on their posts.
Measure and monitor
Don’t forget to keep track of how your social media posts are doing during special events and holidays.
See what gets likes and shares, and what flops. Use this info to tweak your strategy as you go.
Final Word
Planning to use this social media holiday calendar?
Don’t hesitate. Don’t wait. Don’t second-guess. Just do it.
Don’t stop at social posts. Roll out the flavor of social media holidays to your ads and emails too.
Don’t do it in halves. Go all in.
Need help create a comprehensive content calendar that can feed your social media marketing and email marketing efforts? Ask us for a no-obligations conversation and see how we’ve done exactly this for so many brands.
FAQs
How far in advance should I plan my social media content?
It depends on your content mix.
Ideally, aim for a 2-month buffer for evergreen content (topics that stay relevant).
For time-bound content, based on your social media holiday calendar, have at least a month’s worth of content pre-planned.
This gives you time to create high-quality content, schedule posts, and jump on new trends that come up.
What are the best times to post on social media?
The best times to post on social media vary by platform. Generally, the following times are known to work best:
Weekdays:
- Mornings: 8-10 AM
- Evenings: 6-9 PM
Weekends:
- 11 AM – 5 PM
Remember: Keep experimenting with posting times. Use the in-built platform analytics tools to see what works best for your audience.
Should I sync my email marketing with my social media holiday calendar?
Yes, absolutely! Social media posts and marketing emails can be a powerful combo.
You can create content for social media and emails based on the social media holiday calendar. Some tips for that include:
- Tease upcoming promotions with email hints. Then build social media buzz with fun, holiday-themed content.
- When the big day arrives, announce your offer on both platforms. Use social media to drive traffic to targeted email landing pages and vice versa.
Should I run Meta ads based on the social media holiday calendar?
Meta Ads can supercharge your holiday efforts.
Holidays are some of the busiest times on social media. So Facebook and Instagram ads along with organic content can help beat competition.
Plus, it helps make your ads more relevant and engaging. This is because they tie into topics that people are already talking about online.
When you join in on these conversations through your ads, you can get more people interested in your brand and increase interaction.
Is it necessary to create content for every holiday in the social media holiday calendar?
Absolutely not. You do not have to create content for every single holiday in the social media holiday calendar.
Instead, you should focus on the holidays that
- Align with your brand values,
- Most relevant to your industry,
- Resonate with your audience, and
- Provide opportunities to engage meaningfully.
Quality over quantity is key when it comes to creating holiday-themed content.