Holiday Instagram calendar for independent shops, November 2026 to October 2027

Holidays are the easiest posts to plan, because you know the dates a year ahead. The hard part is remembering them in a busy week, then finding a photo, writing the caption and getting your hours right. This calendar gives you every date that matters for a small shop in the US and Canada, from November 2026 to October 2027. Each one comes with what to post and when to post it.

Every date below was checked against government holiday lists and other primary sources (listed at the end). Holidays move every year, so check back. The “Updated” date at the top tells you when we last looked.

How to use this calendar

You need three posts for most holidays:

1. Two weeks out: the idea post. Show a product that fits the day — a gift, a treat, something for the table. This is the post that sells.
2. Seven days out: the hours post. Say plainly if you’re open, closing early or closed. Regulars plan around it.
3. The day before: a Story. One frame with your hours or a last-call reminder. Stories catch the people who missed the post.

Not every date needs all three. A public holiday when you keep your usual hours needs nothing at all. A long weekend when you close early needs the hours post and the Story. The big shopping days below need all three.

Shortcut: ShelfSocial has the US and Canada holiday list built in. You confirm regular, special or closed hours for each date, and it drafts the hours post 7 days before and a Story reminder the day before. See holiday hours posts or Holidays and hours.

The big four for independent shops

1. Small Business Saturday — Saturday, November 28, 2026

This is the one day of the year when shoppers go looking for independent shops. It falls on the Saturday after US Thanksgiving. Don’t make it just a discount post. Tell people why your shop is worth the trip: something only you carry, your own pick of the season, and your hours. Post a first look on November 21, your hours on November 27, and a Story that morning.

2. December — Hanukkah to New Year’s Eve

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026. Then come Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24), Christmas Day (Friday, December 25), Boxing Day in Canada (Saturday, December 26) and New Year’s Eve (Thursday, December 31). That’s your busiest stretch of posting. Plan one gift-idea post a week from late November, then switch to hours as the month closes. Most shops change their hours at least twice in December, and that’s where people get caught out.

3. Valentine’s Day — Sunday, February 14, 2027

Florists, bakeries, chocolate and gift shops do most of their February trade in the ten days before. Start on February 1 with gift ideas under a clear price. Then post an order cut-off around February 10 if you take pre-orders. It falls on a Sunday in 2027, so if you close on Sundays, say so early.

4. Mother’s Day — Sunday, May 9, 2027

It’s the same day in the US and Canada, and it’s a big day for flowers, gifts, books and treats. Post a small gift guide from April 25 (three products, three prices), an order cut-off around May 5, and your Sunday hours the week before.

The calendar: November 2026 to October 2027

Date	Day	Holiday	Where	What to post	When to post it
Nov 11, 2026	Wed	Remembrance Day / Veterans Day	Both	Not a sales day. Your hours if they change, or a short respectful note.	Hours Nov 4 · Story Nov 10
Nov 26, 2026	Thu	Thanksgiving	US	Your hours, plus what to pick up before you close.	Ideas Nov 12 · hours Nov 19 · Story Nov 25
Nov 27, 2026	Fri	Black Friday	Both	Any offer, said plainly: what, how much, until when.	From Nov 20
Nov 28, 2026	Sat	Small Business Saturday	US	Why shop here: your pick, what only you carry, your hours.	First look Nov 21 · hours Nov 27 · Story that morning
Dec 4, 2026	Fri	Hanukkah begins at sundown (to Dec 12)	Both	Gift ideas and gift wrap, with a warm greeting.	From Nov 27
Dec 24, 2026	Thu	Christmas Eve	Both	Hours (often an early close) and last-minute gifts.	Ideas Dec 10 · hours Dec 17 · Story Dec 23
Dec 25, 2026	Fri	Christmas Day	Both	Closed, with a short greeting.	Hours Dec 18
Dec 26, 2026	Sat	Boxing Day	Canada	Hours, and any sale said plainly.	Hours Dec 19 · Story Dec 25
Dec 31, 2026	Thu	New Year’s Eve	Both	Hours, and what to pick up before you close. No party scenes.	Hours Dec 24 · Story Dec 30
Jan 1, 2027	Fri	New Year’s Day	Both	Closed or holiday hours, with a thank-you for the year.	Hours Dec 26 · Story Dec 31
Jan 18, 2027	Mon	Martin Luther King Jr. Day	US	Hours if they change. A respectful note if you post.	Jan 11
Feb 6, 2027	Sat	Lunar New Year	Both	Gift sets and a greeting; red-and-gold styling suits it.	Jan 30
Feb 14, 2027	Sun	Valentine’s Day	Both	Gift ideas with prices, then an order cut-off.	Ideas Feb 1 · cut-off Feb 10 · Story Feb 13
Feb 15, 2027	Mon	Presidents’ Day · Family Day (AB, BC, NB, ON, SK) · Louis Riel Day (MB) · Islander Day (PE) · Heritage Day (NS)	US and provinces	Hours for the long weekend.	Feb 8
Mar 17, 2027	Wed	St Patrick’s Day	Both	A product styled in green. No drinking scenes.	Mar 10
Mar 26, 2027	Fri	Good Friday	Canada	Hours.	Mar 19
Mar 28, 2027	Sun	Easter Sunday	Both	Easter treats and gifts, spring colours, your hours.	Ideas Mar 14 · hours Mar 21
May 9, 2027	Sun	Mother’s Day	Both	A small gift guide, then an order cut-off.	Ideas Apr 25 · cut-off May 5 · hours May 2
May 24, 2027	Mon	Victoria Day · National Patriots’ Day (QC)	Canada	Hours for the first long weekend of summer.	May 17
May 31, 2027	Mon	Memorial Day	US	Not a sales day. Hours or a respectful note.	May 24
Jun 19, 2027	Sat	Juneteenth (federal holiday observed Fri, Jun 18)	US	Hours if they change. A respectful note if you post.	Jun 11
Jun 20, 2027	Sun	Father’s Day	Both	Gift ideas with prices.	Ideas Jun 6 · hours Jun 13
Jun 21, 2027	Mon	National Indigenous Peoples Day	Canada (holiday in NT and YT)	Hours where it’s a holiday. A respectful note if you post.	Jun 14
Jun 24, 2027	Thu	Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day	Quebec	Hours.	Jun 17
Jul 1, 2027	Thu	Canada Day	Canada	Hours, and a product styled in red and white.	Jun 24
Jul 4, 2027	Sun	Independence Day (observed Mon, Jul 5)	US	Hours, and picnic-ready products.	Jun 27
Aug 2, 2027	Mon	Civic Holiday (BC Day, Saskatchewan Day, New Brunswick Day and others)	Most provinces, not QC	Hours for the long weekend.	Jul 26
Sep 6, 2027	Mon	Labor Day / Labour Day	Both	Hours, and end-of-summer or back-to-school picks.	Aug 30
Sep 30, 2027	Thu	National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	Canada	Not a sales day. Hours or a respectful note.	Sep 23
Oct 11, 2027	Mon	Thanksgiving (Canada) · Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day (US)	Both	Canada: hours and something for the table. US: hours if they change.	Ideas Sep 27 · hours Oct 4
Oct 31, 2027	Sun	Halloween	Both	Treats, autumn looks, and your hours if you close early.	Ideas Oct 17 · hours Oct 24

Month by month: short notes

• November: Remembrance Day and Veterans Day come first. Keep that post quiet. Then build up to Thanksgiving week, which in the US is also Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
• December: this is your busiest month for hours. Post them for each closure, not once for the whole month.
• January: a quiet month. Post new stock, a thank-you, and your hours for MLK Day if they change.
• February: Lunar New Year, then Valentine’s Day, then a long weekend for most of the US and Canada on February 15.
• March and April: St Patrick’s Day, then Easter on March 28. Easter is early in 2027, so spring posts start in early March.
• May: Mother’s Day on May 9, then Victoria Day in Canada and Memorial Day in the US.
• June and July: Father’s Day, then three national days in under a week: Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Canada Day and Independence Day. Shops on both sides of the border can post a single summer-hours update.
• August and September: the Civic Holiday, then Labour Day and back to school. Keep September 30 quiet.
• October: Canadian Thanksgiving on October 11 and Halloween on October 31. Then the cycle starts again with Small Business Saturday.

Liquor shops: keep holiday posts to the product and your hours. Leave out glasses being raised and party scenes, especially on New Year’s Eve and St Patrick’s Day, and keep the “Please enjoy responsibly.” line on.

Which dates matter most for your shop

• Florists: Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are your year. Post order cut-offs early, and add Easter and Christmas Eve.
• Bakeries and cafés: Thanksgiving (both countries), Christmas Eve, Lunar New Year and Easter. Pre-order posts work best.
• Gourmet and food shops: December hampers, both Thanksgivings, and gift boxes for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
• Boutiques: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
• Bookshops: December gifts, Father’s Day and back to school.
• Convenience stores: long weekends and summer holidays. Your hours post matters more than anything else.
• Liquor shops: both Thanksgivings, December and Canada Day or July 4. Always keep the responsible line on.

Sources for dates

• US federal holidays: U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Federal Holidays
• Canadian public holidays: Canada.ca — Public holidays (Canada Revenue Agency) and Canada.ca — general holidays for federally regulated employees; 2027 provincial dates cross-checked with canada-holidays.ca
• Small Business Saturday (the Saturday after US Thanksgiving): American Express — Small Business Saturday
• Mother’s Day and Father’s Day: timeanddate.com — Mother’s Day in the United States (second Sunday in May; third Sunday in June for Father’s Day)
• Easter and Good Friday: timeanddate.com — Easter Sunday
• Hanukkah: timeanddate.com — Chanukah (first day)
• Lunar New Year: timeanddate.com — Chinese New Year