Ecommerce Holiday Calendar 2026: Key Dates & Marketing Ideas

The biggest sales weeks never “show up” on time if you plan late. That’s why this 2026 ecommerce holidays calendar exists.

It gives you the biggest US and global holidays in one place, so you can map launches, promotion holiday events, emails, ads, and inventory before the rush hits.

Major US Holidays & Sales Events (2026)

Jan 1 — New Year’s Day

Jan 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Feb 14 — Valentine’s Day

Feb 16 — Presidents’ Day (Washington’s Birthday)

May 10 — Mother’s Day

May 25 — Memorial Day

Jun 19 — Juneteenth

Jun 21 — Father’s Day

Jul 4 — Independence Day (Observed)

Sep 7 — Labor Day

Oct 12 — Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Oct 31 — Halloween

Nov 11 — Veterans Day

Nov 26 — Thanksgiving

Nov 27 — Black Friday

Nov 30 — Cyber Monday

Dec 25 — Christmas Day

✅ Q1 (Jan to Mar 2026)

Jan 1 (Thu) | New Year’s Day (US + Global)

People reset goals and spend on “fresh start” items.

Marketing ideas: Run a “New Year, New You” bundle. Send a restock email for top sellers with a simple “start strong” offer.

Jan 19 (Mon) | Martin Luther King Jr. Day (US)

A long weekend that often drives retail promos and home spending.

Marketing ideas: Do a 48-hour flash sale. Push “long-weekend essentials” collections (home, fitness, beauty, basics).

Feb 14 (Sat) | Valentine’s Day (US + Global)

Spikes in gifting (partners, friends, self-care).

Marketing ideas: Build “Gifts for your soulmate” pages. Add a gift wrap or “message card” upsell at the cart.

Feb 15 to Feb 23 | Spring Festival / Chinese New Year holiday week

Families travel, exchange gifts, and shop heavily before and during the holiday.

Marketing ideas: Launch a limited-time deal with promo codes. Promote red/gold limited-edition packaging or bundles.

Feb 16 (Mon) | Presidents’ Day (US)

Big promo weekend for retail, especially home and seasonal clearance.

Marketing ideas: Run a “Winter Clearance” sale with tiered discounts. Retarget site visitors with a 3-day deadline.

Feb 18 (Wed, estimated) | Ramadan begins (Global)

Shopping patterns shift toward evenings; gifting ramps up closer to Eid

Marketing ideas: Extend support hours and schedule evening email drops for MENA audiences. Create “Ramadan-ready” bundles (hosting, modest wear, pantry, gifting).

Around Mar 20 to Mar 21 (estimated) | Eid al-Fitr (Global)

Big celebration at the end of Ramadan with gifting and family meals.

Marketing ideas: Push gift sets and “arrives-in-time” shipping cutoffs. Offer a “buy more, gift more” bundle deal.

Mar 17 (Tue) | St. Patrick’s Day (US + Global)

Party theme spending and impulse buys pop.

Marketing ideas: Feature green-themed products or limited-edition variants.

✅ Q2 (Apr to Jun 2026)

Apr 3 (Fri) | Good Friday

Many shoppers slow down and prep for Easter weekend.

Marketing ideas: Promote “Easter hosting” bundles. Schedule earlier shipping reminders for weekend deliveries.

Apr 5 (Sun) | Easter

Family gatherings, gifting (kids), food and decor shopping.

Marketing ideas: Launch an “Easter basket” collection. Offer a cart freebie threshold (free gift over $X).

Apr 22 (Wed) | Earth Day (Global)

Sustainability messaging performs well.

Marketing ideas: Highlight eco-friendly SKUs and packaging. Run a “give back” promo (plant a tree, donate per order).

May 10 (Sun) | Mother’s Day (US)

Gifting spikes across beauty, jewelry, home, wellness.

Marketing ideas: Create “Gifts by personality” landing pages. Add “gift note” and “premium wrap” as checkout upsells.

May 25 (Mon) | Memorial Day (US)

Major sale weekend and start-of-summer shopping.

Marketing ideas: Run a 3-day sitewide sale with bundles. Promote summer essentials and “buy 2 save more” offers.

May 27 (Wed) | Eid al-Adha

Another peak gifting moment, especially in MENA/SEA.

Marketing ideas: Push premium gift bundles and fast shipping options. Segment by region and send culturally relevant creatives.

Jun 19 (Fri) | Juneteenth

More brands run community-focused campaigns and promos.

Marketing ideas: Spotlight Black-owned brands or creators (if relevant). Run a limited drop or collab-style promotion.

Jun 21 (Sun) | Father’s Day

Gifting spikes for gadgets, grooming, fitness, accessories

Marketing ideas: Build “Gifts for every type of dad” pages. Bundle add-ons at cart (warranty, accessories, gift kits).

✅ Q3 (Jul to Sep 2026)

Jul 3 (Fri, observed) | Independence Day holiday (US)

Long weekend buying for travel, outdoor, food, and summer gear.

Marketing ideas: Run a “4th of July weekend” sale with a hard cutoff. Promote outdoor bundles and fast-shipping SKUs.

Mid-July (TBA) | Amazon Prime Day season

Amazon usually announces dates closer to the event; plan for a mid-July surge anyway.

Marketing ideas: Run a competing “Prime Week” offer on your Shopify store. Increase retargeting budgets and promote bestsellers + bundles.

Aug 1 to Aug 31 | Back to School season (US + Canada)

Demand rises for basics, tech accessories, apparel, and home organization.

Marketing ideas: Create “school checklist” bundles. Offer tiered cart rewards (10% off $75, 15% off $150).

Sep 25 (Fri) | Mid-Autumn Festival (Global, strong in China/SEA)

Families gather and gift mooncakes and premium goods.

Marketing ideas: Push giftable bundles and premium packaging. Run “buy 2 gift 1” offers for gifting behavior.

Sep 7 (Mon) | Labor Day (US)

Major weekend with end-of-summer clearance.

Marketing ideas: Clear summer inventory with bundles. Promote “fall preview” items to move shoppers into the next season.

✅ Q4 (Oct to Dec 2026)

Oct 1 to Oct 7 | China National Day Golden Week

Massive travel and spending week; ecommerce volume shifts heavily.

Marketing ideas: If you ship to Asia, prep inventory and longer delivery promises. Run “Golden Week specials” with localized ads.

Oct (TBA) | Prime Big Deal Days style event (Amazon)

Amazon often runs a fall deal event; dates typically come later.

Marketing ideas: Plan a “Fall Deal Week” at your own store. Use cart bundles to protect margins (instead of high discounts).

Oct 31 (Sat) | Halloween (US + Global)

Costumes, decor, candy, party supplies spike.

Marketing ideas for Halloween: Launch themed collections early (2–3 weeks ahead). Offer limited-time bundles (costume + accessory).

Nov 8 (Sun) | Diwali (Global, huge in India + diaspora)

Festival of lights with gifting, new purchases, and family celebrations.

Marketing ideas: Push gift bundles and premium packaging. Run “Diwali week” offers with clear shipping cutoffs.

Nov 11 (Wed) | Veterans Day (US)

Many retailers run promotions and appreciation campaigns.

Marketing ideas: Offer an appreciation discount. Promote practical, high-utility bundles.

Nov 11 (Wed) | Singles’ Day 11.11 (Global)

One of the biggest ecommerce deal days, driven by marketplaces and major promos.

Marketing ideas: Run a “Double 11” flash promo with bundles. Use volume discounts to lift AOV.

Nov 26 (Thu) to Nov 30 (Mon) | Thanksgiving to BFCM

Peak shopping stretch of the year, from family travel to nonstop deals.

Marketing ideas: Plan a full promo calendar (early access and during the BFCM weekend). Add cart-first offers like free gifts, bundles, and tiered rewards to lift AOV.

Dec 25 (Fri) + 19th December | Christmas + Super Saturday

Last-minute gifting and end-of-year buying.

Marketing ideas: Promote digital gift cards heavily in the final week. Run “last shipping day” countdowns by region.

Dec 26 (Sat) | Boxing Day (Global, big in UK/Canada/AU)

Post-Christmas markdown shopping spikes.

What is the 4-5-4 Calendar for Ecommerce?

A 4-5-4 calendar is a retail fiscal calendar that splits the year into quarters made of 13 weeks. Each quarter follows a simple pattern: 4 weeks, then 5 weeks, then 4 weeks.

Example: 4-5-4 calendar for “Retail Year 2026”

Q1 (13 weeks = 4 + 5 + 4)

Period 1 (4 weeks): Feb 1 – Feb 28, 2026

Period 2 (5 weeks): Mar 1 – Apr 4, 2026

Period 3 (4 weeks): Apr 5 – May 2, 2026

Period 4 (4 weeks): May 3 – May 30, 2026

Period 5 (5 weeks): May 31 – Jul 4, 2026

Period 6 (4 weeks): Jul 5 – Aug 1, 2026

Period 7 (4 weeks): Aug 2 – Aug 29, 2026

Period 8 (5 weeks): Aug 30 – Oct 3, 2026

Period 9 (4 weeks): Oct 4 – Oct 31, 2026

Period 10 (4 weeks): Nov 1 – Nov 28, 2026

Period 11 (5 weeks): Nov 29, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027

Period 12 (4 weeks): Jan 3 – Jan 30, 2027

Benefits of the 4-5-4 calendar

Better performance tracking because you compare the same number of selling days each period.

More accurate track on revenue, conversion rate, and CAC trends (no 28-day vs 31-day mismatch)

Easier promo planning since you map launches and campaigns to predictable weekly cycles.

Smoother execution for email flows, paid budgets, and creative calendars because timelines stay consistent

Better inventory planning because buying and replenishment align with fixed weeks

Major Tips for Using Retail Advertising Calendar

Lock your ecommerce holiday calendar and plan your inventory early so you are not scrambling at the last minute.

Match budgets to seasonal demand and past performance, then scale what converts best.

Build themed bundles, gift sets, and limited drops to lift AOV without relying only on discounts.

Coordinate shipping cutoffs with carriers and warehouses, then communicate deadlines clearly on site and in emails.

Plan Your Ecommerce Holiday Calendar for 2026

You don’t need to run a promotion for every holiday. You just need to show up strong for the ones your customers actually care about.

Plan early, keep your offers simple, and repeat the campaigns that move revenue.

FAQs for Ecommerce Holiday Calendar

1. What is the 4-5-4 calendar in ecommerce?

The 4-5-4 calendar is a retail marketing calendar where each quarter has 13 weeks split into 4 weeks, 5 weeks, then 4 weeks, so you can compare similar selling days and weekends.

2. When are the major upcoming holidays in 2026?

In the US, the biggest sales moments are Jan 1 (New Year’s Day), May 25 (Memorial Day), Jul 4 (Independence Day), Sep 7 (Labor Day), Oct 31 (Halloween), Nov 26 (Thanksgiving), Nov 27 (Black Friday), Nov 30 (Cyber Monday), Dec 25 (Christmas).

3. Why should you plan your marketing campaign early every time?

Early planning gives you time to lock inventory and create offers before competitors, so you avoid last-minute campaigns.

4. What is an ecommerce holiday calendar?

It’s a curated list of the holidays and key moments that matter to your customers, mapped across the year so you can plan each campaign’s timing and channels.

5. What are some of the best tips for promotion during major holidays?

Start early, lead with bundles or gift sets to lift AOV, and use clear urgency like shipping deadlines and “ends tonight” messaging instead of only huge discounts.

6. What is the most celebrated holiday in the world?

In terms of religion, Christmas is the most celebrated festival. In terms of a global event, the New Year is the most widely celebrated holiday.

About the author

Vineet Nair

Vineet is an experienced content strategist with expertise in the ecommerce domain and a keen interest in Shopify. He aims to help Shopify merchants thrive in this competitive environment with technical solutions and thoughtfully structured content.

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