Christmas Social Media Posts for Local Businesses
A dated December 2026 plan built backwards from order cut-offs, carrier dates and closures, with posts by business type and wording for fully booked and closed.
Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday. In the UK the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December, and New Year's Day is also a Friday. In the US, USPS recommends sending Ground Advantage parcels by Thursday 17 December for delivery before the 25th. Those few dates decide your December posts more than any list of festive ideas.
So this plan works backwards: from your last order day, last appointment, last delivery and the day you reopen, to the posts that lead up to each one. It is dated for 2026, with each weekday checked, and it ends with wording for the two posts every busy business needs: 'we're fully booked' and 'we're closed'.
The fixed dates for December 2026
| Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 26 Nov | US Thanksgiving (federal holiday) | OPM |
| Thu 17 Dec | USPS: send Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by today for expected delivery before 25 December (contiguous US) | USPS |
| Fri 18 Dec | USPS: Priority Mail send-by date. UK: Royal Mail 2nd Class last posting date | USPS; Post Office (UK) |
| Sat 19 Dec | USPS: Priority Mail Express send-by date. UK: Royal Mail Tracked 48 | USPS; Post Office (UK) |
| Mon 21 Dec | UK: Royal Mail 1st Class and Tracked 24; Parcelforce express48 | Post Office (UK) |
| Tue 22 Dec | UK: Parcelforce express24 | Post Office (UK) |
| Wed 23 Dec | UK: Royal Mail Special Delivery | Post Office (UK) |
| Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Eve: not on the OPM or GOV.UK holiday lists, but many businesses close early | OPM; GOV.UK |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day: US federal holiday and UK bank holiday | OPM; GOV.UK |
| Sat 26 Dec | Boxing Day (falls on a Saturday, so the UK bank holiday moves to Monday) | GOV.UK |
| Mon 28 Dec | UK: Boxing Day substitute bank holiday (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) | GOV.UK |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day: US federal holiday and UK bank holiday | OPM; GOV.UK |
| Mon 4 Jan 2027 | Scotland: 2 January substitute bank holiday | GOV.UK |
For observances and marketing days across the rest of the year, use our social media calendar with real dates. This post is only about December deadlines.
Work out your own cut-off first
Your customers do not need the carrier's date. They need yours, which is earlier. Use one simple formula for each thing you sell or book.
Your cut-off date
Fill one line per product or service.
- Shipped orders
- Carrier's last send date, minus your packing time, minus one spare working day
- Pre-orders and collection
- Last collection day, minus your production time, minus one day for changes
- Appointments
- The last slot in your book before you close, and the date you will post 'fully booked'
- Gift cards
- Physical cards: same as shipped orders. Email gift cards: up to the last minute, if your system sends them automatically
- Reopening
- The first day you open, the hours, and when online orders ship again
Example, for a fictional gift shop in Ohio shipping with USPS Ground Advantage: the carrier date is Thursday 17 December. The shop needs one working day to pack, so orders must be in by Wednesday morning. With one spare day, the shop's own cut-off is Tuesday 15 December at 2 PM. Every post in the plan below counts down to that time, not to the 17th.
The December 2026 plan, dated
This plan suits a business that takes orders, bookings or both. Drop the rows that do not apply. Times are in your local time zone. Rows marked 'do' are tasks, not posts.
| Date | Post or task | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 16 Nov | Post: Christmas bookings and pre-orders are open. Party menus, gift memberships, holiday appointments, hotel stays: the date your book opens. | Everyone who books ahead |
| Thu 19 Nov | Do: decide holiday hours, closure days, last order and last appointment. Write them on one sheet. | You and your team |
| Tue 24 Nov | Post: gift guide or gift-card post, before the long US weekend. | Shops, gyms, salons, spas, hotels |
| Fri 27 Nov to Sat 28 Nov | Post (only if you take part): your Black Friday or Small Business Saturday offer. The calendar post has the dates for both. | US businesses |
| Tue 1 Dec | Post: every December deadline in one post, then pin it: last order to ship, last pre-order, last appointment, holiday hours to follow. | Everyone |
| Mon 7 Dec | Post: holiday hours, first time. Update your Google listing the same day. | Everyone |
| Thu 10 Dec | Post: one week to your shipping cut-off. Salons: 'last few slots before Christmas', with dates. | Shops, salons |
| Mon 14 Dec | Post: '24 hours left to order for delivery'. Restaurants: last tables for the final weekend. | Shops, restaurants |
| Tue 15 Dec | Post (morning): last call, with your exact cut-off time. | Shops shipping in the US |
| Wed 16 Dec | Post: too late to ship? Email gift cards and local pickup until your last collection day. | Shops |
| Fri 18 Dec | Post: UK last-call for 2nd Class; US Priority Mail send-by date. Bakeries: pre-order book closing. | UK shops, bakeries |
| Mon 21 Dec | Post: 'fully booked' where true, with the waitlist and the first free date. | Restaurants, salons, hotels |
| Tue 22 Dec | Post: holiday hours, second time. Say which days you are closed in the first line. | Everyone |
| Wed 23 Dec | Post: last collection day and late gift ideas you can still sell: email gift cards, vouchers, gift memberships. | Shops, bakeries, florists |
| Thu 24 Dec | Post (scheduled): short hours today and the closure message. | Everyone |
| Fri 25 Dec | Optional: a short seasonal greeting, scheduled. No offers. | Everyone |
| Sat 26 Dec | Post: Boxing Day hours or sale (UK); returns, exchanges and gift-card spending (everywhere). | Shops, restaurants |
| Mon 28 Dec | Post (UK): bank holiday hours. | UK businesses |
| Tue 29 Dec | Post: New Year's Eve bookings and hours. | Restaurants, bars, hotels |
| Thu 31 Dec | Post (scheduled): closed tomorrow, back on [date]. | Everyone who closes |
| Mon 4 Jan 2027 | Post: we're open, January hours, first offers of the year. Scotland: check hours for the substitute holiday. | Everyone |
That is about eighteen posts in seven weeks, a little more than a normal month for most local businesses. If that is too many, keep the 1 December deadline post, both holiday-hours posts, the closure post and the reopening post. Those five do the most work. For how many posts suits you the rest of the year, see how often to post.
What each type of business should post
| Business | Posts that earn their place | The deadline behind them |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or bar | Party bookings with group size and deposit terms; the set menu course by course; 'last tables' for each weekend; New Year's Eve menu | Booking cut-off, deposit deadline, final menu change date |
| Café or bakery | Pre-order menu with collection slots; 'order book closes [date]'; sold-out notice; holiday hours | Last pre-order day and last collection day |
| Salon, barber or spa | Holiday slots released on a set day; extended evening hours; gift vouchers; 'fully booked' with a cancellation list | Last appointment before you close |
| Gym or studio | Gift memberships and class packs; holiday timetable; January start date for new members | Last day to buy a gift membership in time to give it |
| Shop or boutique | Gift guides by price; shipping cut-off countdown; click and collect; holiday returns window | Your own shipping cut-off and last collection day |
| Hotel or B&B | Christmas and New Year stays; gift stays; check-in times on 24 and 31 December; restaurant hours for non-residents | Booking deadline for set dinners; gift voucher postage date |
| Florist | Wreaths and table arrangements; delivery days and zones; last delivery date | Last delivery day and last order time |
Industry guides with more detail: restaurant, bakery, spa gift vouchers and gym.
Gift cards: the post that works after every cut-off
Once shipping has closed, gift cards are what a late shopper can still buy from you. Post them three times: with the gift guide in late November, the day after your shipping cut-off, and on 23 December.
- Say how it arrives. 'Sent by email within minutes' or 'pick up at the counter until 4 PM on 24 December'.
- Give amounts or what it buys. '$50, or a cut and finish' is easier to choose than 'any amount'.
- State the terms in plain words: where it can be used, whether it can be split across visits, and how long it lasts.
- Never write 'never expires' unless your terms and your local law both say so.
Wording for 'fully booked', closures and reopening
These are the posts customers screenshot and send to each other, so the facts go in the first line. Copy the wording and replace the brackets with confirmed details.
Fully booked (restaurant)
- First line
- We're fully booked on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December. Thank you.
- Alternative
- Tables are still free on [dates]. Lunch on [day] has the most space.
- Waitlist
- For cancellations, message us your name, party size and preferred time. We'll reply in order.
Fully booked (salon, barber, spa)
- First line
- Every appointment before Christmas is now taken.
- Next free date
- Our first free slots are on [date]. Book now to start the new year with [service].
- Cancellation list
- Want a call if a slot opens up? Reply with your name and the service.
Pre-orders closed or sold out
- First line
- Our Christmas pre-order book is now closed.
- Detail
- If you've ordered, collection is on [day and date] between [times]. Bring your order number.
- Without a pre-order
- We'll have a small amount on the counter from [time] on [date], first come, first served.
Christmas closure
- First line
- We close at 3 PM on Thursday 24 December and reopen at 9 AM on Tuesday 29 December.
- Orders and messages
- Online orders placed while we're closed will ship on 29 December. Messages will be answered the same day.
- Still available
- Email gift cards can be bought any time at [where].
Reopening
- First line
- We're open again from [time] on [day and date].
- What's new
- January hours are [hours]. [One thing that is new, or simply what is back.]
- Gift cards
- Got one of our gift cards? Here's how to book or spend it: [how].
Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and many local customers will not. For inclusive greetings and when to say 'happy holidays', see festival and holiday posts.
December mistakes that cost bookings
- Posting the carrier's date as yours. Customers who order on the carrier's last day will expect delivery. Post your own, earlier cut-off.
- Scheduled posts that outlive the stock. A 'still available' post scheduled two weeks ago will run after you sell out. If you use a scheduler or KeepsPosted's Autopilot, check what is queued from 21 December to 4 January and pause anything that promises stock or tables you no longer have.
- Hours on Instagram that differ from Google and Facebook. Update all of them on the same day.
- Closure posts without a reopening date. People need to know when to come back.
- 'Fully booked' with no next step. Always give the next free date or a waitlist.
- Going silent from 24 December to 4 January while orders and messages pile up. One scheduled post saying when you will reply is enough.
Common questions
When should a local business start Christmas posts?
Six to seven weeks before Christmas for anything people book or order ahead: mid-November in 2026. Gift ideas can start in late November. Your cut-off dates should be posted by 1 December.
What is the last shipping day for Christmas 2026?
USPS recommends sending Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Thursday 17 December, Priority Mail by Friday 18 December and Priority Mail Express by Saturday 19 December in the contiguous US. In the UK, the Post Office lists Royal Mail 2nd Class by Friday 18 December and 1st Class by Monday 21 December. Your own cut-off should be earlier, and other carriers set their own dates.
Should I post on Christmas Day?
Only if it is useful or sincere: a short scheduled greeting, or a note that you are closed and when you reopen. Skip offers on the day.
How do I say we're fully booked without losing customers?
Put the full dates in the first line, then give the next free dates and a waitlist or cancellation list. People who cannot book now often book for January if you offer them a date.
Sources
- USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines (contiguous US send-by dates) (checked 12 Nov 2026)
- Post Office (UK): Last posting dates 2026 (Royal Mail and Parcelforce) (checked 12 Nov 2026)
- Royal Mail: Christmas last posting dates (did not load for us; check directly) (checked 12 Nov 2026 (page did not load))
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays (December 2026 and January 2027) (checked 12 Nov 2026)
- OPM: Federal holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026, New Year's Day 2027) (checked 12 Nov 2026)
- CFPB: Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.20, requirements for gift cards and gift certificates (checked 12 Nov 2026)
Written by the KeepsPosted editorial team from the carrier, government and regulator pages listed, read on 12 November 2026, with AI assistance for drafting; every weekday was checked against the 2026 calendar. The dated plan, cut-off formula, post types and wording are our own suggestions, and the gift shop is a fictional example.
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