Important Dates for the Festive Season: Share Yours!

[Helen]

The summer is nearly over and the festive season will be here before you know it! But fear not, there is still plenty of time to prepare your business for the busy winter season. 

We’ve compiled this calendar of important dates for Autumn-Winter 2022. 

From updating inventory online and scheduling staff to handle ‘the holiday rush’ and preparing social media content and marketing campaigns to remembering to update your business hours, having a date to focus on can make all the difference. 

The table below includes many holidays, some public and some not public. This is not a complete list, but that’s where you come in: let us know what key dates or deadlines are you working towards for the holiday season? 

🥇Bonus Treasure Hunt: Which countries celebrate two different holidays on the exact same date this year? Share answers below. Winners will receive...kudos!

Important dates for Autumn-Winter 2022

Where?	Holiday Name and Date
🇺🇸	Labor Day - Monday, September 5 2022 In the US Labor Day is the first Monday in September. The unofficial last day of summer in the US; many seasonal businesses will close after this date.
🇯🇵	Health and Sports Day - Monday, October 10, 2022 This Japanese holiday (second Monday of October) commemorates the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, promotes sports and an active lifestyle.
🇨🇦	Canadian Thanksgiving - Monday, October 10, 2022  Every year on the second Monday in October Canadians gather for Thanksgiving.
🇯🇵	Labor Day - Wednesday, November 23, 2022 This Japanese holiday originated as a harvest festival and has become a cross between US Labor Day and Thanksgiving holidays.
🇦🇺🇯🇵🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Halloween -  Monday, October 31, 2022  In the Republic of Ireland Halloween typically coincides with the October Bank Holiday and often with the end of daylight savings time. 😥
🇺🇸	US Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 24, 2022  Thanksgiving is a Big Deal in the US and people travel thousands of miles to get together with family. ✈️ 🚄 🏎
🇦🇺🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Christmas Eve -  Saturday, December 24, 2022  Not a public holiday in the US or Canada; a public holiday in many (most) European countries.
🇦🇺🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Christmas Day - Sunday December 25, 2022 There are so many ‘fun facts’ about Christmas it’s hard to know where to start! This is a good place: The real reason Father Christmas wears red and white.
🇦🇺🇪🇸🇫🇷🇬🇧🇮🇪	*The day after Christmas Day* - Monday December 26, 2022 Not a public holiday in the US. Referred to in a few different ways around the world: Boxing Day in the UK, Canada and Australia; St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland, Sant Esteve in Spain and Deuxième jour de Noël in France.
🇦🇺🇯🇵🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	New Year’s Day - Sunday, January 1, 2023 Celebrated in a variety of different ways around the world. Typically the last chance to catch a fireworks display for a few months!
🇪🇸	Día de Los Reyes (King’s Day) -  Friday, January 6, 2023 This holiday is unique to Spain where it is celebrated in a similar way to Christmas, people gather for a meal and exchange presents.

Looking forward to learning about your holidays. We’d also be interested to hear if you have a different name for any of the holidays listed above!

[#2]

Canadian Thanksgiving is just around the corner 🇨🇦 🎉! If you need it, we recently shared the steps to update your business hours.

Wishing everyone a great day (if you are celebrating), and good luck to anyone who has is busy in the run up to Monday! 

🇨🇦	Canadian Thanksgiving - Monday, October 10, 2022  Every year on the second Monday in October Canadians gather for Thanksgiving. ❤️

[#3]

Hi again.

Here is a summary of other important dates contributed by sellers from the Community and the Community team. Thank you to everyone who shared a date! 

Where?	Holiday name and date
🇦🇺🇯🇵🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Dia de los Muertos - Tuesday, November 1 to Wednesday November 2, 2022
🇬🇧	Guy Fawkes Night (UK only) - Saturday, November 5, 2022
🇺🇸	Pink Friday - Friday, November 18, 2022
🇺🇸	Small Business Saturday - Saturday November 27, 2022
🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺	Black Friday - Friday November 25, 2022
🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺	Cyber Monday - Monday November 28, 2022
🇦🇺🇯🇵🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Hanukkah - Sunday December 19 to Monday, December 26, 2022
🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺🇮🇪	Boxing Day - Monday, December 26, 2022. This is featured above but deserves another mention as it’s a major shopping day in several countries!

What have we missed? Is there an important date coming up in your community or in your industry? I’d love to hear about it and add it to the list! 

[Stacelyn24]

Okay the question has me stomped..that's a good one so I can't wait to see who actually gets it correct 🙂

My business is in the beauty industry so the upcoming months are going to be super busy and slammed.  First, I go in and mark off all approved time off...yes that they have to be in by September in order for the rest of the year to be planned out and go smoothly.  We take down spring decor and put up fall...making way for Halloween and Thanksgiving.  We may participate in Small Business Saturday this year so we have to plan for that...all seasonal services have to added to the menu, blogged about, and newsletters have to be written and scheduled...what else...oh holiday retail lol!

Thank you for the important dates 🙂

[Helen]

Wow busy busy - busy! I have to give you kudos anyway for sharing a great date for other sellers - Small Business Saturday! It looks like it's Saturday November 27 2022 and it's (always?) the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. Thank you @Stacelyn24!

[JUYBoutique20]

Don't forget about Pink Friday, Nov 18th.  It's put together in support of small businesses, so we don't have to compete with big box stores on Black Friday.

[Helen]

Great addition - and a great day by the looks of it! - thanks @JUYBoutique20!

[JUYBoutique20]

It definitely is.  

[Lovewell]

There is also Cyber Monday. For some businesses that are more online this could be a great day for them to do some online sales! Or even businesses that do small business Saturday in store and then cyber Monday deals online! 

[Helen]

Cyber Monday - November 28, 2022. Good call @Lovewell! Will you be participating in Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday (...and Black Friday) this year? 

[Lovewell]

We normally are Black Friday and Small Business Saturday Participators as well as being there to fuel everyone with caffeine as they head to bigger stores and begin holiday shopping!

[Helen]

You are doing important work @Lovewell! I'm reaching for the coffee pot at the very thought of holiday shopping ☕ (in a good way, I need love coffee!)

[Lovewell]

If I could send you one of our cozy christmas drinks when they debut, I absolutely would!!

[Helen]

Thanks, I appreciate the thought! 

[sugarlab]

Is your treasure hunt in that table? I've stared at it for too long and can't find the answer. HAHA 

I do know that Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas this year on the tail end. Hanukkah starting on December 19. We don't have too many Jewish clients in our area but I may try to reach them this year via shipping. Working on starting that soon so we can have it possibly for the holidays this year. 

[Helen]

It's there @sugarlab, see the replies below. 😁 

Ooh Hanukkah, good addition. According to a quick Google search result it's Sunday December 18 to Monday December 26, 2022.

[Lovewell]

Monday October 10!!! Japan and Canada!!!!!

Health and Sports day for Japan and Canadian Thanksgiving!!!!!

[Lovewell]

Did we win!?

[Helen]

@Lovewell You win! 🎉 Thank you for playing!

[Helen]

Hi again.

Here is a summary of other important dates contributed by sellers from the Community and the Community team. Thank you to everyone who shared a date! 

Where?	Holiday name and date
🇦🇺🇯🇵🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Dia de los Muertos - Tuesday, November 1 to Wednesday November 2, 2022
🇬🇧	Guy Fawkes Night (UK only) - Saturday, November 5, 2022
🇺🇸	Pink Friday - Friday, November 18, 2022
🇺🇸	Small Business Saturday - Saturday November 27, 2022
🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺	Black Friday - Friday November 25, 2022
🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺	Cyber Monday - Monday November 28, 2022
🇦🇺🇯🇵🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧	Hanukkah - Sunday December 19 to Monday, December 26, 2022
🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺🇮🇪	Boxing Day - Monday, December 26, 2022. This is featured above but deserves another mention as it’s a major shopping day in several countries!

What have we missed? Is there an important date coming up in your community or in your industry? I’d love to hear about it and add it to the list! 

[Helen]

Canadian Thanksgiving is just around the corner 🇨🇦 🎉! If you need it, we recently shared the steps to update your business hours.

Wishing everyone a great day (if you are celebrating), and good luck to anyone who has is busy in the run up to Monday! 

🇨🇦	Canadian Thanksgiving - Monday, October 10, 2022  Every year on the second Monday in October Canadians gather for Thanksgiving. ❤️