Holidays and special events can be an easy win for a quick promotion. Everybody likes to celebrate, from major holidays to quirky, industry-specific celebrations.

As a small business, you can use holidays to your advantage by tying in promotions or incentives. To help you plan ahead, we’ve created a list of holidays by month for you to take advantage of.

How to Promote Small Business Holidays

Text message marketing makes it easy to promote your small business with holidays. Here are a few example on how to run your promotion:

• Use a special discount or promotion related to the holiday. For example, send a text letting your audience know that they can get a free scoop of ice cream with their meal for National Ice Cream Day. This can be a promotion available to everyone, or you can require customers to show your text message at the register.
• Give people an incentive for bringing something to your location. For example, customers who bring in their pet on National Pet Day get 10% off their order.
• Give something away! Let your customers know that the first 100 people through your doors on July 4 will receive a free mini flag.

The Holidays

Note: You can also download this entire list as a PDF that you can save or print out. Click here to download the PDF.

April 2017

Apr. 1: April Fool’s Day
Apr. 2: World Autism Awareness Day
Apr. 5: National Walking Day
Apr. 11: National Pet Day
Apr. 16: Easter
Apr. 18: National Tax Day
Apr. 20: Get to Know Your Customers Day
Apr. 22: Earth Day
Apr. 23: National Picnic Day
Apr. 30: International Jazz Day

May 2017

May 2: Thank a Teacher Day
May 4: Star Wars Day
May 4: International Firefighters Day
May 5: Cinco de Mayo
May 6: National Nurses Day
May 7: National Lemonade Day
May 14: Mother’s Day
May 15: International Day of Families
May 28: Hamburger Day
May 29: Memorial Day

June 2017

June 1: Global Day of Parents
June 1: International Children’s Day
June 2: National Donut Day
June 6: Higher Education Day
June 18: Father’s Day
June 21: National Selfie Day
June 21: First Day of Summer

July 2017

July 4: Independence Day
July 7: World Chocolate Day
July 15: Give Something Away Day
July 17: National Ice Cream Day
July 30: International Day of Friendship

August 2017

Aug. 13: International Lefthanders Day
Aug. 16: National Tell a Joke Day

September 2017

Sept. 4: Labor Day
Sept. 5: International Day of Charity
Sept. 8: Stand Up To Cancer Day
Sept. 10: Grandparents Day
Sept. 19: Talk Like a Pirate Day
Sept. 22: First Day of Fall

October 2017

Oct. 1: International Coffee Day
Oct. 1: World Vegetarian Day
Oct. 4: National Taco Day
Oct. 14: National Dessert Day
Oct. 16: World Food Day
Oct. 31: Halloween

November 2017

Nov. 1: World Vegan Day
Nov. 3: National Sandwich Day
Nov. 4: National Candy Day
Nov. 8: National Cappuccino Day
Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Nov. 23: Thanksgiving
Nov. 24: Black Friday
Nov. 25: Small Business Saturday
Nov. 26: National Cake Day
Nov. 27: Cyber Monday
Nov. 28: National Day of Giving

December 2017

Dec. 1: National Pie Day
Dec. 4: National Cookie Day
Dec. 21: First Day of Winter
Dec. 25: Christmas
Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve

January 2018

Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
Jan. 4: National Trivia Day
Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan. 20: Cheese Lovers Day
Jan. 24: Beer Can Appreciation Day

February 2018

Feb. 2: Groundhog Day
Feb. 4: Super Bowl Sunday
Feb. 9: National Pizza Day
Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day

March 2018

Mar. 14: National Potato Chip Day
Mar. 17: St. Patrick’s Day
Mar. 23: National Chip and Dip Day
Mar. 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day