Email marketing works best when you communicate regularly with your subscribers. To help you accomplish that goal and create your own email marketing calendar, we’ve put together a year’s worth of email marketing ideas that are tied to major holidays and nationally celebrated special days or events.
Although the major holidays usually receive the most attention from marketers, other dates are good candidates for email marketing. Among them are Federal holidays, religious holidays, and just plain “fun” holidays. In fact, it seems like there’s a “day,” “week,” or “month” that can be tied to almost any commercial products or services.
All those special commemorations make good tie-ins for sending promotions, coupons, or other customer communications. Here are some you may want to add to your email marketing calendar.
Email and Marketing Suggestions for January
New Year’s Day-January 1st
Of course, this is a well-known holiday, but marketers can miss promotions that will pay off, especially service promotions. For instance, New Year’s Day can leave a host or hostess seeking cleaning services before hosting a New Year’s Eve party, or to make their home livable again after the event.
New Year promotions are times for restaurants to shine. Specials should be offered early. Restaurants, delis and supermarkets can offer party platter delivery services, and wine and champagne gifts are great for a host or hostess.
Other types of businesses can offer promotions that help their clientele get the new year off to a great start by using their services. View more New Year email content ideas.
Emails should be sent out at least two weeks prior.
Orthodox Christian Christmas Eve and Christmas Day- January 6th-January 7th
This is missed by many marketers as the Orthodox Catholic and Christian faiths do not celebrate Christmas on December 25th, and Christmas Eve is not on December 24th. The dates are Christmas Eve being January 6th and Christmas Day being January 7th. There is gift-giving and the same types of celebrations occur but with slightly different foods.
Home Office Safety and Security Week – January 14 – January 20 (2024)
Self-employed and remote workers are responsible for keeping their home workspace safe and secure. Use this week to encourage your customers to keep their home workplace safe. Good products and services to promote this week include items such as fire extinguishers, virus and security software, anti-tip filing cabinets, and ergonomic chairs, desks and home office and self-employed insurance policies.
National Clean Off Your Desk Day January 8 (2024)
This is the perfect time to promote products and services that help home workers reduce clutter and be more organized. Email your customers offers for shelving, rolling or permanent file cabinets, and desk-organizing products. Document scanning and management, online project management tools, and other cloud-based collaborative tools can be tied in to this day.
National Dress Up Your Pet Day – January 14th
If you sell pet clothing, start promoting this day early. If you don’t sell pet items but have pet-lovers for customers, have a Dress Up Your Pet contest. Have customers post photos of their clothed pets on your social media site, then run a contest and ask visitors to vote for the best-dressed pet, or funniest outfit. Give a small prize to the winner, and a coupon for your store to everyone who participates.
National Bagel Day – January 15th
Who doesn’t love a good bagel? Ok, maybe some people don’t but according to one source more than 200 million Americans consume bagels each year. Thus, it’s not surprising that bagels have their own “day.” It’s a perfect time for bagel shops, diners, restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets to send out promotions. Bagel giveaways, coupons and BOGO are all promos that will be welcomed by your customers.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 15 (2024)
This Federal holiday commemorates the birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King. It falls on the third Monday of January each year. Community relations messages focusing on equality, community, and diversity are appropriate. Museums and libraries could promote collections featuring the life and work of this civil rights leader and social activist. This is not a day to commercialize, so steer clear of MLK-Day sales promos.
National Pie Day — January 23
Get new and returning customers into your restaurant or food establishment with pie-based promos. Restaurants can run promos offering a free slice of pie to customers who order a full meal. Bakeries can offer discounts on pies for the day. If you are a small business, reward your employees by giving them a pie break on this day. Order some pies from a local bakery, cut them into slices, and put them out in the break room or some other accessible area. Invite everyone to take a break and help themselves to a piece of pie.
Identity Theft Awareness Week — January 29-February 2
Identity theft can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, someone could steal your identity and use it to create fake accounts, steal tax refunds, and potentially have devastating effects on your finances. Mark this week by alerting your customers, and associates to things they can do to safeguard their identity.
Find more January email content ideas here.
Email and Marketing Suggestions for February
February is designated as the “National Month” for several causes and industries. Among the most notable are:
- Black History Month
- American Heart Month
- National Cancer Prevention Month
- Low Vision Awareness Month
- National Snack Food Month
There are also many days in the month that are good promotional opportunities. Here are some of them.
First Day of Black History Month-February 1st
This is a month-long celebration of black history and a time to recognize black businesses and other remarkable events that happened in the history of African Americans. Historical books on the journey towards freedom and movies are popular.
Groundhog Day-February 2nd
A ritual-type holiday where “Phil” the groundhog predicts spring by either seeing his shadow or not. Since spring is around the corner, landscaping businesses and other outdoor businesses should start promoting from this day onward. Gift cards for lawn care are a great idea and gifts for seeds and other plants can start being promoted.
National Pizza Day – February 9th
Pizza is another one of those foods everyone likes. From the standard cheese pizza to the Chicago deep dish pizzas, to thin-crust pizzas, there’s a variety and toppings to please just about everyone. Send out coupons, have a pizza eating contest, offer family specials, or free toppings.
Lunar New Year – February 10th
Lunar New Year is an important holiday for East and Southeastern Asian cultures. It’s a multi-day celebration with a start date that depends on the Lunar calendar. In 2024, it starts on February 10. Its a time of celebration, feasting, parades, and fireworks.
Lincoln’s Birthday-February 12th
This is a historical rather than national holiday. History buffs love this holiday and gifts can include memorabilia or books on the birth of the USA.
Super Bowl Sunday-February 11th
Time to cheer on your team and make sure promotions include mention of the Super Bowl and all types of gifts that are “team-related”. A big buying day for those that love football!
Don’t forget those who don’t enjoy football, though. Run a special during SuperBowl hours to attract them to your store, movie, or theater.
Mardi Gras – February 13th, 2024
Mardi Gras, often called Fat Tuesday, technically falls on the day before Lent each year. So, the actual date varies from year to year. But you don’t have to wait until the day before Lent to feature Mardi Gras specials and events. Many places start Mardi Gras celebrations the weekend before. In fact, in New Orleans, parade events leading up to Mardi Gras start about a month before Fat Tuesday.
Valentine’s Day-February 14th
Well, of course, this holiday of love everyone knows and gifts of flowers, chocolates, or even a nice dinner out are great promotions for both gift sellers and businesses such as restaurants. Even creative gifts such as a massage at a spa, or a “maid for a day” are great things to include in emails as a special promotion.
President’s Day/Washington’s Birthday February 19th
These two days are synonymous and are a National Holiday, so most government and other offices are closed. Because so many people are off from work on this day, it’s a good time for retailers and restaurateurs to run promotions. You can promote any type of product.
National Margarita Day February 22nd
Say olé to your bar or restaurant patrons by offering them a discount on Margaritas today.
March Email Marketing Ideas
Women’s History Month
The recognition of women’s contributions to society has grown over the years. According to Wikipedia, Women’s History Month started as Women’s History Day in California in 1978. Then, through the efforts of Gerda Lerner and the National Women’s History Alliance, it was expanded to a week-long celebration 1980, became a nationally recognized month in 1987.
It’s a great time to recognize women who have made significant contributions to your community or your industry. Write about them in a blog post or interview them in a podcast. If you sell products from women-owned businesses, feature that fact, and promote those products to your list.
Employee Appreciation Day-March 1st
In a world where “quiet quitters” and unengaged workers are concerning trends, employers need to let their employees know they are appreciated all through the year. But take the time to do something special on Employee Appreciation Day. Bring in lunch for your employees, or feature them in a customer newsletter. If you own a restaurant or florist or other local establishment, offer employers a discount for buying gifts to give their employees on this day.
St. Patrick’s Day-March 17th
This Irish holiday celebrates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Green party items sell well on St. Pat’s Day, as do green-colored bagels, corn beef and cabbage, St. Patrick-themed apparel, mugs, and items with shamrocks on them. Stores and restaurants could give a discount to customers dressed in green, hand out a green-colored carnation to customers, or put green stickers on discounted products.
Easter Sunday-March 31st
Easter, one of the most important Christian holidays, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a spiritual celebration, but it is also a national holiday – one that has become heavily commercialized. Candy, clothing, specialty baked-goods, flowers and gift items are all appropriate to promote. Start marketing weeks before Easter to take advantage of the opportunity. Spring promos also work during Easter season.
Read more email marketing ideas for March
April Email Marketing Calendar Ideas
Chocolate Mousse Day – April 3rd
You don’t have to own a restaurant to use National Chocolate Mousse Day to in your email marketing campaigns. If you’ve got a recipe site, send links to your top Chocolate Mousse recipes. Write an article about how chocolate Mousse and chocolate pudding are different. Tie it in to why your business is superior to low-cost alternatives.
National Siblings Day – April 10th
If you own a children’s boutique in the US or Canada, this is a great time to suggest parents bring their kids in to choose new clothes for the Spring and early Summer. (The day is called Brothers and Sisters Day in Europe and is celebrated there on May 31)
Two-for-the-price-of-one offers can work well on this day. So, too, can discounts for siblings who dine at your establishment or shop together. Sure, you may get some people pretending to be siblings. But who cares if you attract business you wouldn’t have had otherwise.
National Pet Day – April 11th
Promote all things related to pets on this day. Pet treats, pet accessories, pet health, and even pet-friendly vacation spots are all ideas you can promote to your email list and in other marketing efforts.
National Tea Day – April 21st
Tea is a drink enjoyed around the world. It’s enjoyed morning, noon, and night and comes in a variety of tasty flavors. If your business sells tea or tea pots or other accessories, plan discount or BOGO promotions for this day. Or, have a tea-tasting event.
Cross-promote your tea offers with related products that you sell. Or, team up and cross-promote one or more other small businesses in your community. For instance, if you sell teas, devise a cross-promotion with a bakery.
Passover – Evening April 22nd – Evening April 30th
Passover is an important Jewish holiday. If you sell Kosher foods, this is your time to shine. But other products to promote in the time leading up to Passover include gifts, clothing, jewelry, kitchenware, and household items.
Note: Passover and Easter week do not overlap this year, as they do many years.
Earth Day – April 22
Earth Day is a day to raise awareness of the dangers to our environment from pollution, climate change and other environmental issues. Consider educating your audience on the dangers of plastics and other pollutants. Gather facts to include in your mailing from the Earth Day website. Consider coordinating and sponsoring an event with your local community to clean up roadways, beaches and other public areas on this day.
Administrative Professionals Day-April 24th
The term, administrative professional, can be used to describe many different job titles in the workplace. That makes it a winner for marketing promotions. Items to promote as administrative assistant gifts run the gamut for gift cards, flowers and candy to hand lotions, books, funny tee-shirts, desk accessories and more. Start promotions to business owners early so they can choose and get the items in time to hand out to their employees.
World Penguin Day-April 25th
Set up a display about penguins and their habitat in your library, aquarium, zoo, or museum and then promote World Penguin day to your mailing list to bring in patrons. If you have a gift shop, offer a coupon for penguin stuffed animals or for any gifts or posters that have pictures of penguins on them.
National Small Business Week – April 28—May 4
Small business week is a US Small Business Administration-sponsored event that that recognizes contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. This is a good time for local Chambers of Commerce and other small business organizations to promote local businesses by recognizing their accomplishments and contributions to their communities. Link email campaigns to videos and social media campaign promoting small companies and urging shoppers to shop local.
Related: More email marketing ideas for April and May
May Email and Marketing Calendar Ideas
May is the month designated to raise awareness for several causes. Here are three, along with some email and promotional ideas.
- Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month: Offer your email subscribers educational resources on allergy and asthma management, discounts on air purifiers and medication, and allergy testing events.
- Arthritis Awareness Month: Joint pain relief product discounts, exercise classes tailored for arthritis patients, and educational sessions on managing arthritis are good email marketing ideas.
- Mental Health Awareness Month: Your non-profit or health organization could offer free mental health screenings, support groups, and educational campaigns on various mental health conditions.
Cinco de Mayo-May 5th
Cinco de Mayo us a holiday that celebrates the day Mexicans won the Battle of Puebla in the Franco-Mexican war. It’s become a popular holiday in the US to commemorate Mexican heritage. Restaurants do well promoting this holiday, and many Mexican restaurants arrange to have Mariachi singers to entertain diners. Overbooked for the 5th? Have a Cinco de Mayo Eve event to welcome diners and revelers the night before.
Orthodox Easter-May 5th, 2024
The date of this holiday varies from year to year. Promotional opportunities are similar to traditional Easter, but there is one beautiful (literally) difference: pysanky eggs. These are Ukranian Easter eggs, decorated in elaborate motifs. If you can find these to sell, they are worth promoting for any type of business as a “bonus” or as gift items at boutiques. Bakeries do a big business in specialty breads and goods on this day.
National Teachers Day – May 7th
Alert your audience to small gifts they could send to school to show how much they appreciate their children’s teachers. This is a good time to promote gift cards to your establishment, candy, or possibly gifts like flowers that can be planted outdoors.
Mother’s Day-May 12th
Celebrating “mom” leads to sales of candy, flowers, jewelry, housekeeping service certificates, almost everything. A busy day for all restaurants as well.
International Tea Day-May 21st
Yes, there’s an International Tea Day, too. (See April listings for the National Tea Day date.) May 21 is the date the United Nations recognizes as Tea Day. It’s a great time to promote your cafe, small restaurant, or store where you sell specialty teas and teapots. Another idea, give a gift of specialty teas to customers of other stores and boutiques when they make any purchase.
World Turtle Day-May 23rd
World turtle day is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue to promote protecting turtles and tortoises and their environments. Promotional ideas include everything from featuring tortoise garden statues and decorations to sponsoring wetlands and other habitat cleanups.
Memorial Day-May 27th
This is a memorial to all US veterans who have given their lives serving their country. although individuals celebrate all their loved ones on this day. Flags, flowers, and other gravesite decorations are big sellers. Memorial Day has also become the unofficial start of Summer in the US, marked by parties. It’s a good time to promote party goods as well as summer clothing, beach toys and more.
June Email Marketing Calendar Ideas
National Olive Day and National Dinosaur Day – June 1st
Use your imagination to work these days into email promotions. Perhaps hold a dinosaur drawing contest for kids, displaying the drawings in your establishment for a couple of weeks. Museums and libraries could promote books about dinosaurs and olives, or countries where olives are grown. Restaurants can run promos featuring food with olives.
National Donut Day-June 7th
Yum! If you sell donuts or food products, or you are a restaurant, send out an email marketing campaign offering your customers a free donut when they stop in or a discount on donut purchases.
World Oceans Day-June 8th
World Oceans Day was created in 1992 to celebrate the importance our oceans play in our lives. Because the world’s oceans are becoming polluted and fish populations are being depleted, this is a good time for environmentally concerned businesses to promote the benefits our oceans and encourage the reduction of pollution and revitalization of the oceans.
Flag Day-June 14th
National Flag Day celebrates the day the design for the first US flag was approved. Celebrate in your business by displaying a flag, running essay contest for children, or even tying customers packages with red, white and blue ribbon. Use your imagination to show your customers and clients you are proud of the United States flag and our nation.
Father’s Day-June 16th
Gifts for dad of all types. Electronics, clothing, tools, barbeque accessories and sports gear are all popular items to promote and sell
Read more email marketing ideas for June
July Email and Marketing Calendar Ideas
Independence Day- July 4th
Every merchant and service provider needs to have this one on their list as summer is upon us. While parties and fireworks displays mark the actual 4th of July celebration, this is a time to promote sales on almost anything from bathing suits and air conditioners, to lawn services, and even auto tune-ups to get cars ready for summer road-trips.
World Chocolate Day-July 7th
To a chocolate lover, chocolate “day” is every day. But because chocolate is so popular world-wide, chocolate lovers get two special days assigned to the treat (and marketers get two great email marketing opportunities). This is the first. The second date, National Chocolate Day is in October for US chocolate lovers and businesses.
National Hot Dog Day – July 16th
Think summer, and you’re likely to start thinking about beach parties, picnics and backyard barbeques. Thus, it’s a natural to have National Hot Dog day smack in the middle of July. Use the day to promote hot dogs and all things related to them. Or, hold a hot dog lunch for your employees.
National Ice Cream Day – July 21st
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you – or your kids – may think every day in July should be ice cream day. And actually, you’re right. Although the 21st is designated as Ice Cream Day, July is National Ice Cream Month. So, you have an entire month to promote (and enjoy) ice cream products.
Get more ideas for email promotions for July
August: Email Marketing Ideas
Back to School Sales – All Month Long
While this is not a holiday, back-to-school time makes a great time to promote clothing, paper, and other school supplies as well as electronics. In some locations school starts in mid- August, so start promoting early.
National Black Business Month
This is another month-long promotional opportunity. Use it to promote Black-owned businesses in your community or your own, if you are a Black-owned business.
National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day – August 4th
You don’t have to be a bakery or supermarket to offer specials on this day. Lure your customers into your shop by offering guests a free cookie.
Book Lovers Day – August 9th
If you sell books, this is a perfect time to run promotions. It’s also a time community businesses could band together to support each other and a community books store. Run a promo where people who make a purchase at a local bookstore get a coupon that entitles them to a discount at some other establishment in town.
National Senior Citizens Day – August 21st
Senior Citizens Day is a day set aside for recognizing the contributions seniors have made — and are still making — to communities and the country. Established in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, it’s also a good time to focus on quality-of-life issues seniors may face and solutions that can help.
Read more email marketing ideas for August
September Email Marketing Calendar Ideas
Labor Day-September 2nd
The end of the summer season. BBQ accessories or product clearances, Fall clothing sales, pool closing promotions, fall cleanup services are all appropriate for this time of year.
Grandparents Day- September 8th
Food gifts, gift cards for restaurants, and discounts for grandparents are all good campaigns to send to your email list for Grandparents Day.
National Suicide Prevention Week
September 10th is the official start of National Suicide Prevention Week, but the entire month of September has been designated as Suicide Prevention Month by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Use this week or month to help alert your audience to suicide warning signs and help groups.
Spanish Heritage Month – September 15th – October 15th
The date isn’t a typo. Spanish Heritage Month does run from the middle of September to the middle of October. If you are an Hispanic/Latinx-owned business, promote the month to your subscribers, offering discounts on selected items. Other businesses might highlight products they sell that are produced by Hispanic-owned businesses. In-store or online events featuring Hispanic experts, artist and musicians are all appropriate ways to promote the month and your business at the same time.
>> Read More September Email Marketing Ideas<<+
October Email and Marketing Calendar Dates
Columbus Day-October 9th
This celebrates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and is called Indigenous People Day in some states. This is another national holiday in which many offices are closed, retailers run special sales, and service businesses can offer clean ups and tech upgrades.
National Nut Day – October 22nd
Nuts tastes good and many are good for you, too. Use this day to promote the sale of nuts and foods containing nuts.
National Chocolate Day-October 28th
See World Chocolate Day (July 7)
National Cat Day: October 29
If you’re a cat lover, use your imagination to celebrate your favorite animal on this day. If you sell pet supplies, feature treats and toys for felines. If you’re a bakery, make cat-shaped sugar cookies to sell or give away as treats. And use the day to promote donations to local shelters and organizations that care for abandoned and stray animals.
Halloween-October 31st
Who doesn’t love this spooky holiday? Farms and farm stands can get market corn mazes and hayrides along with pumpkins and fall fruit. Theaters can feature haunted houses, and of course, costume shops can make a fortune. Even pets can be “dressed up.”
>>Get more October email marketing ideas<<
November Email Marketing Calendar Suggestions
Diwali-November 1st
Dwali is a major holiday in India. It is actually five days long, but this is the main day of the celebration. Good items to promote to your subscribers who celebrate Dwali are clothing, gold jewelry, nuts, and sweets.
Veteran’s Day-November 11th
A celebration of veterans, this is a great time to offer extra discounts and freebies to those who have served our country. Restaurants might offer a free dessert or appetizer, and other shops might offer special discounts to veterans.
Thanksgiving in the US-November 28th
Thanksgiving Day, originally a day to celebrate the harvest, is now a day for spending time with family and friends and giving thanks for all good things in life. Thanksgiving weekend is also the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. The week before Thanksgiving is a good time to send out holiday email greetings. Many people start holiday shopping then, too. So capture those shoppers by starting your holiday email marketing campaigns a few days before Thanksgiving. All merchants should be prepared and sending emails way ahead of this date. Be sure to wish your subscribers a Happy Thanksgiving Day and tell them how grateful you are for their patronage.
Black Friday-November 29th
This, for many years, was the best shopping day of the year as customers bought holiday gifts for family and friends. But in recent years COVID and other circumstances have led to merchants starting Black Friday sales early in the month. To capture money from those early shoppers, start your own Black Friday email promotions and sales early.
Small Business Saturday – November 30th
This is the day that consumers around the US are urged to shop at local small business stores for the holidays. Get you promotions out early reminding customers to save the date and letting them know about specials you’ll be offering. You don’t have to be a retailer to tie in to Small Business Saturday promotions, either. Service businesses and professionals can promote end of year sales, free consults or other offerings, too.
Related: Find more November Email Marketing Ideas
December Email Marketing Calendar Ideas
Happy Holiday Mailings – December 1st
This isn’t an official day or week. It’s just a good time to send out a holiday email greeting to all your subscribers.
Cyber Monday-December 2nd
Cyber Monday was originally devised to get customers to shop online during the holidays. Customers shop in Cyberspace all year long, now, but they look to Cyber Monday for extra discounts, special sales and free shipping offers. Plan your email marketing accordingly by sending out advanced notices of your special offers, and then sending follow-up reminders on CyberMonday.
The Week Before Christmas
This is a good time to promote specialty foods, cooked-for-you meals, food platters and last-minute gifts. If you are a restaurant or eatery that will be open on Christmas Day, promote the fact. This is also the time to send out the first promotions for after Christmas sales.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: December 24th-25th
These are days for celebration, not marketing.
Hanukkah-December 25th
An 8-day celebration, Hanukkah is Jewish Festival of Lights. It commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, and is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, by eating special holiday foods and gift giving.
December 31st: New Year’s Eve
Another great day to sell foods and wines and party platters of whole meals by grocery stores and retail grocers. Schedule your email marketing campaigns to hit when customers are ready to order foods or make reservations.
Find other Days to Promote Goods and Services
Does your business fill a niche we haven’t touched on above? Or are you wondering if your products or services have their own “day” or if your industry will be running local or nationwide promotions during the year? To find out, head to your favorite search engine and search for the industry or product name and the word day. For instance, “pest control day,” “lawncare month,” “financial planning day,” “web designer day,” or “empanada day.”