A social media content calendar starts with the dates, not the posts. Before writing anything, mark the holidays, shopping events, school breaks and sensitive days of the year, then fill the remaining days with your regular content mix. This guide lists the 2027 dates that matter to small businesses in the U.S. and the UK, checked against official sources, followed by a monthly template you can copy into a spreadsheet.
Dates worth marking now: Super Bowl LXI and Valentine's Day on the same Sunday, February 14; UK Mothering Sunday on March 7; Easter Sunday on March 28; U.S. Mother's Day on May 9; Father's Day on June 20 in both countries; Halloween on Sunday, October 31; Thanksgiving on November 25; Black Friday on November 26; and Christmas Day on a Saturday.
U.S. federal holidays come from the Office of Personnel Management's 2027 schedule and UK bank holidays from GOV.UK. Dates set by a lunar calendar are marked as approximate.
Why plan a month ahead
- No surprise holidays. A Mother's Day post written the night before reaches people after they've bought.
- A balanced mix. Seeing a whole month at once shows straight away if you have too many offers and too little useful content.
- Batch work. One weekly session to write, shoot and schedule beats the daily "what do we post today?"
- Ads that have time to work. Paid campaigns need days to learn. If you launch two days before the holiday, they won't get there.
2027 marketing calendar for the U.S. and UK
"Both" means the date matters to customers in both countries, though not always in the same way.
January to March
| Date | Day | Occasion | Where | Marketing angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Friday | New Year's Day (federal and bank holiday) | Both | Fresh starts, goals, "what's new for 2027" |
| January 4 | Monday | Substitute bank holiday for 2 January | Scotland | Opening hours, January offers |
| January 18 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | U.S. | Community and service, not discounts |
| January 25 | Monday | Burns Night | UK (Scotland) | Food, drink, events |
| January 31 | Sunday | Self Assessment tax return deadline | UK | Reminders if you serve sole traders |
| February 6 | Saturday | Lunar New Year | Both | Food, gifts, community events |
| February 9 | Tuesday | Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) | UK | Cafés, bakeries, recipes |
| February 14 | Sunday | Valentine's Day, and Super Bowl LXI (scheduled) | Both / U.S. | Gifts and dinners; game-day food and parties |
| February 15 | Monday | Presidents' Day (Washington's Birthday) | U.S. | Long-weekend sales |
| About Feb 7 to Mar 9 | Ramadan (approximate, moon-dependent) | Both | Evening opening hours, iftar menus | |
| March 7 | Sunday | Mothering Sunday | UK | Flowers, gifts, brunch, treatments |
| March 8 | Monday | International Women's Day | Both | Women behind the business, customers, partners |
| About March 9 to 10 | Eid al-Fitr (approximate) | Both | Gifts, clothing, food, greetings | |
| March 14 | Sunday | Clocks go forward | U.S. | Check scheduled post times |
| March 17 | Wednesday | St Patrick's Day (bank holiday in Northern Ireland) | Both | Themed events, food, drink |
| March 26 | Friday | Good Friday (bank holiday) | UK | Easter weekend hours |
| March 28 | Sunday | Easter Sunday; UK clocks go forward | Both | Family meals, gifts, spring offers |
| March 29 | Monday | Easter Monday (bank holiday, not Scotland) | UK | Days out, last Easter offers |
The NFL guards the "Super Bowl" name closely, which is why many local businesses say "the big game" in their ads. The game is scheduled for SoFi Stadium on February 14; check the NFL's announcements before you plan around it.
April to June
| Date | Day | Occasion | Where | Marketing angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 15 | Thursday | Usual federal tax filing deadline | U.S. | Accountants, finance, "treat yourself after tax day" |
| April 21, evening | Wednesday | Passover begins | Both | Food, hosting, gifts |
| April 22 | Thursday | Earth Day | Both | Sustainability, local sourcing, repairs |
| May 3 | Monday | Early May bank holiday | UK | Long-weekend sales, garden, DIY |
| May 5 | Wednesday | Cinco de Mayo | U.S. | Restaurants, bars, events |
| May 9 | Sunday | Mother's Day | U.S. | Flowers, brunch, gifts, spa |
| About May 16 to 17 | Eid al-Adha (approximate) | Both | Hosting, food, clothing | |
| May 31 | Monday | Memorial Day; Spring bank holiday | U.S. / UK | Start of summer, outdoor, travel |
| June (whole month) | Pride Month | Both | Only if it reflects how you actually run your business | |
| June 18 | Friday | Juneteenth, observed (June 19 is a Saturday) | U.S. | Community, Black-owned partners, not discounts |
| June 20 | Sunday | Father's Day | Both | Gifts, experiences, food |
July to September
| Date | Day | Occasion | Where | Marketing angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July (usually) | Amazon Prime Day | Both | Your own online offers that week | |
| July 4 / July 5 | Sunday / Monday | Independence Day / federal holiday observed | U.S. | Cookouts, local pride, long-weekend sales |
| July 12 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (bank holiday) | Northern Ireland | Opening hours |
| Mid-July to early September | Back to school (U.S. districts vary widely) | U.S. | Clothes, supplies, haircuts, tutoring, classes | |
| August 2 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland | Days out, family offers |
| Mid-August to early September | Back to school (Scotland mid-August, England and Wales early September) | UK | Uniforms, shoes, haircuts, clubs | |
| August 30 | Monday | Summer bank holiday (not Scotland) | UK | End-of-summer sales |
| September 6 | Monday | Labor Day | U.S. | End-of-summer sales, fall routines |
| September 11 | Saturday | 9/11 anniversary | U.S. | No sales content |
Prime Day moved earlier in 2026: Amazon ran it on June 23 to 26 in the U.S., UK and other countries, instead of its usual July slot. Amazon announces dates only a few weeks ahead, so keep the 2027 slot flexible.
October to December
| Date | Day | Occasion | Where | Marketing angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 11 | Monday | Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day | U.S. | Long-weekend hours |
| About October 28 to 29 | Diwali (varies by tradition) | Both | Sweets, gifts, clothing, lights | |
| October 31 | Sunday | Halloween; UK clocks go back | Both | Costumes, themed products, events |
| November 5 | Friday | Bonfire Night | UK | Events, food, safety tips |
| November 7 | Sunday | Clocks go back | U.S. | Check scheduled post times |
| November 11 | Thursday | Veterans Day / Armistice Day | U.S. / UK | Thanks and remembrance, careful with offers |
| November 11 | Thursday | Singles' Day (11.11) | Both | Online sale, if you sell online |
| November 14 | Sunday | Remembrance Sunday | UK | No sales content |
| November 25 | Thursday | Thanksgiving | U.S. | Gratitude to customers, hours |
| November 26 | Friday | Black Friday | Both | The quarter's biggest offer, often all week |
| November 27 | Saturday | Small Business Saturday | U.S. | Shop local, in-store events |
| November 29 | Monday | Cyber Monday | Both | Online offers, last extension |
| November 30 | Tuesday | Giving Tuesday; St Andrew's Day (Scotland bank holiday) | U.S. / Scotland | Charity partners, donations |
| December 24, evening | Friday | Hanukkah begins (to January 1, 2028) | Both | Gifts, a small surprise for each night |
| December 24 | Friday | Christmas Day, federal holiday observed | U.S. | Last-minute gifts, gift cards |
| December 25 | Saturday | Christmas Day | Both | Greetings only |
| December 26 | Sunday | Boxing Day | UK | Sales start |
| December 27 and 28 | Monday, Tuesday | Substitute bank holidays for Christmas and Boxing Day | UK | Sale hours |
| December 31 | Friday | New Year's Eve; federal holiday for New Year's Day 2028 | U.S. | Year in review, events, gift cards |
Lunar calendar dates (Ramadan, the Eids, Diwali) can shift by a day; confirm them closer to the time. Jewish holidays begin at sundown, and their dates are on Hebcal. U.S. school start dates vary by district, so check the ones your customers' children attend.
What's left of 2026
If you're reading this in November 2026, there are still big dates this year: Thanksgiving on November 26, Black Friday on November 27, Small Business Saturday on November 28, Cyber Monday on November 30, Giving Tuesday on December 1, and Christmas on Friday, December 25, with the UK Boxing Day bank holiday moving to Monday, December 28.
Sensitive dates: when to pause posts and ads
The most expensive mistake in an annual calendar is a scheduled sale post that goes out on a day of remembrance. Before each of these dates, check scheduled posts in Meta Business Suite or your scheduling tool, and your active ads:
- Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27.
- Memorial Day, May 31 (U.S.). Sales are common, but keep the tone respectful.
- 9/11 anniversary, September 11.
- Armistice Day, November 11, and Remembrance Sunday, November 14 (UK).
Pause scheduled content, too, on days when a tragedy dominates the news. If you do post, keep it quiet: no big logo, no offer.
How to build a social media content calendar
- Open a monthly spreadsheet. One row per post, not one row per day.
- Add the dates first, from the tables above, plus your own: launches, enrollment windows, your business anniversary, closures.
- Mark no-post days. Remembrance days, and days your business is closed if replies matter.
- Fill the rest with a fixed mix. For example: Monday a useful tip, Wednesday a behind-the-scenes Reel, Friday a customer story or an offer.
- Give every row a goal and a call to action. "Save this", "Message us on WhatsApp", "Book online".
- Set one weekly production session to shoot, write and schedule the whole next week.
- Close the month with a results column: messages, saves, bookings or sales from each post. That is the basis for next month.
A monthly content calendar template
Copy these columns into Google Sheets or Excel. Below them is a filled example for one week in February 2027 for a small neighborhood bakery:
| Date | Day | Platform | Format | Topic | Goal | Caption and call to action | Status | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6 | Sat | Instagram, Facebook | Photo | Lunar New Year pastries, this weekend only | Store visits | "In the case until Sunday, come early" | Scheduled | |
| Feb 8 | Mon | Carousel | 4 toppings for Pancake Day | Saves | "Save this for Tuesday" | Scheduled | ||
| Feb 9 | Tue | Stories | Poll | "Lemon and sugar or chocolate?" | Engagement | Poll sticker | Idea | |
| Feb 10 | Wed | Instagram, TikTok | Reel | Boxing up a game-day order, start to finish | Reach | "Order by Friday, link in bio" | Editing | |
| Feb 11 | Thu | Photo and offer | Valentine's box for two | Orders | "Message us to reserve yours" | Writing | ||
| Feb 12 | Fri | Stories | Countdown | Last call for weekend preorders | Orders | "6 boxes left" | Idea | |
| Feb 14 | Sun | Photo | Thank you for a sold-out weekend | Loyalty | "See you next week" | Idea |
A few rules that keep the template useful:
- Status uses four fixed values: Idea, Writing, Scheduled, Published. Anything stuck is visible at a glance.
- Fill the Result column a week after posting, not the same day.
- One row per piece of content, even if it goes to two platforms; list both.
- If you run paid ads, add columns for budget and run dates.
Planning campaigns around key dates
For big dates one post isn't enough. Build a sequence over several weeks:
| How long before | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks | Decide the offer: what, for whom, until when. Check stock and staff |
| 4 weeks | Prepare creative: photos, a video, captions, a landing page |
| 2 to 3 weeks | Warm-up organic content: tips, preparations, behind the scenes |
| 7 to 10 days | Announce the offer and start paid ads |
| 1 to 3 days | Reminders in Stories, "last chance", special opening hours |
| After | Thank customers, share photos, note what to change next year |
How much to put behind ads for each moment depends on your yearly budget; how much a small business should spend on marketing shows how to set it. If it's your first paid campaign, start with Facebook ads for small business.
Tools for your content calendar, including AI
- A spreadsheet. Free, flexible and enough for most small businesses. Easy to share with a freelancer or an employee.
- Meta Business Suite. Free scheduling for Facebook and Instagram posts and Stories, with a calendar view.
- Buffer. Its free plan covers up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time and includes an AI assistant; paid plans start at $5 per channel a month (as listed in November 2026).
- Canva. Reusable templates for each post type, so each week you only swap text and photos. Getting on-brand results from AI design tools is covered in AI social media post generators.
- An AI chat as a content calendar generator. ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini can turn the dates above into a month of ideas and drafts. Give them your services, customers, prices and tone, and ask them to flag anything they're unsure of. Ready-to-copy prompts, including one for a monthly calendar, are in ChatGPT prompts for small business marketing.
If you'd rather skip the planning session, PowerAds builds a monthly content calendar on request in WhatsApp or the web chat: tell it about the business and the month, it shows a plan with the posts and videos, and after you approve it creates them and schedules them to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. To fit the calendar into a yearly plan, see the one-page marketing plan template.
