You probably don’t take a day off for National Donut Day or celebrate it with family and friends. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include it in your brand’s Instagram marketing strategy. Official and widely observed holidays like Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, and Valentine’s Day aren’t the only times to engage your audience—especially on social media. Lesser-known and unofficial holidays (like social media holidays) are opportunities to pull out hashtags and connect with customers.
Learn how to prepare for these social media holidays and explore some just-for-fun and for-a-good-cause holidays that might be a good fit for your brand.
What are social media holidays?
Social media holidays, also called hashtag holidays, are annual holidays that have gained popularity on social media. These aren’t official government holidays, and they often celebrate niche or specific types of people, places, and things. Some support social causes, such as World Autism Awareness Day and International Women’s Day, while others simply celebrate the many pleasures of life, like National French Fry Day.
Sharing social media holiday content is a way to showcase the lighter side of your brand voice, demonstrate your brand values, and join an ongoing cultural conversation.
Social media holidays by month
Sources like National Day Calendar and National Today promote holiday calendars filled with days honoring everything from puppies to bicycles. Here are some of the more popular holidays to consider for your social media calendar:
January
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January 4: National Trivia Day. Celebrates esoteric knowledge and trivia lovers.
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January 15: National Hat Day. A special day in honor of all hats.
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January 23: National Pie Day. Dedicated to the celebration of pies, from apple to pecan.
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Fourth Monday of January: Community Manager Appreciation Day. Honors the hard-working community managers who monitor and reply to comments on social media posts, plus a number of other community-building tasks. This holiday is a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on your brand’s community manager and the work they do behind the scenes.
February
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February 4: World Cancer Day. Raises cancer awareness and celebrates cancer survivors.
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February 9: National Pizza Day. A day to celebrate pizza in all its forms.
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February 18: National Drink Wine Day. An annual reminder to enjoy wine responsibly.
March
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March 1: World Compliment Day. Dedicated to kind words, sharing compliments, and showing appreciation.
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March 8: International Women’s Day. Worldwide celebration of the history of the women’s rights movement and the contributions of women everywhere.
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Friday before the spring equinox: World Sleep Day. Celebrates the importance of a good night’s rest.
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March 23: National Puppy Day. A dedicated day to honor adorable puppies.
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March 31: International Transgender Day. An international day dedicated to celebrating the transgender community.
April
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April 2: World Autism Awareness Day. Dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the Autism community, an event officially recognized by the United Nations.
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April 7: World Health Day. An annual event calling attention to global health. It is sponsored by the World Health Organization and recognizes the day it was founded.
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April 11: National Pet Day. Celebrates pets—dogs and cats to goldfish and iguanas—and the joy they inspire.
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April 28: National Superhero Day. An annual event honoring superheroes, both real and fictional.
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April 29: International Dance Day. Celebrates all dance styles and marks the birthday of ballet dancer Jean-Georges Noverre; sponsored by the International Dance Council and recognized by the United Nations.
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April 30: International Jazz Day. An official, United Nations-recognized holiday honoring the history and cultural contributions of jazz.
May
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May 4: Star Wars Day. An informal holiday in honor of the Star Wars franchise, often recognized on social media with the phrase “May the fourth be with you.”
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May 10: National Small Business Day. Recognizes the importance of small businesses.
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May 30: National Creativity Day. Celebrates all types of creativity, not just artistic talent, reminding everyone to exercise their imagination.
June
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June 3: World Bicycle Day. Celebrates bicycling as a form of exercise, transportation, and leisure; officially recognized by the United Nations.
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June 4: National Cheese Day. Popular social media event honoring cheese in all its forms, from beautiful cheese plates to melty nacho cheese.
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June 21: International Yoga Day. Celebrates the benefits of yoga. This holiday has been officially recognized by the United Nations since 2014.
July
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July 1: International Joke Day. Celebrates jokes, humor, and laughter.
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July 7: World Chocolate Day. An annual holiday dedicated to chocolate appreciation.
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July 11: National French Fry Day. The official day to celebrate French fries (and boost engagement by asking followers to participate in a favorite fry shape poll).
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Third Sunday in July: National Ice Cream Day. Celebrates cones, pints, shakes, sundaes, and other ice cream-based treats.
August
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August 8: International Cat Day. Sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to celebrate our feline friends.
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August 19: World Humanitarian Day. Honors humanitarians who lost their lives while working for social causes.
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August 24: National Waffle Day. Commemorates the day the first waffle iron patent was issued in the US (Sweden, Denmark, and Norway celebrate Waffle Day on March 25).
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August 26: National Dog Day. Expands beyond National Puppy Day to celebrate dogs of every age.
September
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September 12: National Video Games Day. Celebrates video games in all forms. Gamers, unite!
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September 27: World Tourism Day. Celebrates travelling and cultural exchange, sponsored by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
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September 30: International Podcast Day. Dedicated to celebrating podcasters, podcasts, and podcasting technology.
October
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First Tuesday in October: National Taco Day. The ultimate Taco Tuesday, this holiday is worth celebrating if you have the remotest connection to the beloved dish.
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First Friday in October: World Smile Day. Celebrates happiness with an annual reminder to spread joy and kindness.
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October 1: World Vegetarian Day. Established by the North American Vegetarian Society to raise awareness of and celebrate the vegetarian lifestyle.
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October 1: International Coffee Day. Established by the International Coffee Organization to celebrate all coffee-based drinks, from espressos to frappuccinos.
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October 4: World Animal Day. Raises awareness for animal rights on the same day as the Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.
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October 10: World Mental Health Day. Sponsored by the World Federation for Mental Health to raise awareness of and eradicate social stigma surrounding mental health issues.
November
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November 1: World Vegan Day. Created by the Vegan Society to celebrate the vegan lifestyle.
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November 5: National Donut Day. Alternatively spelled National Doughnut Day, this holiday celebrates the pastry lover’s delight and is actually one of two donut-specific holidays. The other, which takes place on the first Friday in June, is rooted in Salvation Army volunteers frying donuts for World War I soldiers.
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November 13: World Kindness Day. Celebrates the power of kindness, dedicated to good deeds and positive affirmations.
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Third Tuesday in November: National Entrepreneur Day. Celebrates founders, innovators, and business owners, honoring their hard work and spirit of innovation. This holiday is particularly well-suited for brands with a LinkedIn marketing strategy.
December
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December 4: National Cookie Day. Celebrates all types of cookies, just in time for the holiday baking season.
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December 15: National Cupcake Day. Celebration of sugary sweet cupcakes—no muffins allowed.
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December 20: Ugly Sweater Day. Encourages people to don their wackiest thrift store find or most over-the-top festive sweater.
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December 17: National Maple Syrup Day. A sweet, thick celebration coinciding with tree tapping season.
Examples of brands celebrating social media holidays
- Food52: National Donut Day
- OLLY: World Mental Health Day
- Gozney: National Pizza Day
- BKLYN Larder: National Cheese Day
- Protein Pints: National Ice Cream Day
- Ruffwear: National Puppy Day
For inspiration, check out how these brands celebrated relevant holidays:
Food52: National Donut Day
In 2022, cooking and kitchenware site Food52 celebrated National Donut Day by sharing a collection of 12 donut recipes on its blog. You don’t have to limit your social media holidays to social media posts. If they’re popular enough, you can celebrate across your marketing channels, including your blog and email campaigns.
OLLY: World Mental Health Day
Vitamin and supplement company OLLY found an appropriate way to join the conversation by highlighting its participation in the Project Healthy Minds for the World Mental Health Day festival. Its Instagram video shares footage from this event without using mental health issues to promote products.
Gozney: National Pizza Day
In 2024, Gozney, an ecommerce brand selling high-end pizza ovens and accessories, celebrated National Pizza Day with a social media giveaway. The team partnered with Chef Daniele Uditi to offer a trip to Los Angeles, a pizza dinner, and a Gozney oven to two winners.
BKLYN Larder: National Cheese Day
In 2024, BKLYN Larder celebrated National Cheese Day by sharing a towering stack of cheese on Instagram and encouraging followers to visit the retail store for more celebrations. This post is effective in its simplicity and playful thanks to the use of puns.
Protein Pints: National Ice Cream Day
High-protein ice cream company Protein Pints celebrated National Ice Cream Day with a nod to its holiday mate, National French Fry Day, via a TikTok video pairing the two treats. To further encourage engagement with the post, the caption asks viewers to pick which pairing they would like to try.
Ruffwear: National Puppy Day
In 2020, the performance pet gear company Ruffwear shared a carousel of cute puppy pictures on Facebook to mark National Puppy Day. This post prioritizes appreciation over promotion—it’s a simple celebration of puppies—but it also encourages engagement by asking followers to share photos of their own pups.
How to prepare for social media holidays
Try these tips to plan and execute successful social media holiday campaigns:
Identify relevant holidays
Research social media holidays to get inspired and evaluate which holidays could be a good fit for your products, brand personality, or brand values. Social media holidays vary in theme and popularity, so start with holidays with established hashtags to increase your chances of getting traction.
Build a content calendar
Integrate social media holidays into your existing social media content calendar so that you’re ready to post when the day arrives.
Create original content
Take photographs, shoot video content, or write copy ahead of the launch date. For major holidays, consider running a participatory challenge or special promotion. Keep in mind that different occasions may require different writing tones (i.e., National Superhero Day versus World Mental Health Day).
Optimize your content
Optimize content by including relevant keywords and trending hashtags to increase visibility. Share a brief caption explaining why you’re celebrating and include descriptive alt text for images (where possible).
Encourage engagement
To collect fresh user-generated content (UGC), use the holiday to ask followers to share their own photos, videos, or words of wisdom. Whether it’s a photo of their cat for National Cat Day or the best compliment they ever received for Compliment Day, celebrate those who take the time to engage with your brand by reposting their content and responding with a heartfelt comment.
Social media holidays FAQ
What is a social media holiday?
A social media holiday is an annual event celebrated primarily on social media. Social media holidays aren’t official government holidays. Some, such as International Women’s Day, are recognized by official organizations like the United Nations. Others, such as National Donut Day, are just for fun.
What are some popular social media holidays?
The same national holidays people celebrate independently of social media—like Independence Day and Memorial Day—are consistently popular, and brands often deploy promotion codes to drive sales. Popular social media holidays include National Donut Day, National Pizza Day, and National Taco Day, which primarily serve as opportunities to generate social media engagement.
How should you make content for social media holidays?
To participate in a social media holiday, start by identifying events relevant to your brand. Holiday posts can be anything from photos to challenges or Instagram giveaways. Decide what type of content you want to create to help achieve a specific goal (like driving sales or increasing your follower count). Include relevant holiday hashtags and keywords to increase visibility.
