The Case for Holiday Marketing and What to Celebrate

There is an interesting quote by an unknown author: “Live your life as an exclamation – not an explanation.”

That same thought can be applied to your restaurant marketing efforts, turning ordinary days into something to celebrate and a reason for customers to visit or for employees to be reminded of just how much you care. There are numerous “holidays” throughout every month of the year which can be turned into a party, promotion, interesting subject to Tweet about, a Facebook contest, or an easy excuse to do something great for your staff.

The idea here isn’t to tie in to every holiday imaginable, but to look at the list and be creative in coming up with themes and promotions that best reflect your own individual brand and audience. For example, give every member of your staff working on “National Random Acts of Kindness Day” a $10 bill and get them to commit to just one random act of kindness per table they service during the shift. Or, May 1st – for Loyalty Day – recognize the employees and vendors who have been with you the longest. For Boston Tea Party Day, offer a free premium tea to every customer that comes through your doors as a no-strings-attached Thank You.

If you think creatively there you can find a number of days to make your own and build in to your holiday marketing program (hmmm….maybe I should endeavor to do a blog post for each and every holiday below and give three ideas for each? Maybe a little too ambitious; but let me know what you think).

Make each event something to exclaim about!

Okay, here’s the list:

January-1 New Year’s Day

January-4 Trivia Day

January-5 Twelfth Night

January-8 The King’s Birthday (ELVIS)

January-9 Balloon Ascension Day

January-12 National Pharmacist Day

January-12 Stephen Foster Memorial Day

January-12 National Clean Off Your Desk Day

January-16 Prohibition Remembrance Day

January-16 Religious Freedom Day

January-18 Maintenance Day

January-19 Federal Lands Cleanup Day

January-19 Martin Luther King Jr.

January-20 Inauguration Day

January-22 Chinese New Year

January-27 National Activity Professionals Day

February-2 Groundhog Day

February-8 Boy Scout Day

February-12 Lincoln’s Birthday

February-14 St. Valentine’s Day

February-16 President’s Day

February-17 National Public Science Day

February-17 Random Acts of Kindness Day

February-22 George Washington’s Birthday

February-24 Mardi Gras

March-2 Texas Independence Day (Texas)

March-3 National Anthem Day

March-4 Town Meeting Day (Vermont)

March-6 Alamo Day

March-7 Peace Corps Day

March-12 Employee Day

March-12 Girl Scout Day

March-14 Pi Day

March-16 Black Press Day

March-16 Freedom of Information Day

March-17 Camp Fire Boys & Girls Founders Day

March-17 St. Patrick’s Day

March-22 to March-23 North American Wildlife Celebration

March-23 Liberty Day

March-26 Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)

March-30 Doctor’s Day

March-30 Seward Day

March-31 Cesar Chavez Day (California)

April-1 April Fool’s Day

April-2 Reconciliation Day

April-4 Daylight Saving Time begins

April-6 National Tartan Day

April-6 First day of Passover

April-9 Good Friday

April-10 Salvation Army Founders Day

April-11 Easter Sunday

April-13 Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday

April-15 Income Tax Day (also Accountant’s Day)

April-15 Rubber Eraser Day

April-16 Librarian Day (School)

April-18 Paul Revere Day

April-18 to April-24 Administrative Professional’s Week

April-21 San Jacinto Day (Texas)

April-21 Administrative Professionals Day (formerly Secretaries Day)

April-22 Earth Day

April-22 Oklahoma Day

April-22 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

April-24 Astronomy Day

April-26 Confederate Memorial Day

April-30 National Arbor Day

May-1 Law Day

May-1 Lei Day

May-1 Loyalty Day

May-1 May Day

May-1 Save the Rhino Day

May-4 National Teacher Day

May-5 Cinco de Mayo

May-6 National Day of Prayer

May-8 V-E Day

May-8 World Red Cross Day

May-9 Mother’s Day

May-10 National Receptionist Day

May-15 Peace Officer Memorial Day

May-15 Armed Forces Day

May-15 Police Officers Memorial Day

May-16 National Bike to Work Day

May-19 National Play Day for Health

May-21 National Waiter/Waitress Day

May-22 National Maritime Day

May-25 National Missing Children’s Day

May-31 Memorial Day

June-5 Boone Day

June-6 D-Day

June-6 Child Health Day

June-14 Flag Day

June-17 Bunker Hill Day

June-19 Juneteenth (Milwaukee, Wisconsin & Texas)

June-20 Father’s Day

June-21 Summer Solstice

June-28 World War 1 Day

July-4 Independence Day

July-14 Bastille Day

July-20 Moon Day

July-22 National Hot Dog Day

July-27 Cross Atlantic Communication Day

July-30 System Administrator Appreciation Day

August-4 Coast Guard Day

August-5 Atomic Bomb Day

August-8 Family Day

August-15 to September-15 Hispanic Heritage Month

August-16 King’s Death (Elvis)

August-19 National Aviation Day

August-20 National Homeless Animals Day

August-26 Women’s Equality Day

August-27 Petroleum Day (Texas)

September-6 Labor Day

September-12 National Grandparent’s Day

September-16 Mayflower Day

September-16 Rosh Hashanah

September-16 Stepfamily Day

September-17 Citizenship Day

September-21 World Gratitude Day

September-22 American Business Women’s Day

September-25 National Hunting & Fishing Day

September-25 Yom Kippur/Atonement Day

October-1 Techies Day

October-2 World Farm Animals Day

October-6 National German-American Day

October-6 Physician Assistant Day

October-9 Leif Erikson Day

October-11 Columbus Day

October-14 Peace Corps Birthday

October-16 Boss’ Day

October-16 Dictionary Day

October-16 Sweetest Day

October-18 Alaska Day

October-24 United Nations Day

October-27 Mother-in-Law’s Day

October-27 Navy Day

October 31 Daylight Saving Time ends

October-31 Halloween

October-31 National Magic Day (for Houdini)

November-1 All Saint’s Day

November-1 Sadie Hawkins Day

November-2 All Soul’s Day

November-2 Election Day

November-3 Sandwich Day

November-9 Berlin Wall Opening Day

November-10 Marine Corps Birthday

November-11 Veterans Day

November-15 America Recycles Day

November-18 Mickey Mouse’s Birthday

November-18 Great American Smokeout

November-19 US Marine Corps Day

November-22 John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

November-22 National Stop the Violence Day

November-25 Thanksgiving Day

December-7 Pearl Harbor Day

December-8 Chanukkah begins

December-10 Human Rights Day

December-10 Nobel Prize Day

December-12 Poinsettia Day

December-16 Boston Tea Party

December-20 Louisiana Purchase Day

December-21 Forefather’s Day

December-21 Winter Solstice

December-25 Christmas Day

December-26 Kwanzaa

December-31 New Year’s Eve