Christmas
The biggest shopping season of the year
Lights in the streets, gift lists and inboxes full of deals. For most brands, Christmas is the busiest end to the year. It is also the time when a good email campaign makes the difference between selling a lot and going unnoticed.
What is Christmas?
Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus on December 25. Over time it has also become a cultural and family celebration, which many people enjoy without any religious meaning.
Every country celebrates it in its own way. In Spain and much of Latin America, the most important night is Christmas Eve, December 24, and the season lasts until Three Kings’ Day on January 6. In the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, the day after Christmas is Boxing Day, a day of big sales. And in Brazil or Argentina, Christmas arrives in the middle of summer.
In the retail calendar, the Christmas season starts right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which falls on November 30 in 2026. From then on, gift shopping doesn’t stop until Three Kings’ Day.
Prepare your Christmas email campaign
Design your Christmas emails, schedule your sends and combine email and SMS in the same campaign. With Mailrelay you can send up to 80,000 emails a month for free.
Christmas 2026: key dates
In 2026, Christmas Eve falls on Thursday, December 24 and Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. New Year’s Eve will be on Thursday, December 31, and New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1, 2027. Three Kings’ Day falls on Wednesday, January 6.
With Christmas falling on a Friday, many countries get a long weekend. For many stores, that means the last business day to receive orders in time will be between December 18 and 21. Make sure you know your date before you schedule your sends.
Why Christmas matters in marketing
It is the strongest shopping season of the year. In the United States, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that 2025 holiday season sales, from November to December, topped one trillion dollars for the first time, up 4.1% on 2024.
In Spain, Latin America and Brazil the scale is different, but the pattern repeats. December brings together gift shopping, hampers and dinners, travel and end-of-year sales. And every brand competes for the same customer’s attention at the same time.
That is why email marketing carries so much weight at this time of year. It reaches people who already know your brand directly, and it lets you guide them from their first gift idea to their last Three Kings’ Day purchase.
How to prepare a Christmas email campaign
A Christmas campaign works better as a story in several chapters than as a single send. This is the sequence we suggest:
In the first week of December, right after Cyber Monday, send a gift guide. Organize it by price, by type of person or by interests. It is useful content, and it helps your customers decide.
Mid-month is the time for deals and gift bundles. In every email, remind customers of the shipping deadline for receiving their order before the 24th. And once that date has passed, change the message: digital gift cards, in-store pickup or express shipping.
On the 24th and 25th, send your greetings. A season’s greetings email, with no discounts and no rush, strengthens the relationship with your brand. If you need ideas, our blog has a selection of Christmas greetings to inspire you.
Between the 26th and 31st, make the most of end-of-year sales and gift exchanges. And in Spain and Latin America, prepare one last campaign for Three Kings’ Day: we explain how in our strategies to succeed on Three Kings’ Day with your email marketing.
Tips to stand out in the inbox
Design wisely. A Christmas email template with a touch of red, a snow GIF or a small festive detail is enough to set the mood. But the product and the buy button must still be the most visible elements.
Personalize. Use the customer’s name and recommend gifts based on their previous purchases. Personalization increases clicks and makes the email feel less like a mass mailing.
Segment by country. A Three Kings’ Day campaign only makes sense in Spain and Latin America, Boxing Day in the United Kingdom and a summer Christmas in the southern hemisphere. Adapt the message to each group.
Don’t forget the abandoned cart. In December many people compare prices and leave purchases half-finished: a timely reminder recovers a lot of sales.
Take care of your deliverability. December is the month with the most sends of the year, so check your authentication, clean your list and don’t suddenly multiply your volume. And try to leave everything scheduled before the holidays: your campaign will keep working while you rest.
How Mailrelay helps you
With Mailrelay you can prepare your whole Christmas campaign in advance. Design your emails with our editor and AI-assisted copywriting, segment by country or by previous purchases, and schedule every send through Three Kings’ Day. Combine email and SMS, and our real-time reports tell you which offer works best.
Plus, the free plan includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with support for every account.
Get your Christmas campaign ready before the holidays
Schedule your Christmas emails, segment by country and measure every send in real time. Start for free with Mailrelay.
Frequently asked questions about Christmas
When is Christmas in 2026? Friday, December 25, 2026. Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24.
When should I start my Christmas campaign? Right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in the first week of December. If you sell physical products, even earlier, because many people shop weeks in advance.
What email should I send when orders will no longer arrive in time? Digital gift cards, experiences or downloadable products. They are a lifesaver for last-minute shoppers.
Is it a good idea to send a greeting without any offers? Yes. A season’s greetings email strengthens the relationship with your customers, and it usually gets very good open rates.
In short
Christmas is the most important selling season of the year, and also the most competitive. Start early, tell your campaign in several chapters, keep the shipping deadline front of mind and don’t forget to send your customers your greetings. Then get ready for Three Kings’ Day.
Retail calendar
These are the year’s main retail dates covered in our glossary, in order. Prepare each campaign a few weeks in advance.
| Date in 2026 | Retail date | Where it is celebrated |
|---|---|---|
| February 14 | Valentine’s Day | International |
| From October 9 | Big Billion Days | India |
| October 31 | Halloween | United States, Spain and Latin America |
| November 8 | Diwali | India |
| November 11 | Singles’ Day | China and international online retail |
| November 13–17 | El Buen Fin | Mexico |
| November 27 | Black Friday | International |
| November 30 | Cyber Monday | International, especially online |
| 1 de diciembre | GivingTuesday | International |
| December 7 | Little Candles Day | Colombia |
| December 25 | Christmas | International |
| December 26 | Boxing Day | United Kingdom, Canada and Australia |