As a business owner, US holidays like Christmas are on your radar. However, if your business ships internationally, there are additional opportunities and holidays to consider. These holidays provide additional marketing opportunities and can impact your shipping through increased orders or delays. It’s important to be mindful of these dates so that you can communicate potential delays and/or holiday shipping deadlines to customers in advance.
What is GlobalPost?
GlobalPost is an international shipping service that enables businesses to ship international parcels quickly and affordably through our partnerships with global postal carriers and commercial carriers.
- Free HS tariff code fulfillment service for up to five free daily HS code lookups
- No printed customs forms
- Door-to-door tracking with GlobalPost Standard International
- Up to 30% off shipping costs with SmartSaver
- Free phone and email support
For more information about GlobalPost, visit us at the following events:
- RICE: June 13-15, 2023 in Chicago, IL
- Parcel Forum: September 11-13, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee
- EDGE Supply Chain Conference: October 1-4 in Kissimmee, FL
What are international holidays?
International holidays will include federal holidays where mail may not be delivered and major holidays creating an influx in orders. These dates range from national holidays to recognized shopping holidays.
New Year’s Day – January 1, 2023 (Multiple countries)
Many countries around the world mark January 1 as the beginning of a new year. New Year’s Day may be considered a federal holiday, meaning carriers won’t deliver packages and other institutions will be closed. If New Year’s Day falls on a weekend, carriers and companies usually observe the following Monday as a holiday.
Lunar New Year – Date varies, second New Moon after December 21 (Asia)
Several Asian countries celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is a 15-day celebration to welcome springtime and the beginning of the lunar calendar.
Australia Day – January 26 (Australia)
Australia Day marks the day on which British ships, or the First Fleet, landed in Australia in 1788. If Australia Day falls on a weekend, it’s recognized on the Monday after, similar to New Year’s Day and other federally-recognized holidays.
Valentine’s Day – February 14 (Multiple countries)
Valentine’s Day was established as a romantic holiday for those in relationships. Over the years, Valentine’s Day has shifted to a day of love, be it platonic or romantic.
Family Day – Third Monday in February (Canada)
Family Day is a Canadian national holiday where residents are encouraged to spend time with their loved ones, be they given or chosen.
Click Frenzy – Dates vary (Australia)
Like Cyber Monday, Australia’s Click Frenzy is a 2-3 event where customers expect discounts and deals across online retailers. Click Frenzy days are clustered throughout the year and last for around 53 hours at a time.
Easter holidays – Dates vary, the Friday before Easter thru the Monday after Easter (Multiple countries)
Good Friday falls on the Friday before Easter and marks the beginning of Easter weekend. Easter egg hunts and family gatherings are common during this timeframe.
Mother’s Day – Date varies, the second Sunday in May (Multiple countries)
Mother’s Day is an appreciation day for mothers, so customers will be on the lookout for potential presents.
Father’s Day – Date varies, the third Sunday in June (Multiple countries)
Father’s Day is an appreciation day for fathers, so it’s a good time to promote gift ideas and offer your customers discounts.
Canada Day – July 1 (Canada)
Canada Day is another Canadian national holiday and marks the combination of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Providence of Canada into a single entity.
The End of the Financial Year, or EOFY- June 30 (Australia)
The EOFY signifies the end of Australia’s financial year. With the EOFY impacting stores, customers purchase heavily discounted products, as retailers are trying to create space for new inventory.
Prime Day – dates vary, July and potentially October (Global audience)
Prime Day is one of the largest retail events of the entire year; your business will have ample opportunity to showcase products and provide customers with promotions. Last year, Amazon announced a second round of Prime dates in addition to the regular dates in July. However, a second set of Prime Days hasn’t been confirmed for 2023 as of the writing of this blog.
Summer Bank Holiday – August 29 (Northern Ireland, England, and Wales)
Northern Ireland, England, and Wales honor summer ending with the Summer Bank Holiday and festivities.
Canadian Thanksgiving – second Monday in October (Canada)
Canadian Thanksgiving is similar to Thanksgiving in the US and provides Canadian citizens a way to give thanks and spend time with family and friends.
Singles Day – November 11 (China)
Singles Day is the opposite of Valentine’s Day and celebrates those who are single instead of those in relationships.
Small Business Saturday – Date varies, the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Global)
Small Business Saturday promotes shopping from small businesses for an entire day.
Sofa Sunday – Date varies, Sunday after US Thanksgiving (Australia)
Sofa Sunday is close to Cyber Monday in the US and offers shoppers online sales across stores and marketplaces.
Black Friday – Date varies, Friday after US Thanksgiving (US)
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and is one of the biggest shopping days of the holiday season. Black Friday deals can be found for both in-person and online shoppers.
Cyber Monday – Date varies, Monday after US Thanksgiving (US)
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving and is closing in on Black Friday for the largest pre-holiday shopping day. As its name implies, Cyber Monday deals are mainly found online.
Super Saturday – Date varies, the last Saturday before Christmas
Super Saturday is one of the last shopping days before Christmas and gives shoppers another round of sales and discounts.
Christmas Eve – December 24 (Multiple countries)
In some countries, gifts are opened on December 24 instead of Christmas Day (December 25), so it’s another opportunity to market to customers.
Christmas Day – December 25 (Multiple countries)
Christmas Day has become one of the most important holidays for ecommerce. While many stores are closed on December 25, customer purchases throughout November and December are for Christmas presents. This is also a USPS holiday.
Boxing Day – December 26 (Multiple countries)
Boxing Day is almost a continuation of Christmas Day, as sporting events and celebrations are commonplace. Boxing Day is also observed on the Monday after Christmas if December 26 falls on a weekend.
New Year’s Eve – December 31 (Multiple countries)
New Year’s Eve is considered to be the last day of the year in some countries and is celebrated through events to count down the final moments of the previous year.
GlobalPost 2023 Holidays
While the holidays below don’t reflect GlobalPost hours of operation, packages in transit might experience delays due to the shipping holidays of our partners. The following dates are shipping holidays for our partners, so regular deliveries won’t be made.
- Monday, May 29, 2023: Memorial Day
- July 4, 2023: Independence Day
- September 4, 2023: Labor Day
- November 23, 2023: Thanksgiving Day
- November 24, 2023: Day After Thanksgiving
- December 25, 2023: Christmas Day
- January 1, 2024: New Year’s Day
Conclusion
Part of being an international shipper means having an awareness of international holidays. International holidays range from a country’s federal holidays to specific days used to mark promotional events. Having these international holidays at your fingertips can prevent inconvenient shipping delays for your customers. It can also help your business plan for an increase in shipments and provide customers with special offers to align with the holiday at hand.