The short answer
Message a few days before each festival, not on the day. Chhath Puja falls on 15 November 2026, Guru Nanak Jayanti on 24 November, Christmas on 25 December and New Year’s Day on 1 January 2027. In January, Lohri is on 14 January, and Makar Sankranti and Pongal are on 15 January 2027.
Key takeaways
- Send a few days before each festival, and keep the day itself for serving customers.
- Match the festival to your customers: not every occasion matters in every city.
- Meta limits how many marketing messages each person gets, so pick your moments.
- 01The dates
- 02Who each one matters to
- 03Send before, not on the day
- 04Pick your moments
- 05A quieter stretch to say thank you
- 06Ideas by kind of business
The dates
Chhath Puja falls on Sunday 15 November 2026, and the celebrations run over several days around it. Guru Nanak Jayanti is on Tuesday 24 November. Christmas is on Friday 25 December and New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027. Lohri is on Thursday 14 January 2027, and Makar Sankranti and Pongal are on Friday 15 January. These dates are for New Delhi from Drik Panchang. Check your local calendar, as some places mark a festival a day apart.
Who each one matters to
Chhath matters most to customers from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, including families from there who live in big cities. Guru Nanak Jayanti matters to Sikh customers everywhere. Christmas and New Year matter to cafés, bakeries and restaurants almost everywhere. Lohri is celebrated mostly in Punjab and the north, Makar Sankranti across much of the country under different names, and Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Send before, not on the day
A note two or three days before gives people time to plan a visit or a pre-order. On the day itself they’re busy, and so are you. One message for each occasion is enough.
Pick your moments
Meta limits how many marketing messages each person receives from businesses, based on how they engage. Send too many and later ones may not arrive at all. Choose the two or three occasions that matter most to your customers, and skip the rest.
A quieter stretch to say thank you
Between Chhath and Christmas, many shops have a calmer few weeks. It’s a good time to thank the people who came once in the Diwali rush and invite them back, as our post on the festive rush explains.
Ideas by kind of business
Bakeries: take Christmas cake and New Year pre-orders from customers who ordered last year. Cafés: invite regulars for the quiet days between Christmas and New Year. Sweet shops: open Lohri and Sankranti pre-orders a week ahead. Salons: remind clients who usually book before an occasion.
Sources
- Drik Panchang: Chhath Puja 2026, New Delhi (checked 2 November 2026)
- Drik Panchang: Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 (checked 2 November 2026)
- Drik Panchang: Lohri 2027 (checked 2 November 2026)
- Drik Panchang: Makar Sankranti 2027 (checked 2 November 2026)
- Drik Panchang: Thai Pongal 2027, New Delhi (checked 2 November 2026)
- Meta for Developers: Per-user marketing message limits
Put it to work.
See who’s due for this one in your own Reten.
Written by the Reten editorial team. General guidance, not legal advice: check consent and messaging rules for your business before you send.
