How to set holiday hours on your Google Business Profile
On a holiday, people search before they set out, and Google shows them whether you're open. If your profile shows normal hours and you're closed, they drive over for nothing. If you're open and Google isn't sure, they may go somewhere else.
Updated October 23, 2026
Why holiday hours matter on Google
Local search professionals widely report that being open at the time of a search helps a shop show up in local results. Correct holiday hours also stop the worst kind of review: the one from a customer who found you closed.
How to set special hours, step by step
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Search Google for your business name to open your profile's management panel.
- Choose to edit your profile, then go to the hours section.
- Find “Special hours” and add the date.
- Choose closed, or enter the hours you'll really be open that day, then save.
Do it a week or two ahead: changes can take a little while to show. Google sometimes renames these menus, but “special hours” has stayed the term for one-off days.
Your regular weekly hours have to be set first. Google won't take holiday hours for a profile with no regular hours.
US holidays for 2026 and 2027
The days most shops change their hours for. Not every shop closes on all of them; set what you really do.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu, Jan 1 | Fri, Jan 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19 | Mon, Jan 18 |
| Presidents' Day | Mon, Feb 16 | Mon, Feb 15 |
| Easter Sunday | Sun, Apr 5 | Sun, Mar 28 |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25 | Mon, May 31 |
| Juneteenth | Fri, Jun 19 | Sat, Jun 19 |
| Independence Day | Sat, Jul 4 | Sun, Jul 4 |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7 | Mon, Sep 6 |
| Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day | Mon, Oct 12 | Mon, Oct 11 |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11 | Thu, Nov 11 |
| Thanksgiving | Thu, Nov 26 | Thu, Nov 25 |
| The day after Thanksgiving | Fri, Nov 27 | Fri, Nov 26 |
| Christmas Eve | Thu, Dec 24 | Fri, Dec 24 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | Sat, Dec 25 |
| New Year's Eve | Thu, Dec 31 | Fri, Dec 31 |
A few honest rules
- Enter the hours you'll really keep. Don't stretch them, and don't claim 24/7.
- Closing early on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve counts too: set the shorter hours.
- If plans change on the day, update Google from your phone straight away.
Where KILLCRITIC fits
On every paid plan, about three weeks before each of these holidays, KILLCRITIC asks you a simple question, such as “Open on Thanksgiving?”, with three answers: closed, your regular hours, or special hours. With your Google profile connected, your answer goes to Google when you click, and never on a schedule. See pricing or the guide for phone repair shops.
Common questions
Do I need to set special hours if I'm open as normal on a holiday?
It helps. Google may show a warning that hours might differ on a holiday. Setting your normal hours as that day's special hours tells customers, and Google, that you're open.
Can I say I'm open 24 hours to show up more?
No. Hours have to be the hours you really keep. Google can suspend a profile for false hours, and a customer who finds you closed is worse than one who never found you.
Keep reading
- Local SEO for phone repair shops
- How to get more Google reviews, the way Google allows
- How to get your Google review link and turn it into a QR code
- How to reply to a bad Google review (with examples)
- Why isn't my business showing on Google Maps?
- How a local business can show up in ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI search
- KILLCRITIC pricing
KILLCRITIC is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google. Google, Google Maps and Google Business Profile are trademarks of Google LLC.