---
title: "Holiday Calendar"
description: "Schedule holiday closures and special opening hours in advance — or import a whole country's public holidays in one click."
contentType: "docs"
locale: "en"
localized: true
source: "https://orderrules.com/docs/store-hours/holiday-calendar"
slug: "store-hours/holiday-calendar"
---
## Plan Ahead with the Calendar

The Calendar lets you schedule closures and special opening hours for specific dates. Set everything up in advance and OrderRules enforces it automatically when the date arrives.

## Import Holidays (Preset Calendars)

Don't type every holiday in by hand. From **Calendar → Import Holidays**, pick your country or region and OrderRules adds that year's public holidays as **Closed** dates in one click.

1. Go to **Calendar** in the app.
2. Under **Import Holidays**, choose your **Country / region**.
3. Click **Import** for the year (for example, *Import 2026*).

OrderRules adds each public holiday for that year as a closed date. Dates you already set are **skipped**, so importing never overwrites your custom closures. Run it again each year — or for another region — to top up the calendar.

**Supported countries and regions:** United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India.

After importing, you can edit or remove any date, or add your own closures for anything the national list doesn't cover — see below.

## How to Add a Special Date

1. Go to **Calendar** in the app
2. In the **Monthly View**, click the date you want to change
3. Under **Status**, choose:
   - **Closed** -- block all orders that day
   - **Open with special hours** -- different open and close times that day
4. Optionally add a **Reason / Note** (up to 200 characters). It labels the date in the app; shoppers don't see it.
5. Click **Add Date**

Each special date covers one day. For a multi-day closure, add each date.

## Holiday Closures

Block all orders on days you are not operating.

```
Date:   December 25, 2026
Status: Closed
Note:   Christmas Holiday
```

For a closure over several days, add each date as Closed:

```
December 24, 2026  Closed
December 25, 2026  Closed
December 26, 2026  Closed
```

Shoppers see your **Store Closed message** on those days. If you want it to name your reopening date, update that message for the holiday. See [Custom Closed Messages](/docs/store-hours/custom-closed-messages).

## Special Hours

Adjust your operating hours for a specific date without changing your weekly schedule.

```
Date:   December 31, 2026
Status: Open with special hours
Hours:  9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (instead of the normal 6:00 PM close)
```

You can also use special hours to open on a day your weekly schedule has closed.

### The two special-date types

| Status | What it does | What it overrides | Calendar marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed | Blocks all orders for the date | Your weekly schedule | 🔴 |
| Open with special hours | Different open and close times for the date | Your weekly schedule hours | ⏰ |

A special date changes your hours only. It doesn't change your daily order limit, which is the same number every day.

## Priority Rules

Special dates always override your weekly schedule. If your store is normally open on Mondays but you add a closure for a Monday holiday, the closure wins.

Each date can hold one special date, so two special dates never compete.

## Monthly View

The Calendar shows a month at a time. Special dates carry a marker:

- **🔴** -- closed
- **⏰** -- special hours

Click any date to add, edit, or delete its special date. Your next special dates are also listed under **Upcoming Special Dates**.

## Tips

- Add all your holiday closures at the start of the year so you never forget
- Changes take effect immediately -- useful for emergency closures

## Related

- [Daily Schedules](/docs/store-hours/daily-schedules)
- [Custom Closed Messages](/docs/store-hours/custom-closed-messages)
- [Multiple Open Windows](/docs/store-hours/multiple-windows)
- [Blackout dates & holidays](/docs/delivery/blackout-dates-and-holidays)