Holiday Hours on Google: Set Them for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's
How to set December holiday hours on your Google Business Profile in a few minutes, why Google says to confirm them even if nothing changes, and what to check on your website.
Set your December holiday hours on Google before customers start planning: Christmas Day (Friday, December 25, 2026), Boxing Day (Saturday, December 26) and New Year’s Day (Friday, January 1, 2027) are all public holidays in Ontario, and Google recommends confirming holiday hours even if they’re the same as usual. It takes a few minutes in your Business Profile, under Edit profile, then Hours, then Special hours, and your regular hours stay as they are.
The reason is simple. On a holiday, customers check before they drive. If Google shows you open and you’re closed, someone stands at a locked door. If Google is unsure, they may not come even though you’re open.
Why confirm holiday hours if nothing changes?
Because it shows customers your holiday hours are accurate. Google’s help page says: “It’s a good idea to confirm your hours for official holidays, even if they’re the same as your regular hours. This makes it clear to customers that your special hours are accurate” (Google Business Profile Help).
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are three of Ontario’s nine public holidays (Ontario, Employment Standards Act guide). Customers expect hours to change on those days, so that’s when they check. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve aren’t on that list, but if you close early on either, they need special hours too.
If you run a retail store, Ontario has a separate law on which holidays stores must close, with exceptions; Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are on its list (Ontario: Retail business holidays). Check whether it applies to you. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do you set special hours on Google, step by step?
These are the steps on Google’s help page (Google Business Profile Help):
- Go to your Business Profile and select Edit profile, then Hours.
- In “Business hours”, next to Special hours, select Edit.
- Select the date. If Google suggests the holiday, select Review. If not, select Add a date and enter it.
- If you’re open, uncheck Closed and enter your hours. If you’re closed, make sure Closed is checked.
- Select Save.
Repeat for each date: December 24 and 31 if your hours change, December 25 and 26, and January 1. You can add more than one set of hours for the same day, for example a lunch break. If you manage several locations, Google’s bulk spreadsheet has a “Special hours” column for the same job (Google Business Profile Help).
What are the limits of special hours?
There are three that trip people up, all from the same Google page (Google Business Profile Help):
| Situation | What Google says to do |
|---|---|
| Closed or on reduced hours for up to 6 days in a row | Use special hours |
| Closed for 7 or more days in a row, or for an unknown period | Mark the business as temporarily closed |
| Special hours not showing | Set business hours to “Open with main hours” |
The second row matters in December. If you close from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, that’s more than 6 days in a row, so Google’s guidance is to mark the business as temporarily closed, then reopen it when you’re back.
Special hours are also different from “More hours”, which Google uses for things like delivery or takeout times. If only your delivery window changes over the holidays, edit that instead.
What should you check on your website?
The same hours. A customer who sees one time on Google and another on your website doesn’t know which to trust. Before the holidays:
- Put the holiday hours on your website, in the same place as your regular hours.
- Make sure the phone number on the site and on Google is the same and someone answers it, or the voicemail says when you’re back.
- If you have a contact form, send yourself a test message to confirm it arrives. Our 2-minute contact form check walks through it.
Our guide on Google Business Profile vs a website explains how the two work together, and Get Found Locally covers the rest of the profile.
When should you set them?
Now, for all of December. The steps are the same for each date, and adding them well ahead means customers see the right hours when they start planning. Then add the next one to your calendar: Family Day, in February, is also an Ontario public holiday (Ontario, Employment Standards Act guide).
If you’d rather have a website that shows your hours clearly and an assistant that can answer “are you open on Boxing Day?” from your own information, see the five Express steps for small businesses in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph. Name and email are enough to get the price in writing. Not sure your Google hours and your website match? Email [email protected] with your business name and we’ll reply with an honest next step.
Sources checked on 9 October 2026. Google’s steps and limits come from the linked Google Business Profile Help page; the holiday list comes from Ontario’s Employment Standards Act guide, and the retail rule from Ontario’s retail business holidays page. Which day each date falls on comes from the 2026 and 2027 calendars.
How we wrote this: drafted by the YourFirstAI team with AI assistance, sources checked on 2026-10-09, and reviewed against our editorial rubric before publishing.
Frequently asked
How do I set holiday hours on my Google Business Profile?
Open your Business Profile, select Edit profile, then Hours. Next to Special hours, select Edit, pick or add the date, set your hours or check Closed, and select Save. Your regular hours don't change.
Do I need to set special hours if I'm open my normal hours on a holiday?
Google recommends it. Its help page says it's a good idea to confirm your hours for official holidays even if they're the same as your regular hours, so customers know the hours are accurate.
Which December holidays are public holidays in Ontario?
Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 26), and then New Year's Day on January 1. All three are among Ontario's nine public holidays under the Employment Standards Act. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday, December 25 and Boxing Day on Saturday, December 26; New Year's Day 2027 is Friday, January 1.
What if I'm closed from Christmas to New Year's?
Special hours cover closures of up to 6 days in a row. Google says that if you're closed for 7 or more days in a row, or for an unknown period, you should mark the business as temporarily closed instead.
Why aren't my special hours showing on Google?
Google says special hours only show if your business hours are set to 'Open with main hours'. Check that setting first, then check the dates you entered.