53 special events to inspire your December newsletter ideas

Yes, the end of the year is upon us, meaning it’s time to add some Christmas cheer and New Year’s joy into your email marketing campaigns (cue the repetitive festive songs). But laying Christmas aside, there are plenty of end-of-year newsletter ideas to inspire your next campaign, from the Winter Solstice to Green Monday. 

Zip up your puffer jacket—or put on your shades, depending on the hemisphere 😎—and let’s sleigh-ride into these 53 December content ideas.

This year, the Jewish festival starts on 7 December and draws to a close on the 15th, with candles being lit and people sharing traditional games and meals with their loved ones.

• Newsletter idea: Wish all of your subscribers a happy Hanukkah and suggest 10 ways they can share the love during this holiday season 

That’s exactly what Aftershokz did in their Hanukkah newsletter. They even included a festive menorah GIF to celebrate with all of those who observe the holiday.

A religious and cultural festival celebrated by people worldwide, Christmas is a time to gather the family, exchange gifts and eat a special meal together, with special traditions including Santa Claus, Christmas trees, carol singing, holiday sales and more.

• Newsletter idea: Set up a Christmas campaign with a time-sensitive coupon and gift guide in the run-up to the big day, along with a festive GIF to catch the eye

In this Christmas email example from BarkBox, they promote their treat boxes as the perfect gift for dog parents—approved by Vince the beagle!

Looking for more Christmas newsletter ideas? Check out this holiday email marketing guide below.

Celebrated the day after Christmas, Boxing Day is known for its big sales—although it originated as a day to offer gifts to the poor. Some countries (including Germany, Poland, Romania, Scandinavia and the Netherlands) also celebrate the 26th as a second Christmas day.

• Newsletter idea: Encourage your subscribers to give back this Boxing Day by listing some relevant nonprofits  

In this newsletter example, J. Crew uses the humorous slogan “Get yourself the things they forgot - we won’t tell” to share their Boxing Day discounts.

This is a time to welcome in 2023 with big parties and dazzling fireworks, and make those New Year’s resolutions. 

• Newsletter idea: Share your—or your business’—goals for 2023, along with special offers to get people excited about the coming year, or share a year-in-review newsletter

In the spirit of newness, &Open shared a special gift to help their subscribers “welcome in a brand new year”.

The end of the year is the perfect time to look back at the previous 12 months and share what made the year special. 

• Newsletter idea: Share your most popular blog articles, social media posts, memories or products. You’ll give these popular pieces a visibility boost while letting readers access your best content.

The Athletic’s Best of 22 newsletter was packed full of the year’s biggest and best stories.

The holiday season is the time for giving, so why not gift your subscribers a big discount on your products? 

• Newsletter idea: Create a daily deals newsletter for the holiday season. Choose a different deal each day and promote it to your subscribers. Make the offer limited to the day of the email so people know they have to act fast.

Pro:Direct Soccer’s Christmas daily drop newsletter contained big deals each day in the run-up to Christmas.

Ensure your emails get the opens they deserve! These December email subject lines are the inspiration you need to make your messages stand out in the inbox.

Our in-app newsletter template collection is frequently updated with gorgeous new email templates. Take a peek at the professionally designed December newsletter templates you can use to spruce up your email campaigns.

1. Universal Human Rights Month

10 December 1948 marked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and so this month is all about remembering to treat each other fairly and equally.

• Newsletter idea: Highlight a human rights issue you feel passionate about and use an accordion block to embed FAQs. Then share ways for subscribers to get involved or make a difference

2. Month of Giving 

As the name suggests, December is also a month for giving to others—whether by joining a volunteer initiative, donating to charities, or passing on pre-loved and unused items.

• Newsletter idea: Hold a competition for subscribers to nominate non-profits that your business will donate goods, services or money to. Promote the competition using a dedicated landing page and gain subscribers along the way

3. Safe Toys and Gifts Month

In the US in 2010, 251,700 toy-related injuries had to be treated in emergency rooms. Since then, there have been widespread campaigns to improve toy safety and precautions—especially during the holiday shopping season. 

• Newsletter idea: Share a video demonstrating how to identify which toys are safe to gift, such as checking the age category and making sure it’s labeled by The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

4. Write a Business Plan Month

This month is intended to help business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers stay on track with a well-organized business plan.

• Newsletter idea: Set up an automated email series guiding your audience through the steps of creating a rock-solid business plan

5. Gift of Sight Month

The Gift of Sight Month aims to raise awareness about eye health, as very few people book regular eye exams. 

• Newsletter idea: In your email P.S. line, send your subscribers a reminder to book an eye appointment each year

6. Operation Santa Paws

This month is all about recognizing the value animals and pets add to our lives, as well as raising awareness for the many that end up in shelters after Christmas, as people underestimate the responsibility of caring for a pet. 

• Newsletter idea: Embed social media posts from shelters and remind your subscribers to think carefully before getting a pet, making sure it fits in with their schedule, finances and lifestyle

7. National Handwashing Awareness Week (1-7 December)

This event takes place every year during the first week of December. Hand hygiene has become particularly important over the past few years, and there are lots of guides and programs on how to do it right.

• Newsletter idea: Share a fun rhyme in your email sign-off, reminding people to wash their hands

1 December 2023

• World AIDS Day: Decorate your newsletter design with a red ribbon graphic and link to nonprofits raising awareness about HIV and AIDS

2 December 2023

• Fritters Day: Banana fritters… potato fritters… pineapple fritters… Offer your favorite downloadable fritters recipe with your subscribers, and then wish them bon appetit

3 December 2023

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Highlight how your subscribers can help to uphold the rights and dignity of people with disabilities

4 December 2023

• World Wildlife Conservation Day: Share 10 crazy, amazing facts about world wildlife in your email newsletter

5 December 2023

• World Soil Day: List ways in which your subscribers can help to prevent soil erosion (e.g. by digging a rain garden and reducing driveways and patios)

6 December 2023

• St. Nicholas Day: Share the history behind the modern-day Santa Claus (this day is celebrated on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries)

7 December 2023

• Flag Day of India: Express gratitude to people who have served in the Indian armed forces by linking to veterans’ charities

• Christmas Jumper Day: Share a fun selfie in your favorite Christmas jumper in your newsletter and challenge your subscribers to post theirs on social media 

8 December 2023

• Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day: Share which historical era you would travel back to if you could and post an email survey where your subscribers can vote on where they’d go

9 December 2023

• Christmas Card Day: Send your subscribers a ‘Christmas card’ in your email with a seasonal greeting, showing them how much you appreciate them

10 December 2023

• Human Rights Day: Share downloadable coloring sheets and resources to teach children that everyone is equal

• International Animal Rights Day: Write a blog article about animal rights and share it in your email newsletter

11 December 2023

• National App Day: List 5 apps that have changed your life for the better

• Green Monday: This is one of the most profitable days for retail, so this is a great time to suggest Christmas gifts for those last-minute shoppers (and for bonus points, list sustainable products that don’t hurt the environment)

12 December 2023

• Universal Health Coverage Day: Share the history of universal health coverage across the world and link to the UHC Day 2022 toolkit

13 December 2023

• Day of the Horse: Release your inner equine enthusiast and celebrate the contribution of horses throughout history, sharing some fun facts with your subscribers

14 December 2023

• National Free Shipping Day: Offer your subscribers—you guessed it 😂—free delivery to get the rest of their shopping done before the big day

15 December 2023

• Lemon Cupcake Day: Share your secret recipe in your newsletter so that everyone can enjoy a sweet treat

• The last day of Hanukkah: See our 6 hand-picked December newsletter ideas

16 December 2023

• Day of Reconciliation: Commemorate this special event in South Africa which encourages unity and harmony in their nation

17 December 2023

• National Device Appreciation Day: This day is all about insuring the items that are most important to us (the concept of insurance dates back 6000 years!). So it's a good time to share a story about the first device you owned and encourage your subscribers to share theirs as well 

18 December 2023

• Arabic Language Day: Celebrate one of the world’s most ancient languages by linking to an Arabic beginner’s guide or online course in your email newsletter

19 December 2023

• Look For An Evergreen Day: Hide a tiny Christmas tree graphic somewhere in your email newsletter or website and challenge your subscribers to find it

20 December 2023

• Go Caroling Day: Embed a video in your email sharing your favorite Christmas carol

21 December 2023

• December Solstice: The December Solstice is the longest or shortest night of the year, depending on whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere. List some fun, family-friendly activities (painting, movie marathons, etc.) to get through the special day

• Humbug Day: Send some relaxation techniques to your subscribers to help them let out that holiday season stress

• Short Story Day: Share a short story in your newsletter (300-500 words) and challenge your subscribers to write their own

• Crossword Puzzle Day: Create a printable crossword puzzle with keywords related to your business and offer a prize to the first 3 subscribers who respond with the answers

23 December 2023

• Festivus: Celebrate this secular, non-commercial alternative to Christmas by sharing special dinner recipes and showing subscribers how to complete Festivus traditions such as ‘airing grievances’ and ‘demonstrating feats of strength’

• National Christmas Movie Marathon Day: Share a Christmas movie checklist for your subscribers to work their way through

24 December 2023

• Christmas Eve: Wish your subscribers a Merry Christmas and send some printable games and coloring sheets for families to spend the evening together

25 December 2023

• Christmas Day: See our 6 hand-picked December newsletter ideas

26 December 2023

• Boxing Day: See our 6 hand-picked December newsletter ideas

• Day of Goodwill: Celebrate this South African holiday by encouraging subscribers to volunteer and participate in charity events

• First day of Kwanzaa: Mark this African-American and pan-African cultural holiday by sharing your favorite meals and music for people to celebrate to. The festival runs until January 1

28 December 2023

• National Download Day: Promote your digital products that subscribers can download and enjoy in an instant

29 December 2023

• Tick Tock Day: (No, not the app!) Remind your subscribers they only have 2 days left this year, and inspire them to go out and do something meaningful to them

30 December 2023

• National Resolution Planning Day: Host a webinar sharing your company’s resolutions for the year and promote it in your newsletter, or tell subscribers how your business can help them achieve their goals

31 December 2023

• New Year’s Eve: See our 6 hand-picked December newsletter ideas

• Hogmanay: Share your favorite places to visit in Scotland or 10 facts about the Scottish New Year’s Eve (for example, until the 1950s, many Scots preferred to celebrate Hogmanay instead of Christmas)

Ta-da—your holiday season marketing strategy is sorted! There’s more to December than just Christmas and New Year, so get creative and use these occasions to think outside the box.

Remember to pick special events that are relevant to you and your business, and tie in some catchy email subject lines to boost open rates. Then sit back and have a very merry email campaign! 

Planning your content for the new year? Check out these January newsletter ideas to start the new year right.

Did any of these events inspire you? Share the preview link to your December campaign for a chance to be featured in next year's edition!

Editor's note: This article was originally published in November 2021 but has been updated with fresh examples and up-to-date event information.