Key Dates in 2025
As we barrel into the new year, it’s time to pull out your calendars, highlighters, and sticky notes! Whether you’re planning sermon series, coordinating volunteers, or scheduling social media posts, having a clear picture of the year’s key dates will help you stay on top of your church’s communications and programming. At Caffeinated Church, we’re here to help you prepare for 2025 with an overview of important observances and liturgical dates, plus some lighthearted holidays to keep your content fresh and engaging, and even some bonus tips for maximizing your own – gasp! – time off.
Liturgical & Church Calendar Highlights
For mainline Protestant churches, the liturgical calendar provides a natural rhythm to the year. Here are a few dates we’re sure are already on your mind and calendar:
Ash Wednesday: March 5
Holy Week: April 13–19 (Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday)
Easter: April 20
Pentecost Begins: June 8
St. Francis of Assisi (October 4): Widely celebrated across denominations with Blessing of the Animals services, reflecting care for creation.
All Saints’ Day (November 1): A day to remember and celebrate the communion of saints—perfect for storytelling and remembrance services.
Advent Begins: November 30
These dates will likely anchor your communications plans, providing opportunities to highlight sermons, educational resources, or meaningful traditions within your congregation. For daily readings and more detailed observances:
Feast Days or Observances: Have you considered marking one of these with programming or content?
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18–25): An annual ecumenical initiative promoting unity across denominations.
Conversion of St. Paul (January 25): Reflect on transformative faith journeys.
St. Brigid of Kildare (February 1): A celebration of generosity, hospitality, and creativity rooted in Celtic Christianity.
Candlemas (February 2): Celebrates Jesus being presented at the temple, often marked with candle blessings.
World Day of Prayer (March 7): Originating with women in the global church, this day emphasizes prayerful solidarity and action.
Heritage Sunday (May 18): A day to celebrate the history and impact of the Methodist movement.
Trinity Sunday (June 15): Focuses on the mystery of the Triune God.
Just Peace Sunday (September 21): Coinciding with the International Day of Peace, this observance promotes justice and reconciliation.
St. Michael and All Angels (September 29): Recognizing the unseen spiritual forces at work in the world.
World Communion Sunday (October 5): A time to focus on unity within the global Christian church.
Reformation Sunday (October 26): A highlight for Lutheran communities, commemorating the Reformation’s impact.
Holy Innocents (December 28): A poignant day to pray for children and address contemporary issues of injustice and exploitation.
Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans (Varies): A Scottish tradition celebrated in some Presbyterian churches.
Federal Holidays and Breaks
Being aware of federal holidays and common school breaks ensures you can adjust your schedule and expectations for attendance and engagement. Here are some key dates:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 20
Memorial Day: May 26
Labor Day: September 1
Thanksgiving: November 27
Keep in mind spring breaks typically fall in March or April, and summer vacations stretch from late May through early September, depending on your geography. These are great times to plan flexible programming or take a break from major initiatives to give your team some breathing room.
Fun and Whimsical Celebrations
Not every date (or social media post) needs to be serious! Incorporating quirky, lesser-known observances can add a touch of fun to your content calendar. Here are a few to consider:
National Compliment Day: January 24 – Encourage your congregation to share kind words with one another (in person or online!).
National Popcorn Day: January 19 — Popcorn starts as a small, unassuming kernel that transforms into something new and wonderful. Share this as a metaphor for personal growth in faith or host a family movie night to bring people together.
Pi Day: March 14 — Celebrate the infinite nature of Pi (π) alongside the infinite grace of God. Pair this with a pie-baking contest or a lighthearted discussion about how God’s love surpasses understanding (Ephesians 3:18–19).
Star Wars Day: May 4 — We love to joke about “May the Fourth — and the Lord — be with you.” Why not lean in?! Celebrate with a Star Wars-themed family night or a fun social media post about being a “light in the darkness” (John 1:5).
World Emoji Day: July 17 — Host a “Guess the Bible Story” emoji challenge on social media. Reflect on how communication evolves, but the message of God’s love is timeless.
National Relaxation Day: August 15 — Encourage your community to embrace rest as an important part of their spiritual health, linking this to the concept of Sabbath and the need to pause and recharge.
Talk Like a Pirate Day (Yes, really!): September 19 — Use this fun day to reflect on Matthew 6:19–21, where Jesus talks about storing up treasures in heaven. Host a treasure hunt for your youth and share about it on social media.
World Kindness Day: November 13 — Challenge your community to commit one random act of kindness that day and highlight those stories on your platforms.
National Ugly Sweater Day: December 19 — Even in our “ugliest” moments, God loves us unconditionally (Romans 5:8). Share the fun of ugly sweater photos while reinforcing the message of grace and acceptance. This could be a great tie-in to a holiday staff party theme!
These dates are a great way to humanize your church’s social media presence, while giving you new ideas and engaging your audience with lighthearted, relatable content.
Pro Tips for 2025
Plan Around Holidays: Consider attendance patterns and plan major events and posts around school breaks and travel-heavy periods. Consider how to keep folks engaged online when they’re away from in-person events.
Batch Your Social Media Content: Use fun, national holidays as prompts to pre-schedule posts that align with your church’s mission or humor.
Be Mindful of Burnout: Remember, your team needs time to rest, too. Plan downtime after busy seasons like Holy Week or Christmas.
Speaking of Burnout
I recently saw an Instagram post about how to maximize your vacation time in 2025, if you have a standard package. I’ve taken the liberty of poaching that for you here (I know not all of us can take Christmas, but I’m leaving it here just in case.):
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Holiday: Monday, January 20
Take Off: Friday, January 17
Benefit: Create a 4-day weekend from January 17 to January 20 with 1 PTO day.
Memorial Day
Holiday: Monday, May 26
Take Off:
Option 1: Friday, May 23, and Tuesday, May 27
Benefit: Get a 5-day break from May 23 to May 27 using 2 PTO days.
Option 2: May 23 to May 30
Benefit: Enjoy a 9-day vacation from May 23 to May 31 using 4 PTO days.
Juneteenth
Holiday: Thursday, June 19
Take Off: Friday, June 20
Benefit: Have a 4-day weekend from June 19 to June 22 with 1 PTO day.
Independence Day
Holiday: Friday, July 4
Take Off:
Option 1: Thursday, July 3
Benefit: Extend to a 4-day weekend from July 3 to July 6 using 1 PTO day.
Option 2: June 30 to July 3 or July 7 to July 11
Benefit: Create a 9-day vacation by combining weekends with 4 PTO days.
Labor Day
Holiday: Monday, September 1
Take Off:
Option 1: Friday, August 29
Benefit: Get a 4-day weekend from August 29 to September 1 with 1 PTO day.
Option 2: Tuesday, September 2
Benefit: Enjoy a 5-day break from August 29 to September 2 using 2 PTO days.
Thanksgiving
Holiday: Thursday, November 27
Take Off:
Option 1: Wednesday, November 26, and Friday, November 28
Benefit: Have a 5-day weekend from November 26 to November 30 with 2 PTO days.
Option 2: November 24 to November 28
Benefit: Take a 9-day vacation from November 22 to November 30 using 5 PTO days.
Christmas and New Year’s
Holiday: Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day) and Thursday, January 1 (New Year's Day)
Take Off:
Option 1: Friday, December 26
Benefit: Get a 4-day weekend from December 25 to December 28 with 1 PTO day.
Option 2: December 22 to December 24 and December 29 to December 31
Benefit: Enjoy an 11-day vacation from December 20 to January 1 using 6 PTO days.
A well-organized calendar is a church communicator’s best friend. By taking the time now to map out 2025’s big moments—liturgical milestones, content, and time off—you’ll set you and your church up for success.
Here’s to a joyful, creative, and well-organized 2025!
