The short answer
A holiday phone message needs three things: that you’re closed, the exact day and time you reopen, and what to do if it can’t wait. Keep it under 25 seconds. Record it as its own file, apart from your everyday greeting, so you can switch it on the night before and off the morning you reopen. Below are scripts for every part of your phone line, and the 2026 dates to plan around.
A holiday message can be recorded quickly, but the businesses that plan it in November get the better result. Every closed day is covered, the files are tested, and nobody is uploading audio on Christmas Eve.
Everything in square brackets is a blank to fill in. Change the wording so it sounds like you. Keep the order.
1. The 2026 dates to plan around
Write down every day you’ll be closed or on short hours before you write a single script. Most phone lines need one message per closure, not one for the whole season.
| Holiday | 2026 date | What most offices need |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday 26 November | Closed message for Thursday, often Friday too |
| Christmas Eve | Thursday 24 December | Early closing message |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Closed message, reopening Monday 28 |
| New Year’s Eve | Thursday 31 December | Early closing message |
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | Closed message, reopening Monday 4 |
Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday this year, so many offices will be closed for two long weekends in a row. That’s a lot of callers hearing your closed message. It’s worth getting right.
2. Closed for the holiday
This replaces your main greeting on the days you’re closed. Say the reopening day and date. “We’ll be back Monday” is confusing when the caller isn’t sure which Monday you mean.
Thanksgiving
“Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is closed Thursday, November 26th, and Friday, November 27th, for Thanksgiving. We’ll reopen Monday, November 30th, at [8 a.m.]. Please leave a message and we’ll call you back when we’re back. From all of us at [Company], happy Thanksgiving.”
Christmas
“Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is closed for Christmas and will reopen Monday, December 28th, at [8 a.m.]. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and we’ll return your call then. Merry Christmas from all of us at [Company].”
New Year
“Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is closed for New Year’s Day and will reopen Monday, January 4th, at [8 a.m.]. Please leave a message, or visit [website] to [order / book / pay your bill] online. Happy New Year from all of us at [Company].”
One message for the whole season
“Thank you for calling [Company]. Our office is closed from [day and date] through [day and date] for the holidays. We’ll reopen [day and date] at [time]. Please leave a message and we’ll call you back when we return. Happy holidays from all of us at [Company].”
“Happy holidays” works for everyone. If your customers expect “Merry Christmas”, say it. It’s your line, so it should sound like you.
3. When it can’t wait
If anyone might call you with a real problem over the holidays, the closed message has to tell them where to go. Put it right after the reopening date, not at the end where people hang up.
Medical or dental practice
“Thank you for calling [Practice name]. Our office is closed for the holiday and will reopen [day and date]. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911. For urgent questions, please call [on-call number]. Otherwise, leave a message and we’ll call you back when we reopen.”
Trades and home services
“Thanks for calling [Company]. Our office is closed for the holiday, but if you have no heat, no water or a leak right now, press 1 and you’ll reach our on-call technician. For anything else, leave a message and we’ll call you back [day and date].”
4. Short hours and early closing
Early closing
“Thank you for calling [Company]. Today, [Christmas Eve / New Year’s Eve], our office closes early at [noon]. If you’re calling after [noon], please leave a message and we’ll call you back on [day and date].”
Holiday hours all season
“Thank you for calling [Company]. Our holiday hours are [hours] from [date] through [date]. Our regular hours start again on [date]. To hear your options, please stay on the line.”
Your holiday message should sound like the rest of your line. Hear the single prompts on my phone page.
5. Holiday on-hold messages
December is busy for a lot of businesses, so more people wait on hold. Swap one or two of your regular on-hold messages for seasonal ones. Keep each one around 15 to 30 seconds.
Hours reminder
“Thanks for holding. Just a reminder: we’ll be closed [dates] for the holidays. If you need [an order / an appointment / a repair] before then, our team can help you today. Someone will be with you shortly.”
Seasonal offer
“This holiday season, ask about [your offer], available through [end date]. Thank you for your patience. We’ll be right with you.”
A simple thank you
“From all of us at [Company], thank you for being a customer this year. We’ll be with you in just a moment.”
6. Don’t forget to switch it back
The most common holiday message mistake isn’t the script. It’s a Christmas greeting still playing in February. Two habits stop it:
- Schedule it if your phone system lets you. Most business phone systems let you set a holiday greeting to start and end on set dates. Set both dates when you upload the file.
- Put a reminder in your calendar for the morning you reopen: “Switch the phone greeting back.”
Not sure which file your system takes? My guide on what file format your phone system needs covers the big ones.
7. A simple plan for this season
- Early November: decide every closed day and every short day.
- Mid November: write the scripts using the examples above. Read each one out loud.
- Before Thanksgiving: have them all recorded in one session, so they match.
- Upload and test: call your own number from a mobile phone and listen to each message.
- Save the files. With the dates in their own sentence, next year you may only need that one line re-recorded.
What you get from me
Send me all your holiday scripts at once, even rough ones. I’ll check the dates and the wording before I record. Each message comes back as its own file, named to your list, in the format your phone system asks for. Most phone scripts are delivered in under 24 hours, and you get one free revision of up to 50 words, plus pickups.
If I already voice your phone line, your holiday messages will sound like the rest of it, because it’s the same voice in the same booth.
Quick questions
What should a holiday phone message say?
That you’re closed, the day and date you reopen, and what to do if it can’t wait. Then a short holiday wish.
How long should a holiday greeting be?
15 to 25 seconds, or about 35 to 60 words. Callers want the reopening date, not a speech.
Should I say “Happy holidays” or “Merry Christmas”?
Either is fine. Use the one your customers expect from you. “Happy holidays” covers the whole season in one message.
Can I reuse my holiday message next year?
Yes, if the dates are in their own sentence. Then only that line needs re-recording.
How fast can you record one?
Most phone scripts are delivered in under 24 hours. In December, send them early so you have time to upload and test.
Got your holiday dates?
Send me your scripts and the name of your phone system. You’ll get a free quote and files that are ready to upload.
More for your phone line: Phone greeting and on-hold script examples · Phone, IVR & on-hold voice over · More guides for buyers