The party planning calendar
Every big party moment of the year with the date to start pinning ideas, so your board and your supplies are ready in time.
What to plan, and when to start pinning
Thanksgiving
Start pinning by Pin window is open. 17 days to go
Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November. Friendsgiving potlucks often land in the weeks around it.
Christmas
Start pinning by Pin window is open. 46 days to go
The longest lead on the page. People start looking for holiday ideas well before Thanksgiving.
New Year's Eve
Start pinning by Pin window is open. 52 days to go
Countdown games, predictions and a midnight toast. The pack is built for the hours before midnight.
Galentine's Day
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 46 days
The day before Valentine's Day, for brunches, movie nights and swaps with friends. The pack has bingo, rom-com trivia and compliment cards.
Valentine's Day
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 47 days
Cards, treats and a low-key game night. Build a bingo with your own inside jokes if friends or family are coming over.
St. Patrick's Day
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 83 days
A green-themed brunch or potluck. Custom bingo with a list of your own makes an easy table game.
Easter
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 94 days
Brunch menus, egg hunt clues and spring tables. Easter moves every year, so this page works it out for you.
Mother's Day
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 136 days
Always the second Sunday in May. Plan a brunch or a tea, and give the host in your group a role.
Bridal shower season
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 112 days
Showers come before the wedding, so spring and summer weddings mean planning in late winter. May 15 is our planning date.
Graduation parties
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 132 days
Schools finish between late May and June, so parties cluster then. May 20 is our planning date, since commencement days vary.
Baby shower season
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 144 days
Showers follow due dates, so they happen all year. June 1 is our planning date for spring and summer themes.
Fourth of July
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 192 days
Cookout games and a backyard table. Plan the menu and the seating before the long weekend.
Back to school
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 234 days
School starts in early August in much of the South and Southwest, and just after Labor Day in the Northeast. Mid August is our planning date.
Halloween
Start pinning by Pin window opens in 296 days
Costume parties and treat tables take the most lead time of any fall holiday.
The 2027 dates at a glance
The timeline above sorts itself from today’s date. This list is fixed for 2027, with the holiday date first and the start pinning date after it.
- Galentine’s Day: Saturday, February 13, 2027. Start pinning by December 25, 2026.
- Valentine’s Day: Sunday, February 14, 2027. Start pinning by December 26, 2026.
- St. Patrick’s Day: Wednesday, March 17, 2027. Start pinning by January 31.
- Easter: Sunday, March 28, 2027. Start pinning by February 11.
- Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 9, 2027. Start pinning by March 25.
- Bridal shower season: Saturday, May 15, 2027. Start pinning by March 1.
- Graduation parties: Thursday, May 20, 2027. Start pinning by March 21.
- Baby shower season: Tuesday, June 1, 2027. Start pinning by April 2.
- Fourth of July: Sunday, July 4, 2027. Start pinning by May 20.
- Back to school: Sunday, August 15, 2027. Start pinning by July 1.
- Halloween: Sunday, October 31, 2027. Start pinning by September 1.
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25, 2027. Start pinning by October 6.
- Christmas: Saturday, December 25, 2027. Start pinning by September 26.
- New Year’s Eve: Friday, December 31, 2027. Start pinning by November 1.
Easter, Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving move each year. Easter follows the spring full moon, so it can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25. Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May, and Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November. Bridal, graduation, baby shower and back to school are seasons, not single days, so those dates are our planning dates.
How the start pinning dates are set
The date to start pinning is a number of days before the event. Most events use 45 days, a rule of thumb that some Pinterest marketing guides attribute to Pinterest, though we could not find it in Pinterest’s own documentation. Some creators on the Pinterest Business community start about three months ahead for holiday content. We give longer leads to the events that people plan far ahead.
- 90 days: Christmas.
- 75 days: bridal showers.
- 60 days: graduation, baby showers, Halloween and New Year’s Eve.
- 50 days: Galentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving.
- 45 days: everything else.
These are our own planning rules, not official guidance. For a host, the date is a good time to start a board, pick a theme and order supplies. Sources: Simple Pin Media and the Pinterest Business community.
How to use the calendar
- Find the event you are planning for.
- Check the start pinning date and the status badge. “Pin window is open” means the date has passed and you are in the right zone.
- Open the games and printables linked under it.
- Start a board for the event that day, so your ideas are in one place.
Where the dates come from
Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November under federal law, according to Wikipedia. Mother’s Day in the United States is the second Sunday in May, which President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a national holiday in 1914, per Wikipedia. Galentine’s Day comes from the episode of Parks and Recreation that aired on February 11, 2010, and is celebrated on February 13, according to History.com. School calendars vary by region, from an August start in the South and Southwest to just after Labor Day in the Northeast (Wikipedia). We computed the 2027 dates, including Easter on March 28, with two separate calculations that agreed.
Frequently asked questions
What does start pinning mean?
It is the date to begin saving ideas for an event to a Pinterest board, so you have time to choose a theme, order supplies and print games before the day.
How are the start pinning dates chosen?
We count back from the event, usually 45 to 60 days, and give longer lead times to Christmas and bridal season. The rules are our own, based on common Pinterest planning advice.
Do the dates update every year?
Yes. The timeline works out dates like Easter, Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving for the current year when you open the page, and lists the next date for every event first. The 2027 list further down is fixed.
When is Easter in 2027?
Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027. Our start pinning date for it is February 11, 2027.
When are Mother's Day and Thanksgiving in 2027?
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027, and Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 25, 2027.
Why are some events seasons and not dates?
Showers, graduations and back to school happen across weeks or months. For those, we pick one planning date and say so, so you can see when to begin.