Profile optimisation
Special Hours on Google for Indian Festivals and Holidays — Diwali, Holi, Eid, Bandhs and Elections
How to set special and holiday hours on your Google Business Profile for Indian festivals, national holidays, elections, bandhs, weather closures and extended festive hours — with a festival planning calendar, bulk updates for multiple locations, and why wrong hours cause 1-star reviews.
By Chamko Research Team Updated 5 min read
Quick answer
Use Special hours in your Google Business Profile (Edit profile → Hours → Special hours) to set different timings or a closure for specific dates — Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Independence Day, local festivals, elections, bandhs or weather closures — without changing your regular hours. Add them at least a week ahead, set extended hours for festive rush days, and remove nothing afterwards (special hours expire automatically). Use "Temporarily closed" only for longer closures like renovation. Wrong hours are one of the fastest ways to get a "came here, it was closed" 1-star review.
Quick answer: Use Special hours in your Google Business Profile (Edit profile → Hours → Special hours) to set different timings or a closure for specific dates — Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Independence Day, local festivals, elections, bandhs or weather closures — without changing your regular hours. Add them at least a week ahead, set extended hours for festive rush days, and remove nothing afterwards (special hours expire automatically). Use "Temporarily closed" only for longer closures like renovation. Wrong hours are one of the fastest ways to get a "came here, it was closed" 1-star review.
Customers check Google before travelling to you — especially during festivals, when they're busy and shops keep unusual hours. If Google says "Open" and your shutter is down, you lose the customer and probably earn an angry review. Special hours prevent that.
Regular hours vs special hours vs temporarily closed
| Setting | Use for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Regular hours | Normal weekly schedule | Mon–Sat 10 AM–9 PM |
| More hours | Specific services (delivery, takeaway, OPD) | Delivery 11 AM–11 PM |
| Special hours | Specific dates that differ | Diwali: closed; Dhanteras: 9 AM–11 PM |
| Temporarily closed | Closures of days/weeks | Renovation for 3 weeks |
| Permanently closed | Business has shut | — |
See hours and attributes for the basics and 24-hour businesses for overnight timings.
How to set special hours
On desktop or mobile (Search/Maps):
- Open your Business Profile and choose Edit profile.
- Go to Hours → Special hours.
- Add a date, choose Closed or set opening and closing times.
- Add more dates as needed and save.
Google sometimes prompts you before upcoming public holidays to confirm your hours — answer these prompts; confirming keeps your profile accurate.
Indian festival planning calendar
Festival dates move every year with the lunar calendar — check the current year's dates and your state's holiday list.
| Period | Festivals / events | Typical action |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Year's Day, Makar Sankranti/Pongal/Lohri, Republic Day | Closed or shorter hours on some days |
| Feb–March | Maha Shivratri, Holi | Holi morning closures common; evening reopening |
| March–April | Eid-ul-Fitr, Ram Navami, regional new years (Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Baisakhi, Vishu, Bihu, Poila Boishakh) | Mixed — closures or festive specials |
| May–June | Eid-ul-Adha (varies), summer heat adjustments | Midday breaks in hot regions |
| August | Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami | Extended hours for sweets/gifts on Rakhi |
| Aug–Sept | Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam | Regional closures or extended hours |
| Sept–Oct | Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra | Late hours for fashion, food, events |
| Oct–Nov | Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Chhath, Guru Nanak Jayanti | Extended hours before; closures on main day(s) |
| December | Christmas, New Year's Eve | Late hours for restaurants, bakeries |
Also plan for elections (dry days, local closures), bandhs/strikes, monsoon flooding, heatwaves and local fairs or processions.
Festive extended hours: a revenue opportunity
The days before big festivals are often the busiest of the year for sweets, gifts, clothes, jewellery and electronics. If you're staying open late:
- Set special hours with the extended timings.
- Publish a Google post announcing festive timings and offers (festival marketing).
- Update WhatsApp Business hours and status.
- Mention timings in your WhatsApp broadcast to regulars.
Searchers often filter by "Open now" — accurate late hours can bring last-minute buyers who'd otherwise go elsewhere.
Unplanned closures
- Bandh, strike, curfew, flood: add special hours "Closed" for that day as soon as you know, and post an update.
- Owner emergency: mark special hours closed for the day; reply to any messages.
- Long renovation: use Temporarily closed, then reopen by marking open again. Post photos of the renovated space when you reopen.
Multiple locations
If you manage several outlets, use the Business Profile Manager's bulk editing (for groups of locations) to set holiday hours across all locations at once, then adjust individual outlets (multiple locations).
Hours in other places
Special hours on Google are not enough on their own:
- Website: update your contact page or add a banner.
- WhatsApp Business: set business hours and an away message.
- Zomato/Swiggy: set outlet timings or temporary closures in partner apps.
- Justdial and other listings with hours.
- Shop door: a printed notice.
Consistent hours everywhere build trust and help Google trust your data (NAP citations).
Why it matters for reviews and ranking
- "Closed when Google said open" is a common 1-star review theme. Reply politely, apologise and confirm your hours are now updated (negative reviews).
- Accurate, complete profiles are part of good local SEO, and Google's prompts to confirm hours suggest it values up-to-date information.
- "Open now" searches favour businesses that are actually open.
A festive-hours checklist
- Festival dates for this year checked.
- Staff schedules confirmed.
- Special hours added on Google at least 7 days ahead.
- Google post with festive timings.
- WhatsApp, website, delivery apps and door notice updated.
- Reminder set to check that special hours displayed correctly on Maps.
Example: a sweet shop in Ahmedabad
Last Diwali, a sweet shop stayed open until midnight for three days but forgot to update Google, which showed "Closes 9 PM". Several customers went elsewhere. This year it added special hours two weeks before Dhanteras, posted "Open till midnight for Diwali" with a photo of gift boxes, and set Diwali day itself as closed. Calls after 9 PM on those evenings jumped, and there were no "closed" complaints.
Sources and further reading
- Google Business Profile Help — "Set holiday or special hours": support.google.com/business
- Your state government's official holiday list for the year.
Frequently asked questions
Do special hours replace my regular hours?
Only for the dates you set. Regular hours resume automatically afterwards.
How far ahead can I set special hours?
You can add future dates well in advance; adding them at least a week ahead is a good habit.
Should I mark "Temporarily closed" for a one-day festival?
No — use special hours "Closed" for that date. Temporarily closed is for longer closures.
Will temporarily closed hurt my ranking?
While marked closed, you may appear less in searches. Mark yourself open as soon as you reopen.
Can I show different hours for delivery?
Yes, use "More hours" for delivery, takeaway or specific services where your category supports it.