BFCM 2026 dates: Black Friday to Cyber Monday
By the Chatbait team ·
Short answer: BFCM stands for Black Friday Cyber Monday, the shopping week that runs from the US Thanksgiving through the following Monday. In 2026, Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. Black Friday is November 27, Small Business Saturday is November 28, Cyber Monday is November 30, Giving Tuesday is December 1, and Green Monday is December 14.
Facts last checked on October 18, 2026, against the sources linked below.
What BFCM means
BFCM is short for Black Friday Cyber Monday. Online stores use it to talk about the whole stretch of sale days, including the smaller ones around the two biggest. For most small stores, BFCM covers the Friday after Thanksgiving through the Monday after, sometimes stretched to cover the following week too.
The 2026 dates
| Day | 2026 date | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thu, Nov 26 | US federal holiday. Most stores close or run reduced staff |
| Black Friday | Fri, Nov 27 | The day after Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the sale |
| Small Business Saturday | Sat, Nov 28 | A day to shop at small, independent businesses |
| Cyber Monday | Mon, Nov 30 | Originally an online-only sale day, now just a busy sale day |
| Giving Tuesday | Tue, Dec 1 | A day for charitable giving instead of shopping |
| Green Monday | Mon, Dec 14 | The last Monday with enough time left for standard shipping before Christmas |
Thanksgiving in 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, confirmed by the US Office of Personnel Management's federal holiday schedule. Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren't fixed calendar dates. Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday is always the Monday after that. Both follow directly from the Thanksgiving date above.
Small Business Saturday is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving. American Express created the day in 2010, and the rule is documented on Wikipedia's entry for the event, which states it "always falls between November 24-30." In 2026 that's November 28.
Giving Tuesday 2026 is December 1, according to GivingTuesday.org, the nonprofit that runs the day. It falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving weekend.
Green Monday 2026 is December 14. The term comes from Shopping.com, an eBay company, which coined it in 2007. It named the day after noticing a sales spike on "the last Monday with at least 10 days prior to Christmas," based on research from comScore. With Christmas falling on a Friday in 2026, the last Monday at least 10 days out is December 14.
We couldn't verify a 2026 date for Free Shipping Day from a source we could open, so it's left out here. If you run that promotion, check the organizer's site directly closer to December.
How this affects a small store
Three dates matter most for planning: Black Friday (Nov 27) and Cyber Monday (Nov 30) for your main sale, plus Green Monday (Dec 14). Green Monday works as roughly the last date to promise standard shipping before Christmas, since it's calculated around that exact cutoff. Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday are smaller moments. Use them for a different kind of post, like supporting other small shops or a charity tie-in, without running a second discount.
A short planning timeline
- Six weeks out (mid-October): confirm stock and pick your offer. See the full Black Friday checklist for small stores for a week-by-week plan.
- 3 to 4 weeks out: write your sale emails and subject lines. See Black Friday email templates and subject lines.
- 1 week out: confirm your shipping cutoffs are visible on your site, so a Green Monday deadline doesn't surprise anyone.
- The week after Dec 1: switch messaging from discounts to shipping deadlines as Green Monday approaches.
Frequently asked questions
What does BFCM stand for?
Black Friday Cyber Monday. It's shorthand for the whole sale period around those two days, as well as the two days themselves.
Is Black Friday always the day after Thanksgiving?
Yes. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November in the US, and Black Friday is always the Friday right after it.
What is Green Monday?
An online shopping day in mid-December, named by an eBay company in 2007. It falls on the last Monday with about 10 days left before Christmas, which in 2026 is December 14.
Do Black Friday and Cyber Monday fall on the same dates every year?
No. Both are tied to Thanksgiving, which moves each year, so the exact calendar date changes. The pattern (day after Thanksgiving, Monday after Thanksgiving) stays the same.
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