A good Christmas out of office message says four things: when you are closed, when you are back, what happens to orders placed now, and where customers can find answers in the meantime. For example: 'Thanks for your email! Our team is on a Christmas break from 24 December and back on 4 January. Orders placed now will ship from 4 January. Shipping and returns info: [link]. Merry Christmas!' Below are examples you can copy for email, Instagram and Facebook messages and your website, the 2026–27 public holidays in Australia and New Zealand, and a checklist for before you close.
Updated 20 October 2026
Thanks for your email! Our team is taking a Christmas break from [Thursday 24 December] and we're back on [Monday 4 January]. Orders placed now will ship from [4 January]. Track an order: [link]. Shipping and returns: [link]. Merry Christmas and see you in the new year!
Hi! Thanks for getting in touch. We're still packing and shipping orders over the holidays, but our customer team is part-time until [5 January], so replies may take up to [2 business days]. Tracking: [link]. FAQ: [link]. Thanks for your patience!
Thanks for your message! Our Christmas shipping cut-off has passed, so new orders may arrive after 25 December. Need a last-minute gift? Our digital gift cards arrive instantly: [link]. We'll reply to your email by [date].
Thanks for your email! We're closed from [date] to [date] and orders are paused while we're away. Our store reopens on [date]. We'll answer every message when we're back, oldest first.
Hi! We're on a short Christmas break and back on [date]. Bought a gift? Items purchased from [1 November] can be returned until [31 January], so there's no rush. Returns info: [link].
We're off eating pavlova 🎄 Back [Monday 4 January]. Orders placed now ship from then. Tracking and FAQs: [link].
Thanks for your email. Our office is closed from [date] and reopens on [date]. Wholesale orders placed during the break will be processed in the order received. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
Kia ora and thanks for your message! We're closed from [date] and back on [Tuesday 5 January]. Orders to New Zealand placed now will ship when we return. Tracking: [link]. Meri Kirihimete!
Instagram and Facebook DMs can send an away message from Meta Business Suite (Inbox, then Automations). These answer messages only, not public comments. Step-by-step instructions are in our guides to Instagram auto replies and Facebook Messenger auto replies.
Hi! Thanks for your message 🎄 We're on a Christmas break until [Monday 4 January] and will reply then. Orders placed now ship from [4 January]. Tracking: [link]
Thanks for messaging! Orders are still shipping over the holidays, but replies may take a day or two until [5 January]. Shipping info and FAQs: [link]
🎄 We're closed [24 Dec – 3 Jan]. Orders placed now ship from [4 January]. Need it for Christmas? Gift cards arrive instantly.
Our team is taking a well-earned break from [24 December] 🎄 The store stays open and orders ship from [4 January]. Thanks for an amazing year!
Happy new year! We're back and working through every message from the break, oldest first. If you're waiting on an order, tracking is here: [link]. Thanks for your patience!
Two weeks away means a pile of emails, DMs and comments under your ads, and the buying questions ('do you have this in stock?', 'can I still get it for New Year's?') are buried among order updates and spam. On Standard, Paperflower keeps reading and sorting every comment, DM and email while you're away, puts buying questions first and has a reply drafted for each, using your shipping policy and the customer's Shopify order. Nothing is sent without your say-so unless you switch on sending on its own for simple DM and email questions, and public comment replies are always posted by you. See how it works.
Most tools treat comments as noise. Paperflower reads every one, spots buying questions like “do you ship to NZ?” and makes sure they get answered before the customer moves on.
Every conversation gets a score so the people ready to buy come first. You see who to reply to now, and who can wait.
Order status, shipping and product details are pulled in automatically, so drafts are right the first time and private order details never go out in public.
AI drafts are on and auto-send is off by default. Complaints are escalated to you. Refunds and cancellations always need a human.
Paperflower starts free with 100 customer interactions a month, no card needed: every message in one list, and you write the replies. AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding come with Standard, which is A$47 a month for 3,000 customer interactions, with a 7-day free trial. Human replies are always free. See all plans.
Local time zones, local shipping questions, and support from people who know the market.
When you are closed, the day you are back, what happens to orders placed now, and where customers can find tracking, shipping and returns information. Keep it to three or four short lines.
Boxing Day is Saturday 26 December 2026. Every Australian state and territory has a public holiday on Monday 28 December as well (Tasmania's Boxing Day holiday is on the Monday, and South Australia calls it Proclamation Day). In New Zealand, Boxing Day is observed on Monday 28 December by most people who don't work weekends.
Meta's away messages cover DMs, not public comments. We don't recommend tools that auto-reply to comments, because Meta has been restricting accounts that automate public comment replies. Put your dates in captions and Stories instead, and answer comments when you're back.
Set it to start on your first day off and end on the last day before you return. Gmail's vacation responder switches on and off by itself on the days you choose, so you only need to set it once.
Not unless you turn that on. By default it drafts a reply and you approve it. You can switch on auto-send for simple, safe questions once you trust the drafts.
Instagram, Facebook and TikTok comments and DMs, support email through Gmail or Google Workspace, and Shopify for order details.
Yes. The Free plan is the basics: 100 customer interactions a month in one list, no card needed, and you write each reply. Standard adds AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding, and comes with a 7-day free trial. You can cancel any time. Compare plans.
Connect Instagram, Facebook, email and Shopify in a few minutes. On Standard, AI sorts every message and drafts every reply, you stay in control, and nothing is sent without your say-so unless you switch that on. Free puts every message in one list for you to answer.