You’re standing in front of the mirror, and it hits you. Your hair is a disaster. It’s December 24th, the sun is starting to dip, and you have a family dinner in three hours. Or maybe you just realized your kid looks like a Muppet right before the annual holiday card photo. We’ve all been there. The panic of "is Great Clips open on Christmas Eve" starts to set in as you scramble for your phone.
Honestly, the answer isn't a simple yes or no. It's more of a "probably, but hurry up."
Most Great Clips locations are indeed open on Christmas Eve, but you aren't going to find them running their normal 9-to-8 schedule. Because Great Clips is a franchise-based business—meaning local owners call the shots—the hours are all over the map. One shop in a busy suburban mall might stay open until 5:00 PM, while the quiet shop down the street from the grocery store might lock its doors at 2:00 PM so the stylists can get home to their own families.
Checking the Hours Before You Drive
Don't just drive over. You'll likely end up staring at a "Closed" sign through the glass while holding a venti latte and feeling regret.
The most reliable way to figure out if your specific local spot is open is to use the Great Clips app. It is basically a lifesaver on holiday weekends. When you open the app, it pulls up a map of nearby salons and shows their real-time status. If they are closing early for the holiday, the updated hours usually reflect right there on the screen.
If you’re old school, just call them. Seriously. A 30-second phone call saves you a 20-minute round trip. Just keep in mind that the stylists are likely slammed, so if they sound a bit rushed on the phone, it’s because they’ve probably done forty fades since 9:00 AM.
Why the Hours Vary So Much
Great Clips has over 4,400 locations across the U.S. and Canada. That is a massive footprint. Each of these is run by an independent franchisee. These owners look at things like:
- Local Demand: If the salon is in a high-traffic shopping center, they might stay open later to catch the last-minute shoppers.
- Staffing: It’s a holiday. Stylists want to be home too. Many owners try to balance staying open for profit with letting their team have a life.
- Mall Rules: If the salon is inside or attached to a mall, they often have to follow the mall's holiday operating hours.
Using Online Check-In on the Big Day
If you find a location that is open, do not—I repeat, do not—just walk in and expect to sit down. Christmas Eve is one of the busiest days of the year for hair salons. Everyone wants to look sharp for the holiday, and the wait times can skyrocket.
Basically, the Online Check-In feature is your best friend here. You can hop on the waitlist from your couch while you’re finishing up wrapping presents.
Here is the catch: Online Check-In usually opens five minutes after the salon opens and shuts down about 15 to 30 minutes before they close. On Christmas Eve, if a salon is closing at 4:00 PM, they might stop taking app check-ins as early as 3:30 PM. If the waitlist is already two hours long, they might stop taking any new names much earlier just to ensure they can finish everyone before the doors lock.
The ReadyNext Text Trick
If you do check in online, make sure you opt-in for the ReadyNext text alerts. It’ll ping you when your wait time is down to about 15 minutes. This is huge on Christmas Eve because you can spend that hour of waiting time doing last-minute grocery runs or hitting the liquor store for that bottle of wine you forgot, rather than sitting in a plastic chair reading a three-month-old magazine.
What About Christmas Day and the Day After?
If you miss the window on the 24th, you’re likely out of luck for a bit. Great Clips is almost universally closed on Christmas Day. It’s one of the few days a year where the entire brand shuts down to give employees a break.
The good news? Most locations roar back to life on December 26th. Often called Boxing Day in Canada or just "The Day We Return All the Sweaters" in the U.S., the 26th usually sees normal business hours return.
A Few Expert Tips for the 24th
Having spent years tracking retail trends and service industry habits, I’ve noticed a few patterns that might help you beat the rush.
- Go Early: If the salon opens at 9:00 AM, be there at 8:50 AM. Being the first or second person in the chair is the only way to guarantee you aren't fighting a three-hour waitlist.
- Simple Cuts Only: Christmas Eve is not the day to ask for a complex balayage or a brand-new, experimental look that takes two hours. Keep it to trims, fades, and standard cuts. The stylists will appreciate the efficiency, and you’ll get out faster.
- Tip Well: These people are working on a holiday so you can look good in your Instagram photos. A little extra holiday cheer in the tip jar goes a long way.
- Clip Notes: One of the best things about Great Clips is "Clip Notes." They keep a digital record of how you like your hair cut. This is great for holiday stress because even if your usual stylist isn't working, the person who is can see exactly what guard number you use on the sides.
Final Reality Check
Is Great Clips open on Christmas Eve? Usually, yes. But the "standard" 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM window is the safest bet. Some rural locations might not open at all if the owner decides the utility costs aren't worth the low foot traffic.
If you are reading this on the morning of the 24th, stop reading and check the app right now. The longer you wait, the longer that digital line gets.
To make sure you actually get that cut, your next move should be to download the Great Clips app or visit their website to see the live wait times for the three closest locations to your house. Once you see a wait time that doesn't make you cry, hit that check-in button immediately. If the app says "Check-in Unavailable," it means they are either closed or so full they can't take any more names for the day. In that case, start looking for a hat.