There’s a lot to do around Christmas, so naturally, it makes sense to include a vacation period from either work or school. While students can get up to two weeks of vacation, employees are often not as lucky.
How long is Christmas vacation: Christmas is a time of love, giving, and family. This is why so many people take time off at Christmas to enjoy a bit of a holiday. However, the amount of time can differ greatly, especially when it comes to different age groups. Generally, elementary and high school-aged children get two weeks off around Christmas. This starts before Christmas and ends just after New Year’s Day. As for university students, they can have between three and four weeks of Christmas vacation. This depends on when their last final exam date is in December. As for adults, Christmas vacation is more dependent on their work schedule. While Christmas is a statutory holiday, meaning most people are guaranteed the day off, the days surrounding Christmas are considered normal working days. However, most adults try to take a few extra days off, especially if they have children at home.
While on your Christmas vacation, be sure to take advantage of all the yuletide activities. Explore neighborhoods with impressive light displays, bake some gingerbread cookies, and don’t forget to spend time with the grandparents. And, if you need a bit more downtime, there’s nothing wrong with cuddling up with a good book or a fun movie.
How long is Christmas vacation in the USA?
Christmas vacation in the United States is generally two weeks for students. This includes elementary and high school students.
While the dates can move around, Christmas vacation will encompass both Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some years you may have more days before Christmas while other years you may have more days after New Year’s.
As for university students, Christmas vacation usually falls during their winter break. This can be between three and four weeks, depending on the college or university.
Furthermore, the final dates of exams will determine just when each person’s Christmas vacation begins. However, everyone normally goes back to school at the same time, which is the first Monday after New Year’s Day.
Two weeks for young students and three weeks for college students is great, but unfortunately, adults are not as lucky. In the United States, only Christmas Day is a stat holiday, which means it is either guaranteed to be off or you get extra pay if you have to work.
In other countries, such as Canada and England, Boxing Day has been observed on December 26th and most people get this day off from work, as well.
If you’re lucky in the United States, you may get either Christmas Eve or December 26th off, depending on where the dates fall during the week.
Of course, you can always take more vacation time off, as long as you have it banked and it is not essential that you come into work. However, many Americans start with only two weeks of holidays so it is hard to decide when to take these days during the whole year.
Things to Do During Christmas Vacation
It’s always an amazing feeling when both parents and kids are home on Christmas vacation. They can relax, enjoy each other’s company, and experience a wealth of activities.
Ice skating
Ice skating is a winter memory that most kids won’t forget. It’s the perfect family activity and makes sense to do when everyone is home from work or school.
More northern cities may even have outdoor skating rinks but even southern towns will have indoor rinks. And, if you don’t have your own pair of skates, they are always available to rent.
Christmas lights displays
No matter where you live, there is always that one neighborhood that goes all out with its Christmas displays. It’s so much fun to head out as a family and see the impressive lights.
For chillier evenings, you can drive around. However, if it’s warmer out, it’s a nice touch to be able to park your car and walk around the area. And, whether you are driving or walking, be sure to pick up some hot chocolate to indulge in.
Holiday baking
Christmas is not the time to count calories and this is especially true when it comes to holiday baking. It seems like everyone has their own traditions of cookies and confections they make each year. It’s always exciting to see what others create.
Whether you are baking for relatives, neighbors, or even yourself, Christmas vacation is the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and get creative in the kitchen. Baking can take quite a while, depending on the recipe, so it’s nice to wait until you have time at home to do so.
Visit grandparents
Many school-aged children end up spending multiple days with their grandparents for the simple fact that they are off from school but their parents are still working. Two weeks off is a long time without childcare, so parents may decide to only take one week off from work and have the grandparents visit.
This can be a wonderful time for both grandparents and grandchildren. There are lots of last-minute decorating to do and of course, grandparents love to spoil kids.
Last minute shopping
The last days before Christmas are some of the busiest shopping days of the entire year and for good reason. Either you are waiting until you are on Christmas vacation or you’ve just been too busy to think of a good gift idea.
While online shopping is becoming increasingly popular, if you don’t have a gift by December 21st, you either have to pay a lot of money for fast shipping or brave the mall.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to love about Christmas and perhaps the best thing is being able to connect with other people. While children may have two weeks off from school, adults may only have a few days off from work. However, with a bit of planning, you can make the most out of this magical time.
Related Articles: