December holidays 2024: Vacations and other important dates

December brings with it a festive atmosphere marked by holiday celebrations, bright decorations and a variety of winter traditions. Although Christmas and New Year’s Day are the main holidays of the season, other traditions are also celebrated depending on the communities. For example, Hanukkah is an important holiday for Jewish families, while Kwanzaa (December 26-January 1), is significant for many African-American families.

Both December 25 and January 1 are official holidays in most states, so many schools and offices are closed. The weeks before and after are also often used for school and work vacations, making this month an ideal time to travel, enjoy holiday shows and participate in special seasonal events.

School vacation

In the United States, there are no federal laws establishing specific school holidays. Instead, public school calendars, including winter breaks and holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s, are determined at the state or district level. However, federal holidays often serve as a guide for these breaks, and most districts ensure that their calendars conform to them. Across the country, children typically stop going to school around the third Saturday in December and return a day or two after New Year’s Day. The length of the break depends on each school.

Although Christmas and New Year’s are federal holidays, there is no national law requiring schools to close on these days, it is simply standard practice.

Federal holidays

Christmas (December 25) and New Year’s Day (January 1) are recognized holidays throughout the country. On these days, most federal employees are entitled to take paid time off, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time. For those who are required to work on these holidays, federal regulations ensure that they are compensated with a holiday premium for scheduled non-overtime hours. If these holidays fall on a weekend, the holiday is moved to a nearby workday (e.g., Monday or Friday). However, part-time employees are not entitled to these substitution days if the holiday falls on their non-working day.

Private sector

In the private sector, vacations and days off are usually determined by company policy rather than by law. Although many companies offer paid time off for federal holidays, it is not required by law in the United States unless specified in a union contract or employment agreement.

Labor protections

Workers required to work on federal holidays may receive extra compensation, such as holiday pay (e.g., time-and-a-half or double time), although this depends on company policies rather than federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulates wages and hours of work, but does not require holiday pay or extra pay for working on holidays.

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