Yesterday marked the true “beginning of my glorious, two-week Christmas break.” It’s been a busy break so far, with a very productive Town Council work session last night, and a meeting with our new Mayor-Elect this morning. I’m also meeting with a parent later in the day to sign some paperwork for a program for her daughter.
That’s a breakneck pace compared to past Christmas breaks, but it’s nothing too daunting. I’m looking forward to some time with my parents, brothers, sister-in-laws, niece, and nephews soon, not to mention other family members.
It’s a lazy time of year for the blog, too: not much is happening in the news, and everyone is settling in for a long winter’s nap. I will have a guest contribution from 39 Pontiac Dreamer tomorrow—a review of a video game series—and some other goodies after Christmas. Otherwise, look for a lot of re-runs from yours portly this week.
That said, the topic of this post from last Christmas Break—the need for some time off at Christmas for everyone, not just those of us in the cushy education racket—is still relevant. Granted, some workers have decided to take the entire year off, it seems, enjoying generous federal unemployment and other kickbacks from The Age of The Virus, rather than return to their honest, albeit grueling, jobs. Maybe let’s shoot for something a bit more balanced, yeah?
Still, work, while ennobling and healthy, can easily become overtaxing and detrimental. There are diminishing returns, too: after too many hours and too much effort, both mental and physical, we all start to get sloppy. Some folks are built with the drive and energy to go nonstop, but I suspect most of us appreciate having a little downtime here and there.
With that, here is 21 December 2021’s “Christmas Break Begins!“:
Well, here it is—the week of Christmas, and the beginning of my glorious, two-week Christmas break. If this blog post feels a bit like I’m rubbing in readers’ faces the bloated excess of education’s vacation time, my apologies. I will note, though, that if you spent hours everyday as a surrogate parent to other people’s children, you, too, would want two weeks off at Christmas.
Indeed, I would argue that more professions deserve more time off at Christmastime. Naturally, I realize that many folks save up their hard-earned vacation days to do just that: enjoy a week or so with their families by the yule log, sipping eggnog and hot cocoa in their festive Cosby sweaters. What I’m advocating for, though, is a widespread cultural movement—maybe even to the point of declaring some federal holidays—in the days leading up to and/or immediately after Christmas. It always blows my mind when people work a full day—even a measly half-day—on Christmas Eve.
I’ve definitely been spoiled working most of my career in education, other than two brief years working in local government (probably the next closest thing to working in education, in terms of days off), and I fully understand that some people need that work—or want to earn some overtime. I vividly remember one of my older cousins showing up late to my late grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving and Christmas because he was getting double-time at the paper plant.
In other words, I’m not suggesting we make it illegal for companies to stay open on Christmas Eve—God forbid! But it would be great to see some companies giving their employees a break. When I worked in local government, the first half of December was insane—I managed a performing arts venue, and booked talent for an outdoor weekend event—but the last week or two was dead. My first year I was still in my six-month probation period, so I couldn’t take time off yet. I was one of maybe two or three people on my floor during those long, quiet days after Christmas. I would go days without my office phone ringing once.
So there’s already a sense that much work isn’t getting done those days. For white-collar work especially, why not shutter from Christmas to New Year’s and give everyone some time off? Granted, the service industry is making a mint those days, as everyone is out shopping, getting their oil changed, etc. But it does seem a less Scrooge-like dispensation of paid time off would be welcome.
Or perhaps I’m just living in an indolent bubble. There are many blessings to teaching, one of them being a luxurious Christmas Break (and an even more decadent summer vacation). In the “real world,” that doesn’t necessarily translate over. Lord knows I want my dentist open on 26 December if my dental implant starts acting up.
Still, we’re a wealthy enough nation that another day or two with family at Christmastime isn’t going to tank the economy. Every company’s situation is different, of course, but for those that are well off—and not likely to do much business during those lazy holiday days—why not give employees some time to celebrate and relax with their families?
The Portly Politico 
Maybe as you unwind, you can write reviews of really sappy, stupid, labored Christmas movies – heaven knows they’re everywhere.
Or not. Dozin’ on the couch is sufficient.
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My dad would love that, haha.
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Done it and submitted to TCW last week. It should be up this week and I can post the link here if you like?
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I check the authors every day; I’ll see it.
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Oh, snap! So TWC is publishing your TT post?
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Is there an issue with WordPress that makes my username keep coming up as 39 Pontiac Dreamer instead of 39 Pontiac Dream? I’ve noticed that on other WordPress sites too.
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I think I have seen it as “Dreamer” before, but it is showing up at “Dream” here. I think I just got “Dreamer” stuck in my head.
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Sounding suspiciously like a socialist Tyler! HOWEVER, I agree with you up to a point but in the UK it is not our public sector workers – particularly teachers (both in state and the independent sector) who already get extensive periods of time off, good pensions and sick leave etc but those in jobs as opposed to careers at the lower end of the scale: shop workers, delivery drivers, care home and nursery staff etc, who could do with extra time off, the same people who worked all through the lockdowns of the last twenty months while public sector staff stayed at home on full pay and did half a job while millions of others in hospitality and similar jobs were also paid to stay at home and do nothing. Many people in the UK already take a full two weeks paid holiday over Christmas and New Year. It was, and is, apparently fine to lurk at home ‘working’ and ‘staying safe’ from The Virus if you have a secure job in the public sector or at the high end of the private sector but if you are one of those who actually kept the country running by filling supermarket shelves or driving lorries full of food and other necessities up and down the motorways you don’t count. Be careful what you wish for.
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Boy, you are write about the people who keep “the country running” not counting. They definitely get the short end of that stick.
I don’t think I’m advocating for any government program; I just think we could all benefit from a little downtime this time of year. Some acknowledgment that we’re not just cogs in a machine, but people who need some time to celebrate the Birth of Our Savior.
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Honestly, in a lot of professions these days, a lot of employees do take a bit of time off at Christmas… because they have to or they both lose the time off (normally, they’re paid out for it) and HR gets fussy/pissed.
It started a few years back – I think a trickle-down from laws passed in the wake of 911. Companies started reducing the amount of carried over PTO that was allowed. LOL They found out some of us had months and months of it just setting there because we never took time off.
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Ha, good point! Yes, I know lots of folks use their unused time and “floating holidays” to take an epic break at Christmas. The idea of working late on Christmas Eve, though, just rankles me. I guess I am spoiled from years teaching.
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‘Oh, snap! So TWC is publishing your TT post?’
No, they’re publishing my piece on cheesy Hallmark style movies. As Audre says, there are a lot of them.
After having my first article on identity politics in gaming rejected by TCW a couple of years ago, I decided not to try again.
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Shew, good. I realized later I misread that. That’s what I get for trying to read comments on my phone.
Dude, I will publish your article on identity politics in gaming… unless it’s just monumentally terrible. Knowing you, I’d say that’s not the case!
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If I have a new piece on identity politics (or any politics) in gaming, I’ll send it to you. That one was published by Going Postal – how identity politics ruined the follow up to the positively perfect The Last of Us.
I could have extended it to how Square Enix trashed the brilliant Lara Croft with their horrible reboots but I’d have gone all day. One of the funniest things about that series was how they turned one of the pivotal characters from a Maori to a black man to a Maori again. It’d have been fun to be a fly on the wall for that particular mess. 🙂
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Wow, talk about playing Identity Politics Shuffle! Māori to black to Māori (thanks to my phone for putting that elitist little line over the “a” there; I feel like Barack Obama every time he over-pronounced “Chile” or “Pakistan”).
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