When I was in the Navy there were those who worked weekdays, 8 to 4 (Daybeggers) and they’d get holidays off. Then there were those who had to operate (in my case maintain) equipment 24/7, four sections on a rotating schedule (Watchstanders). The way things worked, most people who worked Christmas Days on a day or eve (swing) watch worked the same hours on New Years Eve. Most commands would let the married sailors take Christmas off and the single sailors New Years Eve. Since the mix was about 50/50 we’d be half-staffed on those days, and those working just had to hustle a bit more.
I was on IT call-out for years, but, fortunately, I never was called on either Christmas or New Year’s.
I work at a hotel. I don’t mind working on the family-oriented holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. People make more effort to be nice, and they go to bed early and sober.
I am less fond of working on the alcohol-driven holidays like New Year’s Eve.
The only place I ever worked that was open on Christmas was a movie theater when I was in college. At the time my family usually got together for Christmas at least a week after, sometimes even mid January, so I volunteered to work Christmas (most of the other employees were high school age and I thought it made sense for them to be able to stay home on Christmas.) But for some reason I got Christmas off and someone who didn’t want to work Christmas got scheduled.
Interesting, yeah in high school I worked for a video store and I remember volunteering to work Christmas to get out of the house and away from my parents, but the manager decided not to open for Christmas at the last minute.
My dad had the habit of having the ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ conversations on holidays after he’d had a few glasses of wine. I hated those. I did cut a Christmas break in college short to get back to campus early because I was working in a restaurant. I avoided the ‘Why did you pick a useless major’ talks but shockingly enough no one went out for dinner in Tallahassee Florida when all the students were gone and the government was a ghost town.
The only time I’ve ever worked on a major holiday was January 1st, 2000. A few of us had to come into the office early in the morning for Y2K testing and monitoring. Of course, everything was fine. Sigh…