I volunteer to work every holiday I can, because I need the money. Pay rate for the holiday is 2.5 times my normal rate. Hell yes, I worked Thanksgiving! I would have worked Christmas, too, except that’s the one day of the year my employer shuts the doors.
I’m not Christian. I grew up in a family where a lot of people worked in places like hospitals and thus frequently were on duty during holidays so that’s entirely normal for me. A lot of my family is gone now so “family holidays” where everyone gets together no longer happen for me anymore anyway.
Yes, some folks do not want to work the holidays. Because there are people like me, though, it is possible for them to stay home. Meanwhile, someone has to keep the lights on and the machinery running on those days, too, so it might as well be someone who wants to be there.
In other words, if you see me working on a holiday do not be sorry for me - be happy for me. Please don’t pity me in a manner that deprives me of wages, I need the money in order to have my holiday a day or two later.
Missed the edit window: I also want to mention that even when I was above working poor economically I still worked the week between Christmas and New Year’s when almost everyone else in the office was out on holiday. I did this by choice. Work was more relaxed with so many people out of the office, and it did make me feel happy to know that I was helping other people spend time with their families and friends. In my case, at least, it’s not just economics (although that is certainly a factor these days).
Generally, even if you do work on a holiday it’s typically a normal shift length, sometimes less so you can still spend time with other people, meet them for dinner or another meal, and so forth. It’s not like you’re locked in a box for 24 hours!
For a few Christmases, I went to the big city, got myself a hotel room in one of the best places in town, and lived the high life for a few days.
The bar was open its usual hours Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the dining room was open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day also. On Christmas Day, they had a great breakfast buffet, before setting up for the Christmas Day dinner. Housekeeping made up the rooms as usual, and room service was available.
I never felt guilty. The hotel, and its services and facilities were open to hotel guests, and the bar and dining room to the public and hotel guests. I’m sure that some employees were unhappy about working the holiday, but most were cheerful and pleasant. I certainly tipped well, which may have helped, but I think many hotel employees had nothing better to do that day, and saw it as a way to make some extra money, in holiday pay and tips.
Family come to me and I love cooking for them. Today (Boxing day) is round 2 those who could not make it yesterday are coming to clear up the left overs, I always cook to much for the spare seat at the table. Those of you who prefer to eat out go for it the day is about enjoying family and friends and if the parties to big for the house, go for it
If you believe Christmas is not Christian, then you probably believe Thanksgiving is not religious. Who are we supposed to be thanking? Ancestors, or god? Either presupposes some form of religious faith. Each other? Maybe, but I’ve never heard anyone suggest that.
I’ve worked holidays when I was nowhere near family or friends and frankly it was much better than not working it… gave me something to do other than scratch my ass.
One of the best deals I’ve ever made was trading an “on duty” Fourth of July (in which I was going to work from home anyway) for getting the Seventh off (hey, it’s a holiday for me - the Fourth isn’t!). I didn’t even need to miss the parade on the Fourth, since it was three blocks away from my house and at a time at which it was ok to close TeamSpeak.
There was a period of time when my room mate was the assistant manager at a gas station, (part of a chain). Corporate policy was that the only time during the year they closed was Christmas, 8pm Christmas Eve to 8pm Christmas Day. She and the manager would start at eight and after clearing the pumps’ totals, sending the reports, setting the alarms, and chaining the doors shut (there was no lock) it was generally nine or nine-thirty. Not being in trucker territory, the only place open that late would be the WH a mile down the road. There would be one cook, one waitress and (but for one year) just us there during the time we ate. I’d leave a $10 cash tip for a $20 meal.
This year, my sister-in-law (brother’s wife) died the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Nobody’s felt like doing the Christmas thing, especially hosting the feast. Restaurant it was, and we reminisced her life.
I don’t believe Christmas is not Christian, so we’re good there.
As an atheist I am perfectly capable of being thankful without having a deity to thank.
I am appreciative all the time for the wonderful things, people, opportunities, luck, in my life. A god is not required for gratitude. I don’t need someone to be listening for me to be grateful.
And you betcha I express my gratitude to the people who help make my life great, on Thanksgiving.
And FWIW my mom’s sisterhood group from our Synagogue used to volunteer at the hospital to give Christian volunteers the night off
As a matter of fact, I happened to read some FB yesterday on the subject and one other relevant fact mentioned was that the lower east side was the home to both the first major Jewish immigration (save for the German Jews who came earlier) and Chinatown. And while Chinese food is far from kosher, they basically never use dairy products, so as long as you stick to beef and fowl, you are eating allowable foods.
It was not a tradition known to me growing up in Philadelphia but is widely known and practiced in NY. Yesterday we were invited to a holiday dinner, but might have gone to a Chinese restaurant if not. Why not?
Y’know, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, with Passover as a close third are my important holidays days. No one worries that I have to work those days, sometimes skipping synagogue or having to rush put together a holiday meal after work. My son, who’s at college, can’t be guaranteed to be able to come home if he’s got work or classes he can’t miss.
Christmas becomes a generic family holiday because society schedules school breaks, work closes (mostly), and people fuss if other people are forced to work. Since society makes those accommodations, people who do observe don’t see how American culture can been constructed to make it easy to observe. However, to put it in a pedestal of holidays when the religious/traditional holidays of other religions barely get a societal work around and how challenging that is seems rather myopic.
It’s a fairly universal time to be with your family and friends regardless of any religious affiliation. It’s basically like the 4th of July or Memorial Day.
If I went to a restaurant on Christmas the tipping would start at 30%. If it was a place like Waffle House I would probably double it. Happy it-sucks-you-missed-a-three-day-weekend.
The only thing worse than going into the restaurant when you don’t want to be there is going into an empty restaurant when you don’t want to be there. You’re not making any money and you will very likely be required to do a bunch of other work.
So yeah, go to a restaurant. Tip nicely. Be friendly. Make your server’s life a bit less shitty for thirty minutes.
Whether or not you’re a tool of a customer is always, irrespective of the day, completely up to you.
No, it’s not, as many of us have demonstrated. Your culture is dominant in the US, which is fine, but it’s not universal. Others of us want something different to do on a boring day.
Have you ever gone out to eat on July 4th or Memorial Day? Is that not allowed either.
Goody for you. It’s so nice to know what you would do in an imaginary situation.
This xmas, I was the only one in my group who went into work to check on things and start a couple of tests so no one else would have to do so. I’m a salaried employee so I got no extra pay for this. Then I went out to a restaurant staffed by Buddhists with a pagan friend. I tipped 40%.
For background: I’m Jewish. My family gets together on Christmas because everyone has the day off. And because the whole country exchanges gifts that day, so we do, too.
When I was a kid, my father always worked Christmas. We’d open presents early, then he’d go to the hospital to do rounds, and be the senior doctor available. As the only non-Christian, it was understood that he would covertly the others, so they could spend the day with family. In exchange, he never worked Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah, no matter what the rotation said.
There were several years when my brother and father clashed. During that time, my brother always volunteered to work on holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Passover, so he had an excuse not to join us.
I don’t know how many people are voluntold to work the holidays, but I know there are people who truly volunteer, for one reason or another.
