# What do you do that's so important that YOU have to work Christmas Eve? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469 "2004-12-24T14:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/21 "2004-12-24T18:24:53Z")
I’m finally senior enough that I don’t have to go to work today. I can tell someone else to, instead. 😃 Actually, the office is closed today, so the problem doesn’t come up. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/22 "2004-12-24T19:33:35Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > **Melondeca,** meet your Creepy Doper Sister. :eek: 😃 When the Straightdope starts becoming like Oprah, I get worried. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/23 "2004-12-24T19:37:10Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I’m finally senior enough that I don’t have to go to work today. I can tell someone else to, instead. 😃 So can I, but I don’t choose to. ---
**Author:** ![arachnidlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@arachnidlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arachnidlove)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/24 "2004-12-24T20:30:25Z")
I will be delivering pizzas today to the thousands that want pizza for dinner on Christmas Eve. :rolleyes: I’m pretty sure it’ll be slow, so while we’re there we’ll be having a crappy half assed Christmas Party. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/25 "2004-12-24T22:01:33Z")
I’m not working, but Ardred is. His boss decided there was going to be a HUGE run on liquor today, so everyone is scheduled. This isn’t New Year’s Eve, Steve. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/26 "2004-12-24T22:11:34Z")
> [@Nightingale](#): > > I’m an ER nurse. And even though I don’t have to work today, I’ll be there at 7 on Christmas morning (and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day). I can’t complain too much – unlike some of my patients, I _will_ get to go home at the end of my shift, instead of upstairs to a hospital room. Yeah, there is that. I’m a nurse in a dialysis unit. I’m actually usually in administration, but we let as many people as possible go on vacation, and I offered to cover a shift. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/27 "2004-12-24T22:31:38Z")
Another nurse checking in… Here’s hoping everyone has a “Q- word” night! ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/28 "2004-12-24T23:26:53Z")
I’m another IT help desk person. I have to be here while our warehouses are working their half shifts and I have to kick off monthly statements for accounting. After that (in about an hour) I get to go home and monitor the system from there for the rest of the evening. So far I have not had a single call and I hope it stays that way. I also brought my dog to work to keep me company. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/29 "2004-12-25T02:09:30Z")
I’m a teacher. In China. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/30 "2004-12-25T02:36:07Z")
Well today, and yesterday for that matter, I helped my dad out at FedEx Ground. It is peak, meaning he has over 300 miles to drive and atleast 100 stops - except for today when the flow cut off in the west and we only had 46. A Christmas Miracle for us, horror for someone waiting for their package. So, instead of working from 7AM to 11PM as usual, we went from 7AM to 6PM. Oh, and seeing how happy some people were, especially for those wanting their presents that have yet to make it, I feel like I did some bit of good. Cubed, brown, and callous inflicting good. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/31 "2004-12-25T03:37:50Z")
Hospital laboratory flunky. We never close. ER finally quieted down however so now I’m listening to music and cutting paper snowflakes for the sad little christmas tree in the chemistry department. And I get to be here tomorrow night as well as the night after that. Hooray. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/32 "2004-12-25T03:56:04Z")
Blockbuster sales associate. Because Gawd knows there can be no Christmas without _Dodgeball_. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/33 "2004-12-25T04:12:16Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I’m not working, but Ardred is. His boss decided there was going to be a HUGE run on liquor today, so everyone is scheduled. > > This isn’t New Year’s Eve, Steve. So, was it packed? I went to the liquor store on Christmas Eve and it was so crowded, you could hardly walk through it. There was a line snaking around the store and they had four people on the registers. I spent 100 bucks on stuff for us and wine to bring to friends. I’m sorry that those people had to work, but they closed at 6, so I hope they still had a good Christmas Eve. I don’t work, but my husband worked a full day on Christmas Eve - he’s a physiotherapist. I made buckets of cookies for him to take in, though, and he listened to John Prine’s Christmas album, so he was happy. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/34 "2004-12-25T04:22:13Z")
> [@TV time](#): > > Putting out a small town newspaper. > > The world won’t come to an end if people don’t know of Lena Aragon Barret’s death Lena died?!? Damn. ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/35 "2004-12-25T04:25:54Z")
Yep, I worked. At the mexican restaurant that I’ve always worked at. Who, you may ask, goes out to eat at a mexican restaurant on Christmas Eve? Answer: about six people. The whole time we were open this evening, that was all the business we got. What a waste of time! ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/36 "2004-12-25T04:31:18Z")
I thought I wasn’t working today. Until about 7:15 this morning, when the Batphone went off, and I remembered that I’m on call all weekend. I work in the dotcom operations department of a major electronics retailer that a lot of you probably shopped at this month (thanks, by the way). I get to be on call for Christmas weekend. On the bright side, I didn’t get Thanksgiving, nor will I have New Year’s. I’m actually on call twice – as the business go-to guy (if the site goes offline, I get called first, yay me) and as the Content Systems on-call person. Content Systems is my team, and I share the weekend coverage rotation with my staff. This afternoon, we got a lovely delay of our trip to Dangerosa’s parents place while I dealt with a minor issue on the website. I had to call the Content Systems guy in, but he was pretty nice about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/37 "2004-12-25T04:37:27Z")
Thankfully, I’m not working this Christmas, but I have on several previous holidays. When we’re drilling an oil &/or gas well (or dry hole :)), when it gets to a decision point, the decision has to be made - rigtime is expensive, and those who will participate in the call must be available. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/38 "2004-12-25T04:38:09Z")
Don’t tell anybody but… I’m Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/39 "2004-12-25T05:06:08Z")
OK, so you’re up all night, but you only work one day of the year. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469/40 "2004-12-25T05:32:22Z")
Christmas Eve? Not working (or wouldn’t be posting - although, given the time, Merry Christmas, Dopers!). I do however work 1400 - 2300 on the day, and then 26, 27, 28, I work 2200 - 0600. No shopping on boxing day for me ☹ I will however get paid double for each day, and earn a lieu day, which I’ll promply cash out. Materialistic, maybe, but pappa needs a new wirless keyboard and mouse, and surround sound speakers! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-thats-so-important-that-you-have-to-work-christmas-eve/281469.md?page=3)