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Best Day of the Week for a Holiday

Started by webny99, January 02, 2025, 11:30:31 AM

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What is the best day of the week for a paid/federal holiday?

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday

webny99

Christmas Day 2024 and New Years Day 2025 both being on Wednesday was an interesting and rather strange twist. Those that work Monday-Friday ended up with four "mini-weeks" instead of two short weeks and two long weekends as we typically would surrounding a holiday. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it got me thinking: What is the best day of the week for a paid/federal holiday?

Feel free to consider as many different factors as you'd like and share your thoughts in the replies. Only one vote per user though!  :)


1995hoo

I didn't vote because the poll only lets you choose one day. I would vote for both Saturday and Sunday as best, with no preference for one versus the other, because a weekend holiday means I get Friday or Monday off and in either case, I get the day after the holiday as well as the holiday itself. I like having the day after as a holiday, at least for Christmas anyway (and I find it peculiar how Americans want Christmas Eve as a holiday instead of December 26). I suppose in the particular context of Christmas, Sunday has an advantage in that it means you're not expected to go to Mass on two consecutive days.

I would rank Friday just behind for that same reason—three-day weekend plus the day after the holiday is a day off.

Thursday would come next on the list because for several major holidays, I routinely get Friday off as well—at least, for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and July 4, usually we're given the following day to make it a four-day weekend.

After Thursday would come Tuesday because of the probability of getting Monday as well, at least for Christmas, July 4, and maybe New Year's.

Then comes Monday. Three-day weekends are nice, but then Tuesday won't be a day off, so I rank it lower simply because of the probability of extra days off on the other days as noted above.

Wednesday ranks at the bottom.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Max Rockatansky

#2
Weekends because that is when I do all my normal people social activities anyways.   My wife has expectations that i occasionally do normal people things and have otherwise undesirable human interactions for traditions sake.  I rather reserve more desirable days during the week for me to go do stuff I want to do.

webny99

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 11:54:14 AMI didn't vote because the poll only lets you choose one day. I would vote for both Saturday and Sunday as best, with no preference for one versus the other, because a weekend holiday means I get Friday or Monday off and in either case, I get the day after the holiday as well as the holiday itself.

Is that not the case for holidays that occur during the week as well? It seems strange that you'd get an extra day off *just because* the holiday falls on a weekend.

If that is the case, I'd think there would still be other factors that could tip the scales in favor of one weekend day or the other, like whether you'd prefer the actual holiday to occur towards the beginning or the end of the long weekend based on your holiday plans (conceptually, anyways; I acknowledge that specific plans can vary a lot from year to year).





Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 11:54:14 AMI like having the day after as a holiday, at least for Christmas anyway (and I find it peculiar how Americans want Christmas Eve as a holiday instead of December 26).

I don't, only because Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are when a lot of people have their family get-togethers and so forth, so those are the nights that people tend to stay up late, meaning in some respects that Christmas Day and New Year's Day already have day-after-holiday parallels.

Meanwhile, there's typically a lot of last minute shopping, planning, etc. going on on the Eves and many retail businesses are open but close down early, so it makes sense why most people wouldn't want to be working on those days.

Also of note, December 26th is already a holiday (Boxing Day) in Canada and a number of other countries.


1995hoo

Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 12:33:50 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 11:54:14 AMI didn't vote because the poll only lets you choose one day. I would vote for both Saturday and Sunday as best, with no preference for one versus the other, because a weekend holiday means I get Friday or Monday off and in either case, I get the day after the holiday as well as the holiday itself.

Is that not the case for holidays that occur during the week as well? It seems strange that you'd get an extra day off *just because* the holiday falls on a weekend.

....

If a holiday falls on a Saturday, I get Friday off (and Sunday is not a work day anyway). If a holiday falls on Sunday, I get Monday off (and likewise, Saturday is not a workday). If a holiday falls on a weekday, generally I get that day off and only that day off, though sometimes we'll be given an extra day (typically we're given the day after Thanksgiving, for example, and then this past July we were given July 5 when the Fourth fell on Thursday). That's not always the case—this year, for example, the new June 19 holiday is on Thursday and we will have that day off, but we aren't getting Friday as well.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

oscar

#5
Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 12:33:50 PMAlso of note, December 26th is already a holiday (Boxing Day) in Canada and a number of other countries.

One of my sisters has a December 26 birthday. At our Christmas Eve gatherings, I always jocularly wish her a happy Boxing Day. In the U.S.. that's traditionally our "crowd the stores for returns" day (at least for people who don't do their returns online).

Since my family exchanges gifts only for Christmas, not for birthdays, she's not done out of any birthday presents by having her birthday right after Christmas.
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JayhawkCO

#6
Assuming Federal Holidays:

S Tier
Saturday
Sunday

A Tier
Friday

B Tier
Monday

D Tier
Wednesday

F Tier
Tuesday
Thursday

Fridays are better than Mondays since you get the next day off to "recover" as others have said. For the mid-week holidays, I'd rather my week be split up evenly than have one stupid day to work on either side of one.

webny99

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 12:45:09 PMIf a holiday falls on a Saturday, I get Friday off (and Sunday is not a work day anyway). If a holiday falls on Sunday, I get Monday off (and likewise, Saturday is not a workday). If a holiday falls on a weekday, generally I get that day off and only that day off, though sometimes we'll be given an extra day (typically we're given the day after Thanksgiving, for example, and then this past July we were given July 5 when the Fourth fell on Thursday). That's not always the case—this year, for example, the new June 19 holiday is on Thursday and we will have that day off, but we aren't getting Friday as well

I follow that, but I think I'm still missing something. What's different about that than if a holiday fell on a Friday, or a Monday? Isn't it a three-day weekend either way?

Or is your preference for weekends because the holiday itself falls on the *middle* day of the three-day weekend, rather than the first or last day?

1995hoo

Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 01:04:54 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 12:45:09 PMIf a holiday falls on a Saturday, I get Friday off (and Sunday is not a work day anyway). If a holiday falls on Sunday, I get Monday off (and likewise, Saturday is not a workday). If a holiday falls on a weekday, generally I get that day off and only that day off, though sometimes we'll be given an extra day (typically we're given the day after Thanksgiving, for example, and then this past July we were given July 5 when the Fourth fell on Thursday). That's not always the case—this year, for example, the new June 19 holiday is on Thursday and we will have that day off, but we aren't getting Friday as well

I follow that, but I think I'm still missing something. What's different about that than if a holiday fell on a Friday, or a Monday? Isn't it a three-day weekend either way?

Or is your preference for weekends because the holiday itself falls on the *middle* day of the three-day weekend, rather than the first or last day?


The latter. As noted, I like to have off on the day after a holiday, especially a holiday that involves a big meal (and the resulting need to clean up), such as Christmas.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Molandfreak

I'm surprised at the popularity of weekend holidays. You get no benefit from a holiday on a weekend; it doesn't extend the time off or (assuming normal working hours) possibilities for holiday pay. It's literally the worst time for a holiday to happen.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PMAASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

webny99

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 01:08:46 PM
QuoteOr is your preference for weekends because the holiday itself falls on the *middle* day of the three-day weekend, rather than the first or last day?

The latter. As noted, I like to have off on the day after a holiday, especially a holiday that involves a big meal (and the resulting need to clean up), such as Christmas.

In re-reading your post, that makes total sense.

I don't think most people think that deeply about the day before and after thing since that applies to some holidays more than others depending on what you do to celebrate and whether that has to be on a specific day or not. For the summer holidays, in my experience it's just an extra day off regardless, and specific plans can often be shifted around between the days.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: Molandfreak on January 02, 2025, 01:13:39 PMI'm surprised at the popularity of weekend holidays. You get no benefit from a holiday on a weekend; it doesn't extend the time off or (assuming normal working hours) possibilities for holiday pay. It's literally the worst time for a holiday to happen.

As noted upthread, for a lot of jobs, you have x amount of guaranteed holidays. When that holiday falls on a weekend, you get either the previous Friday or coming Monday off instead, so you're still getting the extra time off. As I'm salaried, holiday pay doesn't apply.

1995hoo

#12
Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 01:24:26 PM
Quote from: Molandfreak on January 02, 2025, 01:13:39 PMI'm surprised at the popularity of weekend holidays. You get no benefit from a holiday on a weekend; it doesn't extend the time off or (assuming normal working hours) possibilities for holiday pay. It's literally the worst time for a holiday to happen.

As noted upthread, for a lot of jobs, you have x amount of guaranteed holidays. When that holiday falls on a weekend, you get either the previous Friday or coming Monday off instead, so you're still getting the extra time off. As I'm salaried, holiday pay doesn't apply.

Same here. Thanks for clarifying. It didn't even occur to me that some people wouldn't understand that about getting paid.



Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 01:22:29 PM....

I don't think most people think that deeply about the day before and after thing since that applies to some holidays more than others depending on what you do to celebrate and whether that has to be on a specific day or not. For the summer holidays, in my experience it's just an extra day off regardless, and specific plans can often be shifted around between the days.

Certainly a valid point about some holidays being different from others. I thought about saying that earlier, but I didn't because I thought it would make an already-lengthy explanation even longer. A day like Columbus Day (which always falls on a Monday anyway) is nice to have but is not what I would call a "major" holiday.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Roadgeekteen

Monday, as I only have classes Monday-Thursday so it gives me a 4 day weekend. Or Thursday.
My username has been outdated since August 2023 but I'm too lazy to change it

02 Park Ave

Designating a Monday as a holiday rather than having it celebrated on its proper date takes away from the meaning of the holiday.  Memorial Day is a prime example of this.

Memorial Day was meant to be a day to recall those who who have given their lives for this country.  Return Memorial Day to May 30th!
C-o-H

CtrlAltDel

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 11:54:14 AMI like having the day after as a holiday, at least for Christmas anyway (and I find it peculiar how Americans want Christmas Eve as a holiday instead of December 26).

I don't quite know what you mean by peculiar, other than to convey a sense of disparagement, but it might be worth pointing out that Christmas Eve is an official holiday in a number of countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, and starting this year, Poland. Additionally, in most of Central Europe and Scandinavia, the main celebration of Christmas is on Christmas Eve, even if the official holiday isn't until the next day. This seems to derive from the birth of Jesus of Nazareth taking place during the night.
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hbelkins

I voted for Friday, as we have a lot of Monday holidays already. I get two days each for Thanksgiving (always Thursday and Friday), Christmas, and New Year's, so only the latter two are flexible as to the day of the week.

This Last year, I got Dec. 24/25 and Dec. 31/Jan. 1 off. Next This year, since Christmas and New Year's are on Thursday, I get Thursday and Friday (Dec. 25/26 and Jan. 1/2) off.

I'm not a fan of holidays in the middle of the week, such as Independence Day and Veterans Day.
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1995hoo

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 02, 2025, 02:58:12 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 11:54:14 AMI like having the day after as a holiday, at least for Christmas anyway (and I find it peculiar how Americans want Christmas Eve as a holiday instead of December 26).

I don't quite know what you mean by peculiar, other than to convey a sense of disparagement, but it might be worth pointing out that Christmas Eve is an official holiday in a number of countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, and starting this year, Poland. Additionally, in most of Central Europe and Scandinavia, the main celebration of Christmas is on Christmas Eve, even if the official holiday isn't until the next day. This seems to derive from the birth of Jesus of Nazareth taking place during the night.

What I mean is that I find it odd the way Americans rush to celebrate Christmas in advance over the course of a month and then, bam, Christmas is "over" immediately when the actual day arrives, whereas the actual Christmas season in religious terms begins on December 25 and runs up to and including the Epiphany on January 6. I went to Home Depot on December 23 and all the Christmas stuff had been removed. I told my wife, not entirely in jest, that odds were the grocery stores would have Valentine's Day crap in place by December 26 (I don't know whether they did because I didn't go to any stores that day). One of the weathermen on our local NBC affiliate said she took down her Christmas decorations by last Friday (December 27) and that she didn't understand why anyone would keep them up longer; her two colleagues (both of whom are Latin American) looked at her like she had three heads. We leave our tree and lights up, and lit at night, through and including January 6. After that day they're no longer lit, but it may take us a week or two to get around to taking them down especially when January 6 is on a Monday, as it is this year.

The day after Christmas is a day when I usually feel tired and I just want to sleep in and do nothing. I certainly understand businesses closing early on Christmas Eve as an accommodation to employees, especially as many parishes will have a children's service at a fairly early hour. But I've never understood the idea of the entire day somehow meriting equal status with Christmas Day.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

WillWeaverRVA

I absolutely haaaate it when a holiday falls on a Wednesday. Having what is basically two miniature work weeks is really disorienting. Tuesday or Thursday isn't so bad since I'll usually just take the Monday or Friday off in that case.
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CtrlAltDel

#19
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 02, 2025, 03:07:03 PMWhat I mean is that I find it odd the way Americans rush to celebrate Christmas in advance over the course of a month and then, bam, Christmas is "over" immediately when the actual day arrives, whereas the actual Christmas season in religious terms begins on December 25 and runs up to and including the Epiphany on January 6.

Well, it depends on the liturgical tradition. In Roman Catholicism, for example, solemnities, such as Christmas in addition to Easter and a number of others, begin the night before—and for everyone, not just children. I am admittedly less familiar with other denominations that celebrate both Christmas and Epiphany.
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JayhawkCO

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 02, 2025, 03:18:31 PMI absolutely haaaate it when a holiday falls on a Wednesday. Having what is basically two miniature work weeks is really disorienting. Tuesday or Thursday isn't so bad since I'll usually just take the Monday or Friday off in that case.

Eh, I'd rather have two separate mini-work weeks than one short one and a single day one. I'm in a different position than most with flex time off (aka unlimited PTO).

webny99

Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 01:24:26 PMAs I'm salaried, holiday pay doesn't apply.

What do you mean by that? You still get paid for the holiday, no?



Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 03:45:13 PM
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 02, 2025, 03:18:31 PMI absolutely haaaate it when a holiday falls on a Wednesday. Having what is basically two miniature work weeks is really disorienting. Tuesday or Thursday isn't so bad since I'll usually just take the Monday or Friday off in that case.

Eh, I'd rather have two separate mini-work weeks than one short one and a single day one. I'm in a different position than most with flex time off (aka unlimited PTO).

The thing is, most people end up taking that single day off anyways. I get that's not always an option for everyone, but most people are probably subconsciously factoring in the likelihood of a four day weekend rather than working that single day.

Henry

I'd prefer to take the entire week off if the major holiday falls on a Wednesday, like Christmas and New Year's Day did. The two best days for one to occur are Monday and Friday, although those days could also be treated as off days if it comes on Sunday or Saturday, respectively.
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JayhawkCO

#23
Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 08:12:35 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 01:24:26 PMAs I'm salaried, holiday pay doesn't apply.

What do you mean by that? You still get paid for the holiday, no?



Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 03:45:13 PM
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on January 02, 2025, 03:18:31 PMI absolutely haaaate it when a holiday falls on a Wednesday. Having what is basically two miniature work weeks is really disorienting. Tuesday or Thursday isn't so bad since I'll usually just take the Monday or Friday off in that case.

Eh, I'd rather have two separate mini-work weeks than one short one and a single day one. I'm in a different position than most with flex time off (aka unlimited PTO).

The thing is, most people
Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 08:12:35 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 01:24:26 PMAs I'm salaried, holiday pay doesn't apply.

What do you mean by that? You still get paid for the holiday, no?

Just meaning I'm not getting time and a half like someone would if they were hourly.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: webny99 on January 02, 2025, 08:12:35 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on January 02, 2025, 01:24:26 PMAs I'm salaried, holiday pay doesn't apply.
What do you mean by that? You still get paid for the holiday, no?

The general question highlights the difference between people that have always been paid hourly (ie: retail workers, construction workers, etc) and don't understand the benefits had by many that are paid via salary (ie: office workers).

Typically, and simply, salaried workers get paid based on the average of what they would earn a year.  Say they will be paid $100,000/year, and say they get paid every 2 weeks.  They get 3,846.15 (before taxes and deductions).  It doesn't matter when holidays fall during those pay periods.  It doesn't matter how many sick or vacation days they take (assuming they're not over their allowance).  They're going to get that $3,846.15.  Their business informs them how many holidays they get per year.  As 1995hoo stated, when a holiday is on a Saturday, they get Friday off. When the holiday is on a Sunday, they get Monday off.  They don't 'lose' the holiday because it's on a weekend.

For hourly workers at stores, typically the day the holiday is on is when they qualify for holiday bonus pay. So if the holiday is on a Saturday, they get their 1.5 times pay (or whatever they get). They get nothing on Friday, while the office workers of the same company enjoy the day off while getting paid for it.

Unless you love dealing with the public, you want to strive to get an office job in most cases.  The benefits are much better overall.



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