>>I have been working in industry since 1961 and have seen many changes in how Christmas is treated. At first we would get Christmas day off. Then a half day (the later half) on Christmas Eve plus Christmas. Then Christmas Eve and Christmas. Now we get from December 22nd to January 2nd.
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>>Some places require you to use vacation days and others do not.
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>I wouldn't mind that at all if I didn't have to use up my precious vacation days.
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>>I think that no matter what management does it will not please everyone.
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>That is very true.
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>>All work and no play makes Jack (Jill) a dull boy (girl)! It is nice to have a bit of time off to be with family and friends at Christmas. But then there are those who do not agree for any number of reasons!
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>I agree about the time off thing ... but I'd like to take my time off when *I* want to, not when it's dictated by corporate management! As you may have noticed, we *do* like to travel! <g>
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>As far as family and friends at Christmas, neither Gary nor I have any family nearby, so time off for that sort of thing doesn't matter to us. Typically, at least one of my kids would fly out to visit me for a week during the Christmas holidays, but this year none of them are coming (for the first time since I've been divorced (1994) and away from them all).
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>~~Bonnie

The end of December Katy and I will celebrate our 42 Wedding Anniversary. My mom’s side of the family settled in San Francisco in 1849, and family members tended to stay in the City, until my generation. I have many relatives in the Bay Area as well as life long friends. I love to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.

My brother was divorced in 1975 and hates Christmas with a passion! In fact there were times in recent years he would not pick up the phone during the month of December for his distain of the “Holiday Season” as some of us like to call it. Lots of people are depressed this time of the year. That is unfortunate.