As the 2024 spring semester approaches, it’s time again to think about managing childcare during those scattered school holidays. These breaks can be a logistical challenge for working parents. Planning ahead is key to avoiding the stress of last-minute arrangements or the surprise of a forgotten school holiday.
School Holidays 2024
Proactive planning can help you secure childcare for these days, ensuring your kids are safe and engaged. It’s also an excellent opportunity to consider family vacations or special activities aligned with the school calendar.
Major Civic Holidays in 2024
Most schools often align with federal holidays, though they are not mandated to do so. Here’s a list of the major holidays you can expect those as school holidays too to be observe in 2024:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, 01/15/2024)
- President’s Day (Monday, 02/19/2024)
- Memorial Day (Monday, 05/27/2024)
- Juneteenth (Wednesday, 06/19/2024)
- Independence Day (Thursday, 07/04/2024)
- Labor Day (Monday, 09/02/2024)
- Columbus Day (Monday, 10/14/2024)
- Veterans Day (Monday, 11/11/2024)
- Thanksgiving (Thursday, 11/28/2024)
- Christmas Day (Wednesday, 12/25/2024)
Note: When a federal holiday falls on a weekend, it’s typically observed on the nearest weekday.
Other Holidays Recognized by Select States and School Districts
Some states and districts may also observe additional civic days. For instance, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday and César Chávez Day are recognized in specific states. Be sure to check your local school district’s calendar for these additional holidays.
Common Religious and Cultural School Holidays For 2024
Many districts recognize significant religious and cultural holidays. While not guaranteed, schools may offer a day off or use the occasion for educational purposes. Be mindful of these dates when planning for 2024:
| Date | Holiday | Religion | Type |
| January 1 | Feast of Mary Mother of God | Christian/Catholic | Special Worship |
| January 6 | Epiphany | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| January 7 | Christmas – Eastern Orthodox | Eastern Orthodox/Christian | Special Worship |
| January 17 | Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib | Sikh | Special Worship |
| January 18 | Bodhi Day | Buddhist | Special Worship |
| February 14 | Ash Wednesday | Christian/Catholic | Special Worship |
| March 8 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | Work-restricted |
| March 10 | Ramadan begins | Islam | Work-restricted (Wednesday Afternoon) |
| March 15 | Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti | Hindu | Work-restricted |
| March 19-20 | Naw-Rúz | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| March 20-21 | Nowruz | Persian | Work-restricted |
| March 23-24 | Purim | Jewish | Special Worship |
| March 24 | Palm Sunday | Eastern Orthodox/Christian | Meaningful |
| March 25 | Feast of the Annunciation | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| March 28 | Holy Thursday | Christian | Special Worship |
| March 29 | Good Friday | Christian | Special Worship |
| March 31 | Easter | Christian | Special Worship |
| April 9 | Ramadan ends | Islam | Work-restricted (Friday Afternoon) |
| April 9-10 | Eid al-Fitr | Islam | Work-restricted |
| April 13 | Vaisakhi | Sikh | Special Worship |
| April 17 | Rama Navami | Hindu | Work-restricted |
| April 21 | Ridván begins | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| April 22 | Passover begins | Jewish | Work-restricted (1st, 2nd, and last 2 days) |
| April 30 | Passover ends | Jewish | Work-restricted (1st, 2nd, and last 2 days) |
| May 2 | Ridván ends | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| May 3 | Good Friday | Eastern Orthodox | Special Worship |
| May 5 | Easter | Eastern Orthodox | Special Worship |
| May 9 | Feast of the Ascension | Christian/Catholic | Special Worship |
| May 19 | Pentecost | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| May 22 | Declaration of the Bab | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| May 23 | Vesak | Buddhist | Work-restricted |
| May 26 | Trinity Sunday | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| May 29 | Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| May 30 | Corpus Christi Sunday | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| June 7 | Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| June 11-13 | Shavuot | Jewish | Work-restricted |
| June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib | Sikh | Work-restricted |
| June 16-17 | Eid-ul-Adha | Islam | Work-restricted |
| June 24 | Nativity of St. John the Baptist | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| June 29 | Feast of Saints Peter and Paul | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| July 9 | Martyrdom of the Bab | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| July 16-17 | Ashura | Islam | Work-restricted |
| July 31 | Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| August 12-13 | Tisha B’Av | Jewish | 25 hours fasting, Work-restricted optional |
| August 15 | Feast of the Assumption of Mary | Christian/Catholic | Special Worship |
| August 26 | Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu | Work-restricted |
| September Aug. 31-7 | Paryushan | Jain | Special Worship |
| September 15-16 | Mawlid-al-Nabi | Islam | Work-restricted |
| October 2-4 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish | Work-restricted |
| October 11-12 | Yom Kippur | Jewish | Work-restricted |
| October 16-23 | Sukkot | Jewish | Work-restricted |
| October 23-25 | Shemini Atzeret | Jewish | Work-restricted |
| October 24 | Birth of Baháúllah | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| October 24-25 | Simchat Torah | Jewish | Work-restricted |
| November 1 | All Saints Day | Christian/Catholic | Special Worship |
| November 1 | Diwali | Hindu, Jain | Special Worship |
| November 2 | Birth of the Bab | Baháʼí | Work-restricted |
| November 2 | All Souls Day | Catholic | Special Worship |
| November 15 | Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib | Sikh | Work-restricted |
| November 16 | Remembering the Martyrs of the UCA | Secular | Meaningful |
| November 24 | Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib | Sikh | Work-restricted |
| November 24 | Feast of Christ the King | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| November 26-27 | Ascension of ’Abdu’l-Bahá | Baháʼí | Special Worship |
| November 28 | Thanksgiving | Federal | Meaningful |
| December 1 | Advent Season | Christian | Meaningful |
| December 3 | Feast of St. Francis Xavier | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| December 8 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Christian/Catholic | Special Worship |
| December 12 | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Christian/Catholic | Meaningful |
| December 25 | Christmas | Christian | Special Worship |
| December 25 | Hanukkah Begins | Jewish | Special Worship |
| December 26-Jan. 1 | Kwanzaa | Ethnic | Meaningful |
Planning Childcare for School Closures
Knowing these dates in advance is crucial for planning. Consider discussing upcoming holidays with your children, setting ground rules for days off, and planning activities or childcare as needed. For longer breaks, like summer or winter holidays, you might consider a longer-term babysitting solution. Apps like Call Emmy can be a valuable resource in finding qualified sitters.
Let Call Emmy Help With Your Childcare or Household Chores
Plan your 2024 school holidays with ease and avoid last-minute scrambles for childcare. With Call Emmy, you have access to reliable sitters and household help like laundry, house cleaning and what not. Ensuring you and your children can enjoy the holidays stress-free. Start your planning today and leave those worries to us. Book Now
The 2023 spring semester is here—and with it, planning childcare for all those scattered school holidays! Every working parent knows how difficult it can be to arrange care for these abrupt breaks in the schedule. Or worse, there’s the panic when you send your kid off to school only to find out it was a holiday and you forgot! While kids love the day off, it can be a nightmare to fit your own schedule around these calendar gaps.
With a little preparation, you can get a head start on booking your childcare for these days and ensure that your kids aren’t left sitting at home alone. Maybe you can even take advantage of one of these calendar days and plan a weekend family vacation! Know when you’re going to need a sitter, and book accordingly.
Major Civic Holidays in 2023
While schools are not required to follow federal holidays, many choose to do so anyway. You can count on your kids having most of these holidays off from school in 2023.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, 01/16/2023)
- President’s Day (Monday, 02/20/2023)
- Memorial Day (Monday, 05/29/2023)
- Juneteenth (Monday 06/19/2023)
- Independence Day (Tuesday, 07/04/2023)
- Labor Day (Monday, 09/04/2023)
- Columbus Day (Monday, 10/09/2023)
- Veterans Day (Friday, 11/10/2023)
- Thanksgiving (Thursday 11/23/2023)
- Christmas Day (Monday, 12/25/2023)*
* Please note that when a federal holiday falls on a weekend, the federal government observes the day off on either the Friday preceding or Monday after. If your kid’s school also takes off, they will likely follow this guidance.
Other Holidays Recognized by Select States and School Districts
While the above is a list of federal holidays, some schools in select districts and states may choose to honor additional civic days. When planning your calendar, it’s important to watch out for these too. For example,
- Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday (02/12/2023, but observed Monday, 02/13/2023) is observed as a state holiday in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York.
- Similarly, César Chávez Day (Friday, 03/31/23) is commonly observed in California, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
Be sure to check if your state has any specific holidays your school may observe!
Common Religious and Cultural School Holidays For 2023
Unless your child attends a religious school, there is no guarantee that they will be off for any given holiday. However, many school districts choose to honor major religious or cultural days on the calendar. They may grant the day off, or they may make it a day of prominence in the classroom to teach kids about different traditions. For both reasons, be sure to note down pertinent cultural and religious holidays from this list when planning your 2023 school calendar.
| Holiday or Observance | Religious Group | Dates |
| New Year’s Day | Jan. 1, 2023(Sun) | |
| Orthodox Christmas | Christian Orthodox | Jan. 7, 2023(Sat) |
| Martin Luther King Day | Jan. 16, 2023(Mon) | |
| Lunar New Year | Jan. 22, 2023(Sun) | |
| Beginning of Lent | Christian | Feb. 22, 2023(Wed) |
| Presidents Day | Feb. 20, 2023(Mon) | |
| Purim | Jewish | March 6-7, 2023(Mon-Tues) |
| Holi | Hindu | March 8, 2023(Wed) |
| Beginning of Ramadan | Islamic | March 22, 2023(Wed) |
| *Passover (Pesach) | Jewish | April 5-13, 2023 |
| Good Friday | Christian | April 7, 2023(Fri) |
| Easter | Christian | April 9, 2023(Sun) |
| Orthodox Good Friday | Christian Orthodox | April 14, 2023(Fri) |
| Orthodox Easter | Christian Orthodox | April 16, 2023(Sun) |
| Lailat Ul Qadr | Islamic | April 18, 2023(Tues) |
| Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Islamic | April 21-22, 2023 |
| Ram Navami | Hindu | March 30, 2023(Thurs) |
| *Shavuot | Jewish | May 25-27, 2023(Thurs-Sat) |
| Memorial Day | May 29, 2023(Mon) | |
| Eid al-Adha | Islamic | June 28-29, 2023(Wed-Thurs) |
| Independence Day | July 4, 2023(Tues) | |
| Janmashtami | Hindu | Sept. 6-7(Wed-Thurs) |
| Raksha Bandhan | Hindu | Aug 31 |
| Labor Day | Sept. 4, 2023 | |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Hindi | Sept 6, 2023 |
| Jeune Genevois (Geneva Only) | Sept 7, 2023 | |
| Patriot Day | Sept 11, 2023 | |
| Erev Rosh Hashanah | Jewish | Sept 14, 2023 |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Hindi | Sept 19, 2023 |
| International Talk Like a Pirate Day | Sept 19, 2023 | |
| Mabon | Pagan | Sept 21-9, 2023 |
| Yom Kippur | Jewish | Sept 24, 2023 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sept 29, 2023 | |
| Sukkot | Jewish | Sept 29, 2023 |
| National Day | Oct. 1, 2023 | |
| Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah | Jewish | Oct 6, 2023 |
| Sukkot | Jewish | Oct 9 to 16, 2023 |
| Navrati | Hindi | Oct 15-24, 2023 |
| Birth of Báb | Bahá’í | Oct 16, 2023 |
| Dussehra | Hindi | Oct 24, 2023 |
| National Day | Oct 26, 2023 | |
| Birth of Báb | Bahá’í | Oct 26-27 |
| Ochi Day | Oct 28, 2023 | |
| Halloween | Oct 31, 2023 | |
| All Saints’ Day (Hallowmas, All Hallows’) | Christian | Nov 1, 2023 |
| Samhain | Pagan | Nov 1, 2023 |
| All Souls’ Day | Christian | Nov 2, 2023 |
| Veterans Day | Nov 11, 2023 | |
| Polytechneio | Nov 17, 2023 | |
| Thanksgiving | Nov 23, 2023 | |
| Black Friday | Nov 24, 2023 | |
| Ascension of Abdu’l-Bahá | Bahá’í | Nov 28-29, 2023 |
| Christmas Fast (begins) | Christian | Nov 28, 2023 |
| Farmer’s Day | Dec 1, 2023 | |
| Advent Begins | Christian | Dec 3, 2023 |
| Chanukah | Jewish | Dec 7-15, 2023 |
| Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day | Dec 7, 2023 | |
| Bodhi Day | Buddhist | Dec 8, 2023 |
| Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast Day) | Christian | Dec 12, 2023 |
| Las Posadas (begins) | Christian | Dec 16, 2023 |
| Yule | Pagan | Dec 21, 2023 |
| Advent Ends | Christian | Dec 24, 2023 |
| Christmas | Christian | Dec 25, 2023 |
| Kwanzaa (begins) | Dec 26, 2023 | |
| Restoration Day (Geneva Only) | Dec 31, 2023 |
How Do You Plan Childcare for School Closures?
So now you have your dates. But how are you going to take care of your kids on these holidays? Rather than waking up surprised on the day of, you and your child can maximize the opportunity provided with a little thinking ahead.
“Prepare” Your Kid
Children thrive on structure, so be sure to head them off about the day off in advance, and what to expect. As the day approaches, they may hear other kids talking about going away on vacation, doing community service, or any number of activities. Make sure they know what the plan is for them for the day(s) off!
Set Ground Rules
Just because they have a day off doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. Be sure to set ground rules for the school holiday. This goes for your kids, and for whoever is watching them—be it a family member or babysitter.
Make sure you are all on the same page. What are the do’s and don’ts to abide by? Discussing this up front will set your mind at ease when it comes time for a school holiday, and will also ensure the safety of your kids.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is key to maximizing the days off, for both you and your kids. See if you can arrange some activities for your kids on several of these days. Perhaps a playdate with friends? Or perhaps they can go visit the grandparents—or better yet, if you can time it with work, take an extended weekend vacation! Federal holidays are particularly likely to have crossover time on both your office’s and the school’s calendars.
When it comes to days that you can’t take off, it’s time to book a sitter. Thankfully, this advance planning means you’ll know exactly what days you need a babysitter for! Babysitters book up quickly over holiday periods, and securing your sitter early will save you the headache later.
Extended Break? Consider a Babysitter
Some school holidays are lengthier than others—think winter and summer breaks—and finding the right solutions for a longer amount of time off can be challenging. One option to consider at these times is a longer-term babysitter. Be sure to thoroughly vet your sitter, though! With that amount of time, you want to know your child is in good hands. Thankfully, apps like Call Emmy take care of the vetting process for you and can help you find the perfect sitter.
Let Call Emmy Help With Your Childcare Needs
Kids always love the holidays. Why shouldn’t you too? With a little forethought and planning, you can make sure you’re not scrambling at the last minute looking for childcare on a surprise day off. Plan your 2023 school holidays the right way—start booking your babysitters from now!Babysitting app Call Emmy provides sitters on-demand for parents, whether it’s for a quick few hours or a more regular engagement. With sitters spread across most metro U.S. areas, you’re sure to find someone who matches your needs. All their sitters undergo a rigorous four-step screening process, so you know all your options are more than qualified. Sign up today and get your 2023 planning started!
