A: It is important for parents to identify the specific legal and religious holidays and cultural
observances they want to include in their parenting time schedule. The holiday schedule may
also include the child’s and parents’ birthdays, and Mother’s and Father’s Day.
It is important for parents to decide:
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whether they will alternate holidays within a calendar year. For example, the parents could agree that “Parent A has Memorial Day, Parent B has July 4th, and Parent A has Labor Day.”
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whether they will rotate holidays based on odd numbered years and even numbered years. For example, the parents could agree that “Parent A has July 4th in even-numbered years (2020, 2022, etc.) and Parent B has July 4th in odd-numbered years (2021, 2023, etc.).”
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whether the holiday is celebrated on the actual day or different day, such as celebrating Thanksgiving on Friday.
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whether the holiday will include additional days. For example, whether the Memorial Day holiday will be Monday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm or the weekend from Friday at 5:00 pm through Monday at 6:00 pm.
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whether one parent will have the same holiday every year. For example, the parents may agree “Parent A has Labor Day every year.”
