When a Parent Has to Work on Christmas Day: A New Holiday Tradition for Families
- Adrienne Encinias
- May 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 8
Looking for Christmas traditions for families with a parent who works on Christmas Day? Whether your loved one is a firefighter, nurse, doctor, police officer, paramedic, military member, or other essential worker, this simple holiday tradition can help your family create meaningful memories together, no matter what day you celebrate.
When my husband, a firefighter-paramedic, had to work Christmas Day several years in a row, I found myself trying to answer the same questions from my daughters every Christmas season.
“Why does Daddy have to work on Christmas?”
“Can Santa come when Daddy is home?”
As a parent, I wanted Christmas to feel magical for my children, but I also wanted them to understand that some families celebrate differently.
If you’re a first responder family, healthcare family, military family, aviation family, or another family with a parent who works on Christmas Day, you’re not alone.
Over the years, I created a tradition that helped our children feel included, understood, and excited about celebrating together as a family without missing out on Christmas Day itself and it was a win win for everyone.
Our First Experience Celebrating Christmas on a Different Day 2024
Like many children, my daughters imagined Christmas exactly the way they saw it in books, movies, and at school.
Everyone wakes up together.
Everyone opens presents together.
Everyone spends the day together.
But when a parent works on Christmas Day, that isn’t always possible.
Many families handle this challenge in different ways.
Some move Christmas entirely to another day.
Some wake up extra early and rush through presents before a shift.
Some celebrate at the fire station, hospital, military base, or workplace.
And while those solutions can absolutely work for some families, I often felt like we were being forced to choose between two things that both mattered.
I didn’t want my children to miss the excitement and magic of Christmas morning on December 25. But I also didn’t want them to miss the experience of celebrating Christmas together with their dad and all of us together.
Why should they have to choose? And why should a parent miss or rush Christmas Day?
That’s when I realized there might be a way to have both.
What if Christmas Day could still feel magical? What if Santa could still visit on December 25? And what if our family could also have a special Family Christmas Day™ when everyone was home together?
Instead of replacing Christmas Day, we added to it.
On Christmas morning, Santa still leaves a special gift and stocking, just as he always does.
Then, on our chosen Family Christmas Day™, Santa returns for a second visit so the entire family can celebrate together.
Suddenly there was no rushing.
No disappointment.
No feeling like we had to move Christmas or miss out.
Our children still experienced the wonder of Christmas Day while also getting the joy of celebrating with their dad when he was home.
For our family, it felt nad was the best of both worlds.
How We Created Our Family Christmas Day™ Tradition
Every family is different, which means every Family Christmas Day™ can look different too. Some families celebrate on Christmas Eve. Some celebrate on December 26.
Some celebrate after a deployment, hospital shift, or extended work schedule.
For our family, the goal wasn’t to celebrate on the “right” day. The goal was to celebrate together.
Some ideas that worked for us included:
• Opening presents together on Family Christmas Day™
• Making a special breakfast
• Watching favorite Christmas movies
• Reading holiday books together
• Wearing matching pajamas
• Baking Christmas cookies
• Creating traditions that belonged uniquely to our family
The more we embraced our own version of Christmas, the less we worried about what everyone else was doing.
The Benefits of Creating a Family Christmas Day™
One of the biggest frustrations parents face is worrying that their children will feel sad when a parent misses Christmas Day. Also the disappointment for the parent who is working on Christmas is heartbreaking.
We discovered was that children are incredibly adaptable when they’re given a meaningful tradition to look forward to which is exactly what Santa Stops Twice™ does.
Benefits of creating a Family Christmas Day™ include:
Pros
• Allows the entire family to celebrate together
• Preserves the magic of Christmas Day
• Reduces disappointment for child and parent when a parent works on Christmas Day
• Creates meaningful family memories
• Gives children something special to anticipate
• Reinforces that every family is unique
• Helps children understand different family schedules
Things to Consider
• Children may need reassurance the first year
• Extended family schedules may require flexibility
• You may need to explain the tradition to friends and relatives
For our family, the benefits far outweighed the challenges.
Why I Created Santa Stops Twice™
After experiencing this firsthand, I realized there were very few books that helped children understand why some families celebrate Christmas differently.
That’s why I created Santa Stops Twice™.
Santa Stops Twice™ was created to solve a problem many working families face every holiday season:
How do you preserve the magic of Christmas Day while still celebrating together as a family?
The story is sent directly from Santa at the North Pole and introduces children to the comforting idea that Santa understands™ families whose parents work on Christmas Day.
Instead of asking children to give up Christmas morning or rush through the holiday, Santa Stops Twice™ helps families create two special moments:
• The excitement and wonder of Christmas Day itself
• The joy of celebrating together on chosen Family Christmas Day™
Because children shouldn’t have to choose between Christmas morning and time with the people they love most. And neither should parents.
Learn more about Santa Stops Twice™ in our guide. [Insert link to Santa Stops Twice™ book here]
My Final Thoughts
As both a mother and the wife of a first responder, I know how difficult it can be when a parent misses Christmas Day.
I also know that some of the most meaningful family traditions are born from circumstances we never expected. If your family celebrates Christmas on a different day, know this:
Your traditions are valid. Your memories matter.
And your Christmas is every bit as magical.
Because Christmas isn’t about celebrating on the same day as everyone else.
It’s about celebrating together.
Have you ever celebrated Christmas on a different day because of a work schedule?
I’d love to hear your family’s story in the comments below.
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