Coming from a different country gives me an idea of how the holidays might work in other countries at this time of the year. For example, in Peru where I come from, during the period of 15 December to 15 January, we only have 2 public holidays, one on 25th December and the other on 1st January.
Christmas back home in Lima, Peru
For a long period of time, my eldest sister used to live in the US which kind of helps me to understand the holiday period over there too. They also only have 2 public holidays around the same period. My sister then moved to Austria, so we found out that they have 4 public holidays over Christmas! They have Christmas Day on 25th December and St Stephens Day on 26th December as well as New Years Day on 1st January and Epiphany on 6th January.
Christmas in Basel, Switzerland
Switzerland is another European country that I know a little bit more now because my brother in law has recently moved there so now my sister is about to move there too. I also had the opportunity last year to visit the Christmas Markets in Basel. They have 2 public national holidays but in some regions such as Basel, Badel and Lucern, they can have a couple of extra days, so it depends where exactly you are.
My family background is actually Italian, so I know that in Italy they enjoy 4 public holidays during the festive period. In Spain, where I lived for a year whilst studying, they have 3 public holidays. However, in Catalonia they have an extra holiday on 26th December so they enjoy 4 days off.
Christmas in Covent Garden, London, UK
Treated.com, an online consultation and private prescription service based in the UK, has looked at this exact question and have given us some more detailed results! From the list of countries researched, they found that Russia have the highest number of public holidays with 7 days in total! That’s a lot right?
In their report, ‘Christmas: Which Country Gets the Most Days Off?’ you can see the list of countries that have the most holidays and those that have the lowest number. The report also covers the physical and mental health benefits of taking time off work, which I’m sure you’ll agree is an important consideration.
As exciting as the run-up to Christmas can be, it can also be a stressful time as people try their best to get organised for the festivities whilst continuing with daily life. I am looking forward to winding down and spending time with my family but at the same time I ask myself: Is it healthy to switch off during the festive season? And the obvious answer is YES.
Christmas at Lapland UK
However, I then ask myself: Will I actually be able to switch off during the festive season? To be honest, as a blogger I struggle a lot with this. Every year I say I will switch off during the holidays but the reality is that I can’t! It is impossible for me to not worry about my blog and social channels! I guess this is because we are more active during the festive season. We want to share more things and we want to document it all! I love my job, I enjoy using my work to spend more time with my family so for me it is enjoyable work. So if I am happy doing it, why should I stop?
Zurick, Switzerland
I guess, I don’t need to stop completely. I should just slow down a little bit more and make sure I don’t compromise quality time spent with my family. However, for other types of jobs you probably should stop working during this period. So as you can see, this is a personal choice. But nevertheless, I do agree that it is healthy to try to get sometime for yourself, to put things into perspective, enjoy life and recharge the batteries for 2018!
This is exactly what Treated.com mention in their article. Many people use their time off at Christmas to see friends and family, and doing so can have a positive effect on health. Maintaining social bonds is beneficial for both mental and physical well-being, and has even been found to reduce the risk of premature mortality. So try to relax and enjoy this magical time of year!
How does your country fare when it comes to holidays with your European Neighbours? Do you like to switch off during the festive period or would you rather keep doing some work?
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with Treated.com. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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Would love to vusit some of these places. Bet it would be magical
You’ve got great links to other countries, very jealous! Love the photos 🙂
Thank you! It has been lovely to be able to learn about all those cultures! 🙂