A holiday and vacation schedule is the part of a parenting plan that sets out which parent has the children for specific holidays, school breaks, and vacation periods, separately from the regular week-to-week schedule. It typically covers three things, a list of which occasions are treated as special days, whether the arrangement for each one alternates between parents each year or stays the same every year, and how much notice or advance planning is required, particularly for travel.
Defining what counts as a special day
Plans generally list out the specific occasions being addressed, such as major holidays, three-day weekends, the child's birthday, each parent's birthday, and school breaks like spring break, summer, and winter recess. Being explicit about the list matters, since a plan that only says "holidays" without naming them tends to invite disagreement later about which days actually qualify.
Alternating versus fixed patterns
Many plans alternate certain holidays year to year, so each parent gets a particular holiday in odd years and the other parent gets it in even years. Other holidays or occasions may be fixed, meaning the same parent always has that day, often because of family tradition or the day's timing relative to that parent's other time with the children. Some families split a single holiday into two parts, such as morning with one parent and afternoon with the other.
How the holiday schedule overrides the regular schedule
A well-drafted holiday and vacation schedule states clearly that it takes precedence over the regular weekly schedule whenever the two conflict. Without that language, it can be unclear which schedule controls when a holiday falls on a day that would normally belong to the other parent.
Notice, travel, and exchange logistics
Vacation provisions often include how far in advance a parent must give notice of vacation plans, how many weeks of vacation time each parent gets per year, whether travel outside the area or country requires advance disclosure or consent, and who is responsible for transportation and related costs. These details reduce the odds that a vacation plan collides with the other parent's expectations.
Getting the details right
Because these provisions get used every year and often under time pressure around a holiday, it is worth having them reviewed carefully before they are finalized. A licensed family law attorney can help make sure a holiday and vacation schedule is specific enough to prevent disputes and consistent with the rest of the parenting plan.