Many people start celebrating the New Year on the morning of December 31st. And it is quite understandable that many people want to step away from everyday work and various production issues on this day. After all, there is so much to do, given that there are long periods ahead. New Year holidays, which need to be devoted to holidays and complete rest from worries. After all, many people have earned it through hard work. In addition, there is always a desire to spend with dignity old year.
So, despite the fact that the majority of the population of our country has New Year holidays ahead of them every year, many fellow citizens are concerned about the question of whether legislators will make December 31 a day off. After all, a lot needs to be done in a matter of hours before the onset of the new year, for example:
Buy groceries and cook festive table;
stock up on gifts for your loved ones;
tidy up your appearance;
congratulate all your relatives and friends;
finally, put up and beautifully decorate the Christmas tree.
Therefore, many would like to rest on December 31 instead of January 8, since in fact this day already goes beyond the scope of the holiday.
What do we have today
In fact, the problem with the holiday on December 31 is solved automatically in 2016 and 2017, since in these 2 years the pre-holiday day falls on Saturday and Sunday. However, if December 31st falls on weekdays in other years, then labor legislation makes it possible to shorten the working day by one hour. These are the realities of today, and there is no escape from them yet. It is quite possible that parliamentarians will finally decide to make adjustments, but more on that below.
At the same time, in the administration of many companies there are also people who are happy to let their employees go home early. In addition, there are enough companies that allow people not to go to work at all on this day.
Regional authorities also have the right to declare December 31 a day off today. This is what they did, for example, on the eve of 2016 in Sevastopol. This was largely due not only to concern for people, but also to objective reasons caused by the energy blockade by Ukraine.
Should we expect changes in the future?
From time to time, deputies come up with the initiative to make December 31 a day off instead of January 8. The first legislative proposals appeared back in 2014. They were prompted by human logic, which suggests that it is unlikely that most people will work at full capacity on this day. And if so, then declaring a day off is quite reasonable. But the voice of the deputies has not yet been heard by their colleagues.
Moreover, the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation opposes declaring December 31 a day off. This is due to the fact that the lion’s share of all budget calculations occurs at the very end of the year. Therefore, if December 31 becomes a day off, then employees budgetary institutions will receive a certain increase in salary, which will entail an additional burden on the state treasury.
Be that as it may, the issue of giving December 31 the status of an official day off will be repeatedly raised in all corridors of power. And there is hope that sooner or later people will still have a rest on the last day of the outgoing year.
Annually on the last Saturday of March environmental action is being carried out all over the world" Earth Hour", organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).The meaning of the action is V voluntary refusal from consumption electrical energy for one hour. Thus, society realizes the importance of taking measures to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment.
This great idea was first implemented in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Then about two million residents of the metropolis took part in the action, and energy savings amounted to about 10%.
Inspired by the example, more and more cities began to join the Earth Hour campaign every year. It is expected that in 2020, residents of more than 7 thousand settlements on our planet (more than 2 billion people) will take part in a voluntary power outage for 1 hour. Of course, among the countries participating in the action is Russia.
What date and time does the Earth Hour 2020 campaign take place:
As we wrote above, the event is held annually on the last Saturday of March, with the exception of those years when the last Saturday in March precedes Easter.This year's Earth Hour is scheduled for Saturday. March 28, 2020. The promotion will begin at 20:30 local time and will last for an hour, until 21:30.
That is, the Earth Hour 2020 campaign - what date is it held and at what time:
* Date: March 28, 2020
* from 20:30 to 21:30 local time.
The meaning of the action is in voluntary refusal to consume electrical energy for one hour. Thus, society realizes the importance of taking measures to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment.
This great idea was first implemented in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Then about two million residents of the metropolis took part in the action, and energy savings amounted to about 10%.
Inspired by the example, more and more cities began to join the Earth Hour campaign every year. It is expected that in 2020, residents of more than 7 thousand settlements on our planet (more than 2 billion people) will take part in a voluntary power outage for 1 hour. Of course, among the countries participating in the action is Russia.
What date and time does the Earth Hour 2020 campaign take place:
As we wrote above, the event is held annually on the last Saturday of March, with the exception of those years when the last Saturday in March precedes Easter.This year's Earth Hour is scheduled for Saturday. March 28, 2020. The promotion will begin at 20:30 local time and will last for an hour, until 21:30.
That is, the Earth Hour 2020 campaign - what date is it held and at what time:
* Date: March 28, 2020
* from 20:30 to 21:30 local time.
December 31, 2018 falls on a Monday and is the last working day of the year. However, according to the decision of the Government, this day has been moved to Saturday, December 29, which will become the 6th working day under the 5/2 work schedule. For those citizens who work a six-day week, this will be a regular working day, without any transfers.
However, it will be reduced by 1 hour, according to general rules shortening before holidays. So, the Government made its decision: December 31, 2018 is not a working day, but a day off for all Russian citizens.
New Year holidays start differently
By moving the working day of December 31, 2018, Monday, to the previous day off - Saturday, December 29, the last working week was extended by 1 day. But its tension is smoothed out by the fact that the 29th is a working day shortened by 1 hour, which is enshrined in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.
yandex_ad_1 But the long weekend will begin on Sunday, December 30th, and will give housewives the opportunity to perfectly prepare for the festive feast. But this is for those who work on a 5/2 schedule.
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With six days working week in Russia there are 5 days off in December: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. Transfers are not provided for six-day days. On December 31, citizens with such a work schedule go to their workplaces and work according to the rules of the pre-holiday day, with its duration reduced by 1 hour. December 31, 2018 is a normal working day for them, or it will be brightened up by corporate gatherings. Celebrations for them will begin in the evening, when people will gather at lushly laid tables.
Interesting! How to meet New Year 2019 to be successful
However, these citizens will have time to spend the old year and celebrate the arrival of the New Year with the chimes ringing.
Which day will officially be the last working day this year turns out differently for some categories of employees. For some it will be the 29th, for others it will be December 31st. Also, the New Year holidays for some workers will begin on December 30, 2018, while for others - only on January 1, 2019, and the vacation will last not 10, but only 8 days.
yandex_ad_2 This is important for families who planned trips to the resort in advance; even on such a long weekend, literally every day is important. We need to plan for the purchase of tickets, hotel accommodation, and timely return home by the end of the holidays. All citizens go to work the same way - January 9, Wednesday, regardless of the length of the working week.
The government made a standard transfer
The Government Decree approved transfers to last days outgoing 2018. In order not to interrupt the long holidays, on Saturday, the 29th, citizens working on a five-day week will return to their places instead of December 31st.
Thus, Monday, the 31st, which ends the working year, becomes an additional day off.
According to experts, this day will be ineffective at work - everyone will be tuned in to the beginning of the holidays, and shortening the day by 1 hour will throw workers off their usual rhythm. The fact that it will be a long work week of 6 days instead of the usual 5 will also play a role. Nevertheless, the decision has been made and the holidays are extended.
In our country, this is truly a long-awaited holiday. It portends an active long holiday, excellent cuisine, the opportunity to go on a trip for ten days, forgetting about everyday problems. During this period, the whole country lives an almost unreal, even fabulous life. And Russians, by tradition, are in sweet anticipation of miracles. Holidays usually start on January 1st, lasting up to and including Christmas Day. But what about December 31st, should it be considered a holiday or a working day?
Pre-holiday bustle
Preparations for the celebrations usually begin long before the New Year. Many people have been thinking through various nuances of the holiday since the end of September. In agonizing anticipation significant day they prepare gifts for loved ones and colleagues, trying to amaze them with something unusual. Russians are buying tickets for Christmas trees for children, planning competitions and quizzes, ordering Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens so that kids continue to believe in miracles, and adults don’t forget that they do happen in life, even though most often they have to be created with their own hands.
In the last weeks of the outgoing year, everyone is especially interested in the festive table. Housewives learn new recipes and remember traditional dishes to please family members and guests. Most Russians prefer to stock up on food in advance. The final stage of preparation takes place on the eve or on the working day of December 31, which, unfortunately, is not a holiday in Russia. But there is always a reason to congratulate colleagues and colleagues, rejoicing with them in the coming of the New Year. However, everyone is no longer in a working mood, so I really want to stay at home and devote myself to pleasant preparations and chores!
There are happy coincidences
But exceptions, fortunately, do happen, and on the last day of the outgoing year, sometimes there is a chance to relax. It all depends on whether December 31st will be a day off, that is, whether it falls on Saturday or Sunday according to the calendar in this particular year. The outgoing year 2017 is a clear confirmation of this. It gives the opportunity to prepare for the holiday without the fuss and everyday hassle of those who work on a schedule five or six days a week. The last day of 2017 is Sunday, so there is no point in asking the question: “Is December 31st an official holiday or a working day?” The final month of the old year gave workers ten days off. Russians will have exactly the same number of vacations in a row in 2018. And only January 9 will be the first working day of the eagerly awaited 2018.
When will this happen again?
Whether December 31 is a holiday or a working day, the calendar can tell you. The next time this day will be Sunday will only be in 2023, and in the year preceding it, 2022, the last day will be Saturday, which may also be a pleasant surprise for most. Further, the eve of the New Year will become a Sunday afternoon only in 2028. The specified year will be a leap year, for this reason there will be a shift, because the previous year 2027 will end on Friday. This day will not fall on a Saturday after 2022. Such a coincidence will happen only in 2033, and the next year, 2034, the last day will again be Sunday.
Who works on the night of miracles?
It is clear that many professions are so important and irreplaceable that their representatives simply cannot suspend their activities, so a holiday or work day on December 31 is not important to them. They are always at their post. Such heroes of labor include, first of all, doctors, police officers, security guards and rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. They will have to ensure peace and protect the health of people on the pre-holiday day and New Year's Eve. The same applies to vehicle drivers and catering workers, as well as employees of enterprises and institutions that do not have the opportunity to suspend their activities. And, of course, store sellers will be working, whose revenue on December 31 on a holiday or working day is known to be invariably fantastically high.
Labor Code on holidays
Work on weekends is prohibited and should only take place in exceptional cases. This provision is enshrined in Labor Code. In addition, coming to work on weekends and holidays is possible only with the consent of the employee or in situations where the further work of the company really depends on it, that is, in force majeure and emergency circumstances.
In this regard, whether, according to the law, December 31 is a holiday or a working day, is considered a fundamental question, because an employee who is deprived of rest on this day has every right to count on compensation. It can be provided in the form of an additional day off. But in this situation, the employee loses the chance for additional payment. Otherwise, the employee is entitled to monetary compensation. Thus, whether December 31 is a holiday or a working day, this fact is of decisive importance for calculating wages, since work on a weekend must be paid at double the rate.
From the history of the holiday
Before 1700, the New Year in Russia was not celebrated in January at all. Its celebration took place in March. And only with the onset of spring and the arrival of warmth was the start given to the countdown of the first day of the coming year.
This situation changed only with the accession of Peter I to the throne. And ours began to be celebrated, as now, on January 1. True, the celebrations took place according to the Julian calendar or, as is now commonly expressed, according to the old style. Therefore, in 1700, the holiday came 10 days later than in Europe, because that is how late the Russian calendar was in those days compared to the Gregorian calendar. This chronology was introduced in our country only after the revolution (in 1918) by decree of the new government. Modern Russians owe this event to their other widely celebrated and traditional holiday called “Old New Year”, which comes 13 days later, but is no longer considered a day off.
New Year celebrations over the past 100 years
From 1929 to 1935 In Russia, it was not customary to celebrate New Year's dates at all. Moreover, the holiday was included in the list of prohibited ones, as many associated it with Orthodox Christmas. But soon the prohibitions were put to an end, and the brightly dressed christmas tree has once again become a favorite pastime for children. Was December 31st a holiday or a working day? In those days, not only the eve of the holiday, but also January 1st were considered the most ordinary days, which were officially declared a holiday only in 1947. But January 2 was considered a working day. This situation changed only in 1992.
Since then, the number of holidays (winter holidays, as they are now called) has increased significantly. Since 2005, New Year's festivities have been extended until January 5, and taking into account Christmas celebrations, they totaled 10 days. True, in 2013 the holidays were slightly reduced and now usually last until January 8th.
