The 2010 National Holiday Calendar ( H=Holiday, W=Workday )

The official holiday schedule of this year’s Mid-Autumn festival and National Day is so illogical that Chinese white collar workers have begun calling it “the most chaotic holiday schedule in history.” Netizens too have been showing their frustration and anger at the thoughtless and inconsiderate planning of this year’s official holidays, by posting hundreds of comments online.

According to a notice issued by the State Council’s General Office regarding a portion of the 2010 National Holiday Calendar, from September 18th to October 15th this year, work and rest days have been broken up into eight segments, which results in a total of 12 days of rest and 16 days of work.

Thanks to the “masterful” planning (sarcasm intended) of this year’s holidays, September 19th (Sunday) and September 25th (Saturday) end up being work days due to the Mid-Autumn Festival adjustment. Meanwhile, the resulting adjustment of the National Day holiday means that employees have to work on September 26th (Sunday) and October 9th (Saturday). What this essentially means is that straight after the seven day National Day holidays, employees have to go back to work for two days (Fri & Sat) and then have one day off again that Sunday.

"The gap between work and rest days is too short.” Noted one white collar worker, Mr. Xu.

Source: fivip.com

"At present, these holiday rules have been criticized online as being ’the most chaotic holiday schedule in history’” he continued.

A number of white collar workers who left comments online argued that it will be extremely difficult to go back to their hometowns during the national holidays now, thanks to the illogical planning of the national holiday calendar. Now, for many, the only hope of seeing their families and relatives is asking their respective companies if they can merge the weekend workdays with their holidays.

However, according to the National Tourism Bureau, individuals are not permitted to change their holiday schedules according to personal needs. The (vague) official explanation given for the impractical holiday schedule is to prevent the length of holidays for urban workers to go on too long.

Below are some comments by Chinese netizens on Sohu.com regarding the topic:

"Holidays are [only] organized once a year, so the fact that they’ve been scheduled in such a way is really torturous and annoying. When the West celebrates Christmas everybody gets holidays and they don’t have this strange phenomenon of having to make up time at the weekends. Here, even the common people’s 'resting rights’ have been ‘administrativised’!”

"The people who planned the holiday schedule are c*nts. Just take a look at the Dragon Boat Festival holiday schedule and you’ll know why.”

"What is it that you want, a lifetime of holidays? The holidays have been scheduled in this way with the wishes of everyone in mind. It is fair. Otherwise, how should it be scheduled? This newspaper is purposely misleading the public and wants to create social disorder. It has to be severely monitored!”

"Our holidays rest in the mouth of the leader. If he says work overtime, we have to work overtime. Nobody can run away.”

" 'The holidays have been scheduled this way in order to prevent the length of holidays for urban workers to go on ‘too long’. What kind of logic is this?”

"Constantly readjusting holidays is the same as no holidays. We might as well not get any.”
 

Related Links
China National Holidays and Vacations Calendar 2010
Suicides at Foxconn Reveal Woes
Workers Contemplate Fleeing Chinese Metropolises under Mounting Pressure

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Keywords: 2010 Chinese public holiday schedule 2010 national holiday schedule China angry netizens national holiday schedule 2010 national holiday schedule China