Alternating Holidays in Your Florida Parenting Plan (Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s)

For some parents, figuring out alternating holidays with family after divorce means months of anxiety before each celebration. You’re staring at a calendar, wondering how to divide Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and every other special day without your kids missing out or feeling caught in the middle.

According to Florida Law, an alternating system can help give you clarity now and prevent arguments later. Here’s how to build one that actually works.

How to Set Up Your Alternating Schedule

Start by listing every holiday that matters to your family. Not every family celebrates the same days. If you and your co-parent observe different religious or cultural traditions, you might each prioritize certain holidays while trading others to keep things balanced.

1. Create Your Even/Odd Year Split

Write down two columns: even years and odd years. Assign holidays to each parent for each column.

Sample split for Parent A:

• Even years: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, July 4th, Labor Day
• Odd years: New Year’s, Memorial Day, MLK Day, child’s birthday

Sample split for Parent B:

• Even years: New Year’s, Memorial Day, MLK Day, child’s birthday
• Odd years: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, July 4th, Labor Day

This way, nobody gets stuck with all the “lesser” holidays in their assigned years. Each parent gets major holidays and minor holidays in both even and odd years.

2. Add Specific Times and Locations

Your parenting plan can’t just say “Parent A has Thanksgiving in even years.” You need exact start and end times.

According to Florida Statute 61.13, your time-sharing schedule must specify when each parent’s time begins and ends:

• Thanksgiving begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday before Thanksgiving
• Ends at 6 p.m. Sunday after Thanksgiving
• Exchange location: Mother’s residence
• Mother is responsible for pickup, Father is responsible for drop-off

Do this for every single holiday you’re alternating.

3. State That Holidays Override the Regular Schedule

Your regular schedule might give Mom every other weekend. Thanksgiving falls on her weekend in an even year, but the alternating schedule assigns Thanksgiving to Dad in even years.

Which one wins?

Your parenting plan needs to state clearly: Holiday schedule takes priority over regular schedule. This is standard practice in Florida. Include this language explicitly to avoid confusion later.

Which Holidays to Include

Florida law doesn’t tell you which holidays to pick. Here are the holidays most Florida parents include:

Major Holidays

• Thanksgiving: Runs from Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving through Sunday evening. Some plans extend it through the kids’ return to school on Monday morning.
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Some parents alternate who gets the entire winter break. Others split Christmas itself (one parent gets Christmas Eve, the other gets Christmas Day) and alternate that split each year.
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day: Often paired together as one holiday period, though you can separate them if one matters more to your family.
• Easter/Spring Break: Religious families might alternate Easter specifically. Others alternate the entire spring break week.
• July 4th: Summer holidays matter when kids are out of school and available for travel.
• Child’s Birthday: Some parents alternate the actual birthday. Others split it so both get time, or the parent whose regular schedule includes that day keeps the child.

Three-Day Weekends

Memorial Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Presidents’ Day create long weekends for trips or special activities.

Example structure: Parent A gets Memorial Day and Labor Day in even years. Parent B gets those same holidays in odd years. Then flip it for MLK Day and Presidents’ Day.

School Breaks That Span Multiple Days

Winter break, spring break, and summer vacation need their own provisions. These overlap with holidays but span longer periods:

• Summer vacation: Many parents split it in half regardless of the alternating holiday schedule
• Winter break: Gets divided around Christmas, with one parent getting the first half and the other getting the second half
• Spring break: Might go entirely to one parent in even years, entirely to the other in odd years

Religious and Cultural Holidays

If your family celebrates other religious holidays, write those into the plan. Don’t assume the court knows which holidays matter to you. Spell it out.

Why This System Works Better Than Negotiating Every Year

Once you lock in who gets what holiday in even versus odd years, there’s no debate as each holiday approaches. You avoid the same arguments annually.

You also get predictability for planning. For example:

• Want to take the kids to visit grandparents for Christmas? You know two years in advance which Christmas is yours.
• Need to book holiday travel? You can reserve flights early without waiting for your co-parent’s approval.

Both parents get meaningful holiday time. Neither monopolizes the special days. Kids build traditions with both families.

Common Mistakes That Create Problems Later

Making It Too Complicated

Don’t create a system where you’re alternating some holidays, splitting others in half, and following your regular schedule for the rest.

Pick one approach for all major holidays. Complexity creates conflict.

Leaving Out Exchange Details

Every holiday needs pickup and drop-off times and locations. “Mother picks up children at 6 p.m. at Father’s residence” is clear.

Not Planning for Stacked Holidays

Sometimes your alternating schedule gives one parent back-to-back holidays.

Decide upfront whether you’re okay with one parent having extended stretches, or if you want make-up time provisions when holidays stack together.

Forgetting Future Complications

What happens when Christmas falls on a Wednesday versus a Saturday? Does the holiday start when school lets out or at a specific time? Think through these scenarios now, not when they cause a fight.

Getting Your Schedule Court-Approved

Your holiday schedule becomes part of your court-approved parenting plan. Two paths get you there:

1. When Parents Agree

Draft your proposed schedule with all the details covered above and submit it to the court. The judge reviews it to confirm it serves your child’s best interests under Florida Statute 61.13. If it’s reasonable and you both signed off, the court approves it.

Mediation can help if you’re close but stuck on a few holidays.

2. When Parents Disagree

Each parent submits a proposed schedule. The court decides based on work schedules, historical involvement in holidays, distance between homes, and the child’s relationship with extended family.

Courts want kids to have quality time with both parents. The judge will create something balanced.

How to Manage Your Schedule Without Constant Conflict

Here are some ways to prevent confusion and arguments:

Use a Shared Calendar

Set up a shared calendar app that shows which parent has which holidays this year and next year.

Give Advance Notice for Travel

If you’re taking the kids out of state for your assigned holiday, most parenting plans require 30 to 60 days’ notice. Tell your co-parent where you’re going, when you’re leaving, and how to reach you in an emergency.

Document Any Swaps in Writing

For changes in plans and schedules, don’t rely on informal, verbal agreements. Get it in writing via text or email. Document that you’re trading this specific holiday and confirm whether you’re also swapping next year or just this once.

Build in Flexibility as Kids Age

Teenagers tend to develop their own plans as they mature. Adjust your approach as your kids get older, but maintain the basic structure so neither parent feels taken advantage of.

When You Need to Modify Your Schedule

Your parenting plan can be modified when there’s a substantial change in circumstances.

File a petition with the court and show why the change serves your child’s best interests. Both parents agreeing to the modification speeds things up significantly.

Creating a Schedule For Alternating Holidays

Creating an alternating holiday schedule means thinking through scenarios you haven’t faced yet. What happens when Christmas falls on a Tuesday versus a weekend? Who handles pickups when you’re alternating Memorial Day, but it’s also your regular weekend?

These factors matter, and a detailed plan gives everyone clarity.

Without specific details to your timesharing schedules- the court lacks the ability to enforce the timesharing plan for vagueness.

Whether you’re drafting your first plan or modifying one that’s not working, contact Nest Law today. We’re here to help you create a holiday schedule that works smoothly for years to come.

This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. For guidance regarding your specific situation, please consult with a qualified Florida family law attorney.