Who works, and who rest most in the EU?

Even though “the most famous worker during the holiday season is the one who distributes presents in a deer - drawn flying cart, in real life many people help keep the world moving as the year ends.

For some living in Europe, the benefits come in the form of official paid holidays. Others may have more days off during the year in exchange for less holiday time during the holiday season, writes DW.

Of course, there are still those who have to keep the system functioning. These include emergency services, as well as employees in the hospitality and retail sectors, which often go through the most difficult period of the year. logistics workers are also essential to ensuring that Christmas cards and gifts reach their destinations.

Who rest at Christmas?

Europeans usually have between two and five public festivals during this time of the year, from Western Christian Christmas Day, December 24, to Epiphanes on January 6th.

Lithuanians have more parties than 16 total, including four between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania have 15 national holidays, a third of which occur during the winter holiday season. Malta has 14 national festivals throughout the year, two of which are during the Christmas and New Year era.

In Austria, there are a total of 13 official parties. It is joyful in provinces such as Tyrol, or Salzburg, where a local festival is added, bringing it closer to the European table's chairmanship.

Even holidays in Germany are not easy

As for Germany, it has nine national festivals. But the famous German federalism allows countries to introduce extra holidays. In the north of the country, they rarely use them, while Germany's record holder is the 12-party Bavaria, approaching places that are happy to introduce vacation days. When it comes to holidays, the residents of Augsburg in Bavari do well. They also celebrate Peace Day on August 8th when Protestants regained religious freedom in the 17th century.

A study by the Hans Beckler Foundation in Germany showed that almost one in ten German workers will be at work after 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, which is not an official holiday in Germany.

There are also regional differences: the German-landorres are most often called into office at this time of the year, and often they are the same workers who work each year during the holidays.

In provinces where shops must be closed at 2: 00 a.m. on December 24, residents must manage and secure all supplies by the end of the police hour, which lasts until December 27th.

Christmas Bonus

Some workers in Europe will find an additional payment of the so-called “Page of thirteen-x1> when checking their bank account. It is usually counted on the number of hours a worker works, and southern European countries, such as Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy, often offer a statuteic bonus, depending on industry and employers. In some European countries, bonuses exist as custom but not as legal requirements.

While some countries offer these additional benefits, others have recently considered being more restrictive. In Germany and France, Christmas holidays can get even greater value, as governments in Paris and Berlin recently announced a possible decrease in the number of official holidays. /Periscope/