Although I did not do so this year, I have traveled during holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries over the years — not only because almost everyone has the time off anyway and getting additional days off before and after a holiday is usually easier to do than at other times of the year; but also because one can get a good deal.
4 Reasons to Travel During a Holiday.
I have found for the most part — more often than not — that traveling on major holidays such as Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day can be a good deal because people prefer to celebrate those holidays with loved ones and do not want to be traveling. This typically means that not only can fares and rates be potentially less expensive than at other times during those holidays — the day prior to Thanksgiving Day is one of the busiest travel days of the year — but fewer people travel on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, which means fewer crowds.
I have celebrated Thanksgiving with my family during the summer while in California; and I have celebrated my birthday two months later with family members. Why not take a Saturday night during the winter and have a Thanksgiving dinner, if relatives and friends are able to attend? Celebrating Christmas may be a little more difficult to pull off at any other time of the year — but if one does not celebrate Christmas at home with friends and family, then travel and celebrate it abroad.
I prefer my holidays to be peaceful and joyous when I am not traveling — so participating with a dozen people or two dozen people is usually not appealing to me.
Final Boarding Call
I do not consider this to be a Stupid Tip of the Day because it is not so obvious — not to mention that fares and rates can be unpredictable during holidays — but it is something to keep in mind…
…and as much as I enjoy holidays such as Thanksgiving, celebrating it on that day is no big deal for me. Holidays are basically special days which are created by human beings; so I tend to not focus on their importance on those specific days. I would be happy celebrating Thanksgiving several days out of the year and not necessarily on Thanksgiving Day when I can travel.
I apparently am not the only person who feels this way. Kyle Stewart has a similar but somewhat different take in this article about why he celebrates Thanksgiving abroad which he wrote for Live and Let’s Fly.
To summarize, the reasons to travel during a holiday — which can be celebrated later or earlier — are but not always:
- The days off from work are already built in and do not subtract from the total of days taken off otherwise
- Additional days off can be taken either before or after the holiday — or both — and may be easier to do so than at other times of the year
- Travel is likely to be less crowded with fewer people on the holiday itself because many people have already arrived at their destinations during previous days
- A reduced amount of money or points and miles may occur when actually traveling on the holiday itself
If celebrating a holiday — or a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion — does not mean for it to be on the date itself and you love to travel, consider traveling during a holiday for the aforementioned reasons.
Photograph ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
