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This post is going to try and explain the 'how' of weekend workday make-up days in China, but I dare not try and get into the 'why' because we know that question leads nowhere. In short, you don't ask 'why' about anything to do with China. You just don't.
The Chinese government recently published this information about the holiday schedule for 2013. There's a possibility this information can't be accessed from the newspaper (you need to be a subscriber) so will post it here instead:
So the 'working days' mentioned are in fact on weekends. The idea is that depending on when the public holiday falls, a Saturday or Sunday (or in rare cases, both days, as in this weekend) are used as make-up holidays. These make-up days can be either before or after the holiday, depending on a variety of factors.
What usually happens is this information is released a month or two beforehand, but the Chinese government has recently begun to post the information a year in advance, as people complained about the inability to make plans.
Right now, it is a rare case of working 8 days in a row, starting Fri Jan 4, then Jan 5 (Sat) and Jan 6 (Sun), followed by the next week. This is to make up for the Jan 1-3 New Year Holiday, of which we also had to work on Dec 31
Of all my 11 years in China, this is by far the worst particular holiday make-up arrangement there has ever been. The Chinese public is generally quite pissed off about it. Somehow or other, we'll survive these 8 days in a row. So far 2 down, 6 to go.
This post is going to try and explain the 'how' of weekend workday make-up days in China, but I dare not try and get into the 'why' because we know that question leads nowhere. In short, you don't ask 'why' about anything to do with China. You just don't.
The Chinese government recently published this information about the holiday schedule for 2013. There's a possibility this information can't be accessed from the newspaper (you need to be a subscriber) so will post it here instead:
2013 holiday schedule
New Year's Day: January 1-3 with January 5 and 6 working days.
Spring Festival: February 9-15, with February 16 and 17 working days.
Qingming Festival: April 4-6 with April 7 working day.
Labor Day: April 29 to May 1 with April 27 and 28 working days.
Dragon Boat Festival: June 10-12, with June 8 and 9 working days.
Mid-Autumn Festival: September 19-21, with September 22 working day.
National Day: October 1-7, with September 29 and October 12 working days.
New Year's Day: January 1-3 with January 5 and 6 working days.
Spring Festival: February 9-15, with February 16 and 17 working days.
Qingming Festival: April 4-6 with April 7 working day.
Labor Day: April 29 to May 1 with April 27 and 28 working days.
Dragon Boat Festival: June 10-12, with June 8 and 9 working days.
Mid-Autumn Festival: September 19-21, with September 22 working day.
National Day: October 1-7, with September 29 and October 12 working days.
So the 'working days' mentioned are in fact on weekends. The idea is that depending on when the public holiday falls, a Saturday or Sunday (or in rare cases, both days, as in this weekend) are used as make-up holidays. These make-up days can be either before or after the holiday, depending on a variety of factors.
What usually happens is this information is released a month or two beforehand, but the Chinese government has recently begun to post the information a year in advance, as people complained about the inability to make plans.
Right now, it is a rare case of working 8 days in a row, starting Fri Jan 4, then Jan 5 (Sat) and Jan 6 (Sun), followed by the next week. This is to make up for the Jan 1-3 New Year Holiday, of which we also had to work on Dec 31
Of all my 11 years in China, this is by far the worst particular holiday make-up arrangement there has ever been. The Chinese public is generally quite pissed off about it. Somehow or other, we'll survive these 8 days in a row. So far 2 down, 6 to go.
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