Michigan · Holiday Parenting Time · Updated August 2026
Every November, family law phones start ringing with the same question. The answer surprises most parents: Michigan has no statewide holiday schedule, and Oakland County publishes no county default at all — your judgment controls the holidays entirely. Here's how holiday parenting time actually works, what typical orders provide, and what to do when a holiday is withheld.
The Oakland County reality
Some Michigan counties publish Friend of the Court parenting time guidelines with default holiday schedules — Macomb's guideline alternates holidays and school breaks, and other counties publish schedules down to the hour. Oakland County does not publish a county parenting time guideline. The statewide Michigan Parenting Time Guideline exists as a drafting reference, but it is not a binding schedule.
The typical structure
Most well-drafted Michigan judgments alternate major holidays by odd and even years, define exact start and end times, and state that holiday time takes priority over the regular schedule. The table below shows a common structure — as an illustration of typical drafting, not a default that applies to any case.
| Holiday | Odd years | Even years | Typical period |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Eve / Day | Parent A | Parent B | Dec 30, 6 pm – Jan 1, 9 pm |
| Easter / spring holiday | Parent B | Parent A | 9 am – 7 pm |
| Memorial Day weekend | Parent A | Parent B | Fri 6 pm – Mon 7 pm |
| Fourth of July | Parent B | Parent A | Jul 3, 6 pm – Jul 5, 9 am |
| Labor Day weekend | Parent B | Parent A | Fri 6 pm – Mon 7 pm |
| Halloween | Parent A | Parent B | 4 pm – 8 pm |
| Thanksgiving | Parent A | Parent B | Wed 6 pm – Fri 9 am |
| Christmas Eve | Parent A | Parent B | Dec 23, 6 pm – Dec 24, 9 pm |
| Christmas Day | Parent B | Parent A | Dec 24, 9 pm – Dec 26, 9 am |
| Winter break (balance) | Divided equally | Per the order's split | |
| Spring break | Parent A | Parent B | Full break, alternating |
| Mother's Day | Mother — every year | 9 am – 7 pm | |
| Father's Day | Father — every year | 9 am – 7 pm | |
| Child's birthday | Parent A | Parent B | Varies; some orders share the day |
| Summer parenting time | Each parent | Often 2–4 uninterrupted weeks with advance written notice | |
1. Holiday time beats the regular schedule. Nearly all orders say holiday and break provisions take priority — if Christmas falls on the other parent's regular weekend, the Christmas parent still gets Christmas, and the rotation resumes without makeup time unless the order says otherwise.
2. Mother's Day and Father's Day don't alternate. Almost universally, each parent has their own day every year, overriding everything else.
3. The Christmas Eve / Christmas Day split is the workhorse. Splitting the two and swapping annually gives each parent a Christmas morning every other year — and precise transfer times (9 pm vs. "evening") are what prevent the annual argument.
4. Silence is the enemy. Halloween, birthdays, three-day school weekends, Eid, Diwali, and other religious holidays only exist in your schedule if your order names them. Whatever matters to your family belongs in the judgment, with times.
When it goes wrong
Holiday withholding is the most common parenting time violation of the year — and the most emotionally loaded. What you do in the first hour determines whether you have an enforceable record or just a bad memory.
Whether you're drafting a new parenting time order, fixing a vague one, or enforcing a holiday that was withheld — we handle these matters in the Oakland County Family Division every week. Don't spend another December negotiating from a weak order.
Call 248-996-9954 Schedule online ↗