Many firefighters across the world don’t have the luxury of being able to take the day off on Christmas Eve & Day. So how do they manage this? Well, there are many different things they do to still enjoy the holiday.

Obviously, the first thing firefighters want to do on Christmas is to see their families and there are many ways that this can happen. Some firefighters can manage opening presents with their family and working all on the same day. Some other firefighters who have older kids or no kids at all will often cover shifts for a couple of hours so those who have younger kids can enjoy Christmas morning with their families. 

Firefighters can also have special Christmas festivities that help them enjoy the holiday more when they are away from home. Some firefighters have special Christmas festivities that they do when they can’t be at home on Christmas. Some will have their families over at the station for dinner and just enjoy their time together. 

Some question if this affects firefighters’ family dynamics. Portland Firefighter Chris Fukai says that “it does affect it” but “not in a bad way”. He explains that he and his family were still together and that they “didn’t miss out on anything” and that they “just had to maneuver around it a bit”.

At first glance, this dynamic seems like it could harm families dynamics, but in the end, it all works out. The Portland firefighters show that even though Christmas might not come as easy for them, that doesn’t mean that they can’t still enjoy it. 

The Christmas Spirit is very strong and it shows that just because your first plans don’t work out, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the day. All you need to do is make sure you surround yourself with those who make you happy and you can enjoy the holiday.