In Utah, holidays alternate between parents by odd and even years, and holiday time overrides the regular weekend schedule. That one rule settles most holiday arguments before they start. The problem is that nobody remembers which year is which, what time the handoff is, or whether Halloween beats a regular Wednesday.

So every holiday turns into a text thread. "Is Thanksgiving mine this year?" "What time are you picking up?" "School gets out early that day." Each question is a chance to argue, and holidays already run high on emotion.

This guide lays out Utah's default holiday parent-time schedule, explains where the conflicts usually start, and shows how to take the guesswork out completely.

How Utah assigns holidays

Utah's minimum parent-time schedule for children ages 5 to 18 is in Utah Code 81-9-302. It moved there from the old section 30-3-35 when Utah reorganized its family law code in 2024, so older decrees may still cite 30-3-35. The holiday rules are the same.

The schedule works like this:

• Odd and even years. Each holiday is assigned to the noncustodial parent in either odd or even years. The custodial parent gets it the other years.
• Holidays win. Holiday time takes priority over regular weekend and weekday parent-time.
• A set order when holidays collide. Mother's Day or Father's Day comes first, then the child's birthday, then other holidays, then extended summer time, then the regular schedule.
• Your order controls. These are defaults. If your decree, judgment or custody order sets a different holiday schedule, or you and your co-parent agreed to one, that version applies.

Coming January 1, 2027: HB 309 changes Juneteenth parent-time to run from 7 p.m. June 18 to 7 p.m. June 20, with adjustments when Father's Day falls on June 19 or 20. Which parent gets it in which year doesn't change.

Utah holiday schedule at a glance

NCP = noncustodial parent. In 2026 (an even year), the noncustodial parent has the even-year holidays; in 2027, the odd-year ones.

Source: Utah Code 81-9-302 and the official 30-3-35 text. Check your own order first; it may differ.

Where holiday conflict actually starts

The table is clear. Real life isn't. Most holiday fights come from the same five gaps:

1. Nobody tracks the year. "I had Thanksgiving last year" is easy to say and hard to check without a calendar both parents trust.
2. School calendars move. Spring break, fall break and winter break start "the day school lets out," and that date changes every year and differs by district.
3. Holidays collide. When Halloween lands on your co-parent's Wednesday, or the birthday falls on Father's Day, someone has to know the order of priority.
4. Summer notices get missed. Extended summer time requires written notice by May 1 or May 15, depending on the year and which parent you are. Miss it, and the other parent may get to set your summer schedule.
5. One-off swaps get forgotten. A trade made by text in March is gone by November, along with the goodwill.

Each of these turns into a message, and each message is another chance for an argument.

Let your order run the holidays

Most co-parenting apps give you a shared calendar and a place to argue about it. You still read the decree, work out the year, type in every holiday and negotiate every handoff. The app just keeps the record.

Decreely works the other way around. It operationalizes your decree:

• Upload your decree, judgment or custody order. Decreely reads the parent-time and holiday provisions, including any custom schedule your order sets instead of the Utah default.
• Your holiday calendar builds itself. Every holiday lands on the right parent for the right year, with start and end times from your order and each rule linked to the paragraph it came from.
• Conflicts resolve by the rules. When a birthday overlaps a weekend or Halloween lands on a weekday visit, Decreely applies your order's priority instead of leaving it to a text exchange.
• Deadlines come to you. Summer notice dates and upcoming handoffs show up before they matter, so nobody loses time over a missed May 1.
• You decide how much runs on autopilot. Confirmations and reminders can go out automatically, or wait for your approval. Decreely never sends anything you haven't allowed.

The result: fewer questions, fewer messages and fewer chances to fight. Your divorce, on autopilot.

Join the Decreely beta and see your holiday schedule built from your own order.

Related: How to Read Your Divorce Decree, Judgment or Custody Order · Looking for an OurFamilyWizard Alternative? · Utah Medical and Child Care Expense Reimbursement Rules

Frequently asked questions

Who gets Thanksgiving in Utah in 2026?

Under the default schedule, the noncustodial parent has Thanksgiving in even years, so 2026 goes to the noncustodial parent. Your order may say otherwise.

How is winter break split in Utah?

The first half runs from 6 p.m. the day school lets out until 7 p.m. December 27. The second half runs from then until 7 p.m. the day before school resumes. The noncustodial parent gets the first half in odd years and the second half in even years.

Does a holiday override my regular weekend?

Yes. Under Utah's default schedule, holiday parent-time takes priority over regular weekend and weekday time.

What if my decree has a different holiday schedule?

Your decree, judgment or custody order controls. The statute is the default when parents haven't agreed to something else.

Is 30-3-35 still the law?

The same rules now sit in Utah Code 81-9-302 after the 2024 reorganization. Older orders that cite 30-3-35 still work.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your case, talk with a Utah family law attorney.

Sources

• Utah Code 81-9-302 (WomensLaw.org reproduction)
• Utah Code 30-3-35 (Utah Legislature)
• HB 309, Juneteenth Observance Amendments (2026)