Beginning and Ending Dates
The beginning and ending dates for Solstmas, as a descriptive seasonal meme, are still under development.
2016v2: Begins at 0:00 on December 14 (???) and Ends 23:59 on Jan 8 (solstmas calc 2.4) 2016: Begins at 0:00 on December 14 (???) and Ends 23:59 on Jan 6 (solstmas calc 2.3) 2015: Schlepping: Began sundown, December 6 and Ends 23:59 on Jan 6 (solstmas calc v2.2) 2014: US-T-Day Beginning. Began sundown, November 26, Ends 23:59 on Jan 5 (solstmas calc 3.0) 2013: US-T-Day Begininning. Began sundown, November 27. Ended 23:59 on Jan 5 (solstmas calc 3.0) 2012: Schlepping: Began sundown Dec 9, ended 23:59 Jan 4. 2011: Began 00:00:01 Dec 17 2011, ended 23:59 Jan 4 2010: Schlepping: Began sundown Dec 1, ended 23:59 Jan 4. Oh Solstmas. 2009: Schlepping; Began sundown Dec 12. Ended 23:59 Jan 4th 2008: Began 0:00, the morning of December 17, ending 23:59pm Jan 4. 2007: Schlepping; Began sundown Dec 5th. Ended 23:59 Jan 4th. Oy Solstmas. 2006: Schlepping. Began sundown Dec 15. Ended 23:59 Jan 4th. 2005: First year of Schlepping. Began sundown Dec 7th. Ended 23:59 Jan 4th. 2004: First year of Solstmas designation (originated mid-Solstmas, around December 26th).
Solstmas is a new holiday term and meme to replace the many problematic, half-hearted, and anemic inclusive terms for the winter holiday period between mid-December and early January when non-retail business grinds to a halt in many parts of the world.
Solstmas is currently in draft mode, you can contribute! Solstmas is scheduled for live roll-out for the 2026 Solstmas, but is currently in beta testing. Solstmas is an open-source, community-defined holiday meme designed to be inclusive of every tradition and modern celebratory or slackful practice. It is both intended as a naturalistic descriptor of the period and cultural forms including Hannukah, Solstice, Christmas, Qwanza, New Years, business world nothing done-ism, humbugging, celebratory revelry and gluttonous indulgence.
During this beta-testing period, please see the Solstmas Wiki for more details and to contribute.
Between 2013 and 2015 a schism arose among Solstmas RFC committee. The 3.0 date selection algorithm that began the day before US Thanksgiving resulted in disagreement and discord. Date algorithm has been reverted to 2.01 : start = min(EruvChanukah, Dec11) and end = max(lastDayOfChanukah, lastDayOfChristmas, ThreeKingsDay, Epiphany)
As of 2013, Solstmas in the United States has been redefined to start on the evening of the day before Thanksgiving and ending on January 4th or, if Jan 4th is on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, the first Monday following the 4th of January. The schlepp appears permanent.
After a trial run in 2014, the "starts the day before thanksgiving" rule has been flatly rejected by all voting members of the Solstmas RFC committee. A new proposal will be finalized prior to the end of January 2015. New proposals are invited. The loss of the lunar calendar connection was missed by 100% of Solstmas users reporting back as of Dec 18, 2014. Complaints included that any similar solution to the definition would tie it too closely to commerical interests. Other possible solutions to the current problem is to define a pre-solstmas period or a Solstmas Prologue.
Solstmas Calc 2.4 : If Solstmas technically ends on a Friday, it is assumed to continue through the start of workday on Monday. For weekend workers, lingering Solstmas slack is still assumed.