Holiday Parenting Time Indiana: The Complete Rotation Schedule

Indiana's holiday schedule strictly overrides the regular weekly parenting time rotation. This catches many parents off guard — you don't get to "keep" your regular weekend just because a holiday falls on it. The holiday rules take priority, and the regular rotation resumes once the holiday period ends.

The Even/Odd Year System

The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines use an alternating even/odd year rotation. Each holiday is assigned to one parent in even-numbered years and switches to the other parent in odd-numbered years. Here's the full breakdown for even years (reverse everything for odd years):

Custodial parent gets:

• Thanksgiving (Wednesday 6:00 PM to Sunday 6:00 PM)
• Easter (Friday 6:00 PM to Sunday 6:00 PM)
• Spring Break (last school day 6:00 PM to day before school resumes 6:00 PM)
• Fall Break (same timing as spring break)
• Memorial Day (Friday 6:00 PM to Monday 6:00 PM)
• Labor Day (Friday 6:00 PM to Monday 6:00 PM)
• Fourth of July (July 3 at 6:00 PM to July 5 at 6:00 PM)

Non-custodial parent gets:

• Christmas first half (school dismissal to December 25 at 12:00 noon)

Custodial parent gets:

• Christmas second half (December 25 at 12:00 noon to day school resumes)

The Christmas Split

Christmas is the most frequently litigated holiday in Indiana custody cases. The IPTG splits winter break at noon on December 25. One parent gets the lead-up and Christmas morning; the other gets Christmas afternoon through New Year's. This alternates each year.

The noon exchange means both parents share some part of Christmas Day every year. If you're the parent with the first half, your child wakes up Christmas morning at your house. If you have the second half, you get Christmas dinner and the rest of break.

Days That Always Override

Three days never alternate — they belong to the same parent every single year regardless of the regular rotation:

• Mother's Day weekend: Friday 6:00 PM to Sunday 6:00 PM — always with mother
• Father's Day weekend: Friday 6:00 PM to Sunday 6:00 PM — always with father
• Parent's birthday: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (or 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on school days) — always with the celebrating parent

These overriding days take priority even over the holiday rotation. If Father's Day weekend falls during a holiday that would otherwise go to the mother, the father still gets Father's Day.

Summer Parenting Time

For children age five and older, the non-custodial parent receives one-half of summer vacation. This can be structured as:

• One continuous block (e.g., all of June and half of July)
• Split segments (e.g., three weeks in June plus three weeks in August)

Parents must provide written notice of their summer schedule preferences, typically 60 days before summer begins. If they can't agree, the IPTG default applies.

Common Holiday Disputes and How to Avoid Them

The most frequent fights happen over:

• Exact exchange times — the guidelines specify 6:00 PM for most holidays, but parents who live far apart may need adjusted times
• School-calendar ambiguity — "last day of school" can mean different things if children attend different schools
• Overlapping holidays — when a birthday or Mother's/Father's Day falls during another parent's holiday block

The solution is a detailed parenting plan that addresses these edge cases in advance. The Indiana Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a holiday rotation planner that maps every holiday exchange for the next two years.

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