The State Council finalized the arrangements for next year's weeklong holidays on Monday:

The New Year holiday will run from January 1 through 3. As the New Year falls on Saturday, most people will have Monday off work.

Spring Festival will be from February 9 to 15. People will have to work the previous weekend, February 5 and 6, to have the weeklong break.

The Labor Day holiday will run from May 1 to 7. People will need to work on April 30, a Saturday, and business will resume on May 8, a Sunday.

For next year's National Day, people will be off from October 1 to 7, followed by work on the weekend of October 8 and 9, giving them a seven-day working week.

(Eastday.com December 21, 2004)