Christmas is still more than a week away but Spanish parents working for the EU in Brussels are already furious about next year’s school holidays.

They’re angry because the European school system is planning to change its Christmas holiday dates for 2026-27, meaning children would have to go to class on Jan. 6, one of the biggest holidays of the year, when the Three Magic Kings (Reyes Magos) bring gifts.

The European Schools have told parents that the holidays will run from Dec. 18, 2026 to Jan. 4, 2027, meaning children will be at school on Jan. 6. The parents want the holidays to run from Dec. 23 to Jan. 6 inclusive.

But those calls have been in vain. The secretariat general that manages the European School system “has minimized the impact of the conflict, pointing out that the holiday could be addressed in the classroom as cultural content,” according to a note circulated among parents. 

The secretariat general of the European Schools did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

“These celebrations form part of our cultural and educational identity, and eliminating them sends a message of disconnection from deeply ingrained traditions with undeniable emotional value for families,” said a parent, who asked to be identified only by the initials A.J.C. 

“This decision has a direct and very negative impact on work-life balance, as it drastically reduces the actual time our children, as expatriate families, can spend in Spain, Italy or Portugal with their grandparents and relatives. It unjustifiably limits one of the few periods of the year when it is possible to strengthen these essential family bonds.”

Spanish parents have sent a letter to the country’s permanent representation to the EU asking for help, and gathered signatures from MEPs this week to send a letter to Piotr Serafin, the European commissioner for budget and public administration.

The letter, seen by POLITICO and bearing 38 signatures, asks Serafin to officially recognize “the special relevance of Three Kings Day for Spanish families” and to “adopt a solution consistent with the founding principles of cultural diversity and mutual respect between Member States.”