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Putin Proposes Shortening Winter Vacation

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday proposed shortening the length of the 10-day New Year holidays and adding extra vacation days later in the year.

"I propose limiting all of these Christmas holidays until exactly Jan. 7, Christmas, and the rest of these free days can be moved to, say, May," the prime minister said, RIA-Novosti reported.

The 2011-2012 New Year holidays spanned 10 days, from Dec. 31 to Jan. 9, while the Russian labor code stipulates only Jan. 1 to 5 and Orthodox Christmas, celebrated Jan. 7, as official holidays.

Russia's other official holidays are Defender of the Fatherland Day (Feb. 23), International Women's Day (March 8), May Day (May 1), Victory Day (May 9), Russia Day (June 12), and Unity Day (Nov. 4).

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