Most teams I've seen have at least one person willing to bite the bullet voluntarily. Perhaps they don't celebrate Christmas, or they want to do a favor to thei

Most teams I've seen have at least one person willing to bite the bullet voluntarily. Perhaps they don't celebrate Christmas, or they want to do a favor to their team, or they'd prefer to take vacation at a different time. I have volunteered to be on call during Christmas in the past specifically because it is Christmas: other than rare events like this, it's the quietest time of the year. I get a relaxed week of work while everyone else is out, and can then use my vacation on a normal workweek instead. Some managers also give makeup vacation time for people who go on call during the holidays.