Now that Christmas and New Year has passed, it's back to business for everyone -- students and professionals alike. Was the holiday vacation long enough? This has been a concern of debate among teachers, parents, employers and anyone whose responsibility is to implement school and company policies. Below are the implications of having a long break or a short one.

Having a long holiday is favorable because this is an opportunity for families to travel on a vacation or to visit relatives who live in another city. Students and employees can take this time to pursue their hobbies and, as a result, improve their creativity. This is a chance for them to learn a new language or develop a new skill. An extended vacation also allows for activities, traditions and programs that would not have been possible if the holiday was shorter.

The downside of having a long holiday is that people tend to forget what they learned in school or forget how to do tasks in the office. Some skills require repetition and not being able to practice these skills during the break might lead to skill performance issues once the vacation is over.

Having short holidays allows the students and workers to get back on track and not lose momentum. Not having a long break is financially sound as well since parents will no longer need to spend more just to keep their kids preoccupied during vacations. Workers also won't have to spend too much on recreational activities since there won't be enough time to pursue them.

The disadvantage of having a short holiday is that people require a longer period of rest in order for the mind and body to recuperate. It also limits the person's opportunity to travel to loved ones from far away, develop a skill and other experiences that can only be made available if the holiday was long enough. There is also less time for infrastructure maintenance and other similar developments if school holidays and company vacations are too short.