Hospital workers, firefighters, paramedics, police... these are the people out working on Christmas Eve; maybe this is the story behind the parents of these kiddies. Single parents, especially, may not have much choice.

Thread creep: if you ever encounter any of the above on a holiday such as Christmas, please thank them and be extra gracious. I'm sure they'd rather all be home with their families. I worked Christmas Day three years in a row during my residency, and the extra appreciation made a big difference.