Where I grew up if your pipe bursts on Christmas you better hope you can find a Jewish or otherwise non-Christian (cultural or religious) plumber that’s only charging mild holiday markups, because the Christian plumbers ain’t gonna be so charitable (but you can probably get one to come out).

It’s emergency workers only. So yeah you’ve got medical professionals in the ER, folks keeping the water running, and some tradespeople will leave their phone on just in case they get the opportunity to make a very high hourly wage, as well as owner operated businesses that don’t feel like taking the day off (hence the old stereotypes of Jewish people getting Chinese food and watching a movie on Christmas). If it’s not an emergency you’re better off not even checking if anyone’s working.

And I agree that that’s what labor day should be like. In fact, we should have a handful of holidays like that.