diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/misc.dm b/code/__DEFINES/misc.dm
index eb76a68ef19..60a0f565f24 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/misc.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/misc.dm
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@
 #define NOVEMBER	11
 #define DECEMBER	12
 
+//Select holiday names -- If you test for a holiday in the code, make the holiday's name a define and test for that instead
+#define NEW_YEAR				"New Year"
+#define VALENTINES				"Valentine's Day"
+#define APRIL_FOOLS				"April Fool's Day"
+#define EASTER					"Easter"
+#define HALLOWEEN				"Halloween"
+#define CHRISTMAS				"Christmas"
+#define FRIDAY_13TH				"Friday the 13th"
+
 //Human Overlays Indexes/////////
 #define SPECIES_LAYER			26		// mutantrace colors... these are on a seperate layer in order to prvent
 #define BODY_BEHIND_LAYER		25
diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/events.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/events.dm
index 1beb4c4e5e0..929d2078bb2 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/events.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/events.dm
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ var/datum/subsystem/events/SSevent
 		if(E.occurrences >= E.max_occurrences)	continue
 		if(E.earliest_start >= world.time)		continue
 		if(E.holidayID)
-			if(!holidays[E.holidayID])			continue
+			if(!holidays || !holidays[E.holidayID])			continue
 		if(E.weight < 0)						//for round-start events etc.
 			if(E.runEvent() == PROCESS_KILL)
 				E.max_occurrences = 0
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ var/datum/subsystem/events/SSevent
 		if(E.occurrences >= E.max_occurrences)	continue
 		if(E.earliest_start >= world.time)		continue
 		if(E.holidayID)
-			if(!holidays[E.holidayID])			continue
+			if(!holidays || !holidays[E.holidayID])			continue
 		sum_of_weights -= E.weight
 
 		if(sum_of_weights <= 0)				//we've hit our goal
diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
index b95467bc9b7..040232d7baa 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ var/datum/subsystem/ticker/ticker
 	NEW_SS_GLOBAL(ticker)
 
 	login_music = pickweight(list('sound/ambience/title2.ogg' = 49, 'sound/ambience/title1.ogg' = 49, 'sound/ambience/clown.ogg' = 2)) // choose title music!
-	if(SSevent.holidays["April Fool's Day"])
+	if(SSevent.holidays && SSevent.holidays[APRIL_FOOLS])
 		login_music = 'sound/ambience/clown.ogg'
 
 /datum/subsystem/ticker/Initialize()
diff --git a/code/modules/admin/verbs/playsound.dm b/code/modules/admin/verbs/playsound.dm
index 58a3dc0607e..22f77f0e643 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/verbs/playsound.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/verbs/playsound.dm
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ var/sound/admin_sound
 	log_admin("[key_name(src)] played sound [S]")
 	message_admins("[key_name_admin(src)] played sound [S]")
 
-	if(SSevent.holidays["April Fool's Day"])
+	if(SSevent.holidays && SSevent.holidays[APRIL_FOOLS])
 		admin_sound.frequency = pick(0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0, 2.5)
 		src << "You feel the Honkmother messing with your song..."
 
diff --git a/code/modules/events/event.dm b/code/modules/events/event.dm
index 172a562905b..e55c3203f4c 100644
--- a/code/modules/events/event.dm
+++ b/code/modules/events/event.dm
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	var/max_occurrences = 20		//The maximum number of times this event can occur (naturally), it can still be forced.
 								//By setting this to 0 you can effectively disable an event.
 
-	var/holidayID				//string which should match the events.holiday variable if you wish this event to be holiday-specific
+	var/holidayID = ""			//string which should be in the SSevents.holidays list if you wish this event to be holiday-specific
 								//anything with a (non-null) holidayID which does not match holiday, cannot run.
 	var/wizardevent = 0
 
diff --git a/code/modules/events/holiday/friday13th.dm b/code/modules/events/holiday/friday13th.dm
index a227cb6f611..e1a393fb867 100644
--- a/code/modules/events/holiday/friday13th.dm
+++ b/code/modules/events/holiday/friday13th.dm
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 /datum/round_event_control/fridaythethirteen
 	name = "Friday the 13th"
-	holidayID = "Friday the 13th"
+	holidayID = FRIDAY_13TH
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/fridaythethirteen
 	weight = -1
 	max_occurrences = 1
diff --git a/code/modules/events/holiday/halloween.dm b/code/modules/events/holiday/halloween.dm
index d08eebb919e..8c3536444de 100644
--- a/code/modules/events/holiday/halloween.dm
+++ b/code/modules/events/holiday/halloween.dm
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /datum/round_event_control/spooky
 	name = "2 SPOOKY! (Halloween)"
-	holidayID = "Halloween"
+	holidayID = HALLOWEEN
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/spooky
 	weight = -1							//forces it to be called, regardless of weight
 	max_occurrences = 1
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 /datum/round_event_control/carp_migration/eyeballs
 	name = "Eyeball Migration"
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/carp_migration/eyeballs
-	holidayID = "Halloween"
+	holidayID = HALLOWEEN
 	weight = 25
 	earliest_start = 0
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 /datum/round_event_control/meteor_wave/spooky
 	name = "Pumpkin Wave"
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/meteor_wave/spooky
-	holidayID = "Halloween"
+	holidayID = HALLOWEEN
 	weight = 20
 	max_occurrences = 2
 
diff --git a/code/modules/events/holiday/xmas.dm b/code/modules/events/holiday/xmas.dm
index f7f3d202206..eacc8eacaba 100644
--- a/code/modules/events/holiday/xmas.dm
+++ b/code/modules/events/holiday/xmas.dm
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /datum/round_event_control/treevenge
 	name = "Treevenge (Christmas)"
-	holidayID = "Xmas"
+	holidayID = CHRISTMAS
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/treevenge
 	max_occurrences = 1
 	weight = 20
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 //this is an example of a possible round-start event
 /datum/round_event_control/presents
 	name = "Presents under Trees (Christmas)"
-	holidayID = "Xmas"
+	holidayID = CHRISTMAS
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/presents
 	weight = -1							//forces it to be called, regardless of weight
 	max_occurrences = 1
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 
 /datum/round_event_control/santa
 	name = "Santa is coming to town! (Christmas)"
-	holidayID = "Xmas"
+	holidayID = CHRISTMAS
 	typepath = /datum/round_event/santa
 	weight = 150
 	max_occurrences = 1
diff --git a/code/modules/holiday/holidays.dm b/code/modules/holiday/holidays.dm
index 99c624df84d..50190ce4e67 100644
--- a/code/modules/holiday/holidays.dm
+++ b/code/modules/holiday/holidays.dm
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 // The actual holidays
 
 /datum/holiday/new_year
-	name = "New Year"
+	name = NEW_YEAR
 	begin_day = 30 // 1 day early
 	begin_month = DECEMBER
 	end_day = 5 //4 days extra
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@
 	begin_day = 2
 	begin_month = FEBRUARY
 
-/datum/holiday/velentines
-	name = "Velentine's Day"
+/datum/holiday/valentines
+	name = VALENTINES
 	begin_day = 9 //6 days early
 	begin_month = FEBRUARY
 	end_day = 15 //1 day extra
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 	begin_month = MARCH
 
 /datum/holiday/april_fools
-	name = "April Fool's Day"
+	name = APRIL_FOOLS
 	begin_day = 1
 	begin_month = APRIL
 	end_day = 8 //7 days extra so everyone can enjoy the festivities
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
 	begin_month = OCTOBER
 
 /datum/holiday/halloween
-	name = "Halloween"
+	name = HALLOWEEN
 	begin_day = 24 //7 days early
 	begin_month = OCTOBER
 	end_day = 7 //7 days extra
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
 	begin_month = DECEMBER
 
 /datum/holiday/xmas
-	name = "Christmas"
+	name = CHRISTMAS
 	begin_day = 18 //7 days early
 	begin_month = DECEMBER
 	end_day = 8 //14 days extra, christmas is important
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
 	return pick("Mike","Friday","Evil","Myers","Murder","Deathly","Stabby")
 
 /datum/holiday/easter
-	name = "Easter"
+	name = EASTER
 	var/const/days_early = 1 //to make editing the holiday easier
 	var/const/days_extra = 6
 
diff --git a/code/modules/paperwork/paper.dm b/code/modules/paperwork/paper.dm
index 5a1e1c07e12..cf006b775cc 100644
--- a/code/modules/paperwork/paper.dm
+++ b/code/modules/paperwork/paper.dm
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 
 /obj/item/weapon/paper/attack_self(mob/user)
 	user.examinate(src)
-	if(rigged && (SSevent.holidays["April Fool's Day"]))
+	if(rigged && (SSevent.holidays && SSevent.holidays[APRIL_FOOLS]))
 		if(spam_flag == 0)
 			spam_flag = 1
 			playsound(loc, 'sound/items/bikehorn.ogg', 50, 1)
diff --git a/code/modules/paperwork/paperbin.dm b/code/modules/paperwork/paperbin.dm
index 4ca90ad8e57..a26c0497223 100644
--- a/code/modules/paperwork/paperbin.dm
+++ b/code/modules/paperwork/paperbin.dm
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 			papers.Remove(P)
 		else
 			P = new /obj/item/weapon/paper
-			if(SSevent.holidays["April Fool's Day"])
+			if(SSevent.holidays && SSevent.holidays[APRIL_FOOLS])
 				if(prob(30))
 					P.info = "<font face=\"[CRAYON_FONT]\" color=\"red\"><b>HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK<br>HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK<br>APRIL FOOLS</b></font>"
 					P.rigged = 1