Holden recalls the novel's events shortly before which holiday?

Holden recalls the novel's events shortly before Christmas. He narrates from a later point, looking back on a long weekend that begins after his expulsion from Pencey Preparatory School and carries him through several days in New York City.

The Christmas timing matters because Holden's absence is temporary and carefully planned. He leaves Pencey early, intending to avoid returning home until his parents have received notice of his expulsion. The holiday season also places his loneliness, family tensions, and memories of his younger sister Phoebe against a familiar backdrop of homecoming and celebration.

The story begins in 1949, although Salinger published the novel in 1951. This distinction can cause confusion: the novel's publication year is not the same as the year in which Holden's remembered events occur. Holden's retrospective narration also means the reader is hearing both the immediate weekend story and the older narrator's reflections on it.