diff --git a/src/lib/holidayUtils.js b/src/lib/holidayUtils.js
index b73fcb3..5a0cdf7 100644
--- a/src/lib/holidayUtils.js
+++ b/src/lib/holidayUtils.js
@@ -1,6 +1,34 @@
 import Holidays from 'date-holidays';
 
-// getHolidaysForYear(countryCode: string, year: number): { date: Date, name: string }[]
+// Constants
+const MS_IN_A_DAY = 86400000;
+const MAX_GAP_LENGTH = 5;
+
+// Helper function to check if a date is a weekend
+const isWeekend = date => date.getDay() === 0 || date.getDay() === 6;
+
+// Helper function to check if two dates are the same day
+const isSameDay = (date1, date2) => 
+    date1.getFullYear() === date2.getFullYear() &&
+    date1.getMonth() === date2.getMonth() &&
+    date1.getDate() === date2.getDate();
+
+// Helper function to generate a unique key for a date
+const dateKey = date => `${date.getFullYear()}-${date.getMonth()}-${date.getDate()}`;
+
+// Helper function to check if a date is a holiday
+const isHoliday = (date, holidays) => holidays.some(h => isSameDay(h.date, date));
+
+// Helper function to check if a date is a day off
+const isDayOff = (date, allDaysOffSet) => allDaysOffSet.has(dateKey(date));
+
+// Helper function to calculate the number of days between two dates
+const daysBetween = (startDate, endDate) => Math.round((endDate - startDate) / MS_IN_A_DAY);
+
+// Helper function to format a date
+const formatDate = date => date.toLocaleDateString('en-US', { month: 'short', day: 'numeric' });
+
+// Get holidays for a specific year and country
 export function getHolidaysForYear(countryCode, year) {
     const hd = new Holidays(countryCode);
     return hd.getHolidays(year)
@@ -11,66 +39,171 @@ export function getHolidaysForYear(countryCode, year) {
         }));
 }
 
-// optimizeDaysOff(holidays: { date: Date, name: string }[], year: number, daysOff: number): Date[]
+// Optimize days off to create the longest possible chains
 export function optimizeDaysOff(holidays, year, daysOff) {
     const weekends = getWeekends(year);
-    const allDaysOff = [...holidays.map(h => h.date), ...weekends];
-    allDaysOff.sort((a, b) => a - b);
+    const allDaysOffSet = new Set([...holidays.map(h => dateKey(h.date)), ...weekends.map(d => dateKey(d))]);
 
-    const gaps = findGaps(allDaysOff, year);
-    const rankedGaps = rankGapsByEfficiency(gaps);
+    let rankedGaps = rankGapsByEfficiency(findGaps(allDaysOffSet, year), allDaysOffSet);
 
-    return selectDaysOff(rankedGaps, daysOff, allDaysOff);
+    return selectDaysOff(rankedGaps, daysOff, allDaysOffSet);
 }
 
-// calculateConsecutiveDaysOff(holidays: { date: Date, name: string }[], optimizedDaysOff: Date[], year: number): { startDate: string, endDate: string, includesHoliday: boolean, message: string }[]
+// Calculate consecutive days off
 export function calculateConsecutiveDaysOff(holidays, optimizedDaysOff, year) {
-    let consecutiveDaysOff = [];
     const allDays = [...holidays.map(h => h.date), ...optimizedDaysOff];
     allDays.sort((a, b) => a - b);
 
-    let currentGroup = [];
-    let includesHoliday = false;
+    return findConsecutiveDaysOff(allDays, holidays, optimizedDaysOff);
+}
+
+// Get all weekends for a specific year
+function getWeekends(year) {
+    const weekends = [];
+    for (let month = 0; month < 12; month++) {
+        for (let day = 1; day <= 31; day++) {
+            const date = new Date(year, month, day);
+            if (date.getMonth() !== month) break;
+            if (isWeekend(date)) weekends.push(date);
+        }
+    }
+    return weekends;
+}
+
+// Find gaps between days off
+function findGaps(allDaysOffSet, year) {
+    const gaps = [];
+    let currentGapStart = null;
 
     for (let month = 0; month < 12; month++) {
         for (let day = 1; day <= 31; day++) {
             const date = new Date(year, month, day);
             if (date.getMonth() !== month) break;
 
-            const isWeekend = date.getDay() === 0 || date.getDay() === 6;
-            const isHoliday = holidays.some(h => h.date.getTime() === date.getTime());
-            const isDayOff = optimizedDaysOff.some(d => d.getTime() === date.getTime());
+            const isDayOff = allDaysOffSet.has(dateKey(date));
 
-            if (isWeekend || isHoliday || isDayOff) {
-                currentGroup.push(date);
-                if (isHoliday) includesHoliday = true;
-            } else if (currentGroup.length > 0) {
-                if (currentGroup.some(d => optimizedDaysOff.some(od => od.getTime() === d.getTime()))) {
-                    const startDate = currentGroup[0];
-                    const endDate = currentGroup[currentGroup.length - 1];
-                    const totalDays = Math.round((endDate - startDate) / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24) + 1);
-                    const usedDaysOff = currentGroup.filter(d => optimizedDaysOff.some(od => od.getTime() === d.getTime())).length;
-                    const message = `${usedDaysOff} days off -> ${totalDays} days`;
-
-                    consecutiveDaysOff.push({
-                        startDate: formatDate(startDate),
-                        endDate: formatDate(endDate),
-                        includesHoliday,
-                        message
-                    });
+            if (!isDayOff && !isWeekend(date)) {
+                if (!currentGapStart) currentGapStart = date;
+            } else if (currentGapStart) {
+                const gapLength = daysBetween(currentGapStart, date);
+                if (gapLength > 0 && gapLength <= MAX_GAP_LENGTH) {
+                    gaps.push({ start: currentGapStart, end: new Date(date.getTime() - MS_IN_A_DAY), gapLength });
                 }
-                currentGroup = [];
-                includesHoliday = false;
+                currentGapStart = null;
             }
         }
     }
 
-    if (currentGroup.length > 0 && currentGroup.some(d => optimizedDaysOff.some(od => od.getTime() === d.getTime()))) {
+    if (currentGapStart) {
+        const lastDayOfYear = new Date(year, 11, 31);
+        const gapLength = daysBetween(currentGapStart, lastDayOfYear) + 1;
+        if (gapLength > 0 && gapLength <= MAX_GAP_LENGTH) {
+            gaps.push({ start: currentGapStart, end: lastDayOfYear, gapLength });
+        }
+    }
+
+    return gaps;
+}
+
+// Rank gaps by efficiency
+function rankGapsByEfficiency(gaps, allDaysOffSet) {
+    return gaps.map(gap => {
+        const backward = calculateChain(gap.start, gap.gapLength, allDaysOffSet, 'backward');
+        const forward = calculateChain(gap.end, gap.gapLength, allDaysOffSet, 'forward');
+
+        return forward.chainLength > backward.chainLength || (forward.chainLength === backward.chainLength && forward.usedDaysOff <= backward.usedDaysOff)
+            ? { ...gap, ...forward, fillFrom: 'end' }
+            : { ...gap, ...backward, fillFrom: 'start' };
+    }).sort((a, b) => a.gapLength - b.gapLength || b.chainLength - a.chainLength || a.usedDaysOff - b.usedDaysOff);
+}
+
+// Calculate potential chain length and days off used
+function calculateChain(startDate, gapLength, allDaysOffSet, direction) {
+    let chainLength = gapLength;
+    let usedDaysOff = 0;
+    let currentDate = new Date(startDate);
+
+    const increment = direction === 'backward' ? -1 : 1;
+    const boundaryCheck = direction === 'backward' ? -MS_IN_A_DAY : MS_IN_A_DAY;
+
+    while (allDaysOffSet.has(dateKey(new Date(currentDate.getTime() + boundaryCheck))) || isWeekend(new Date(currentDate.getTime() + boundaryCheck))) {
+        chainLength++;
+        currentDate.setDate(currentDate.getDate() + increment);
+    }
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < gapLength; i++) {
+        const potentialDayOff = new Date(startDate);
+        potentialDayOff.setDate(potentialDayOff.getDate() + (i * increment));
+        if (!allDaysOffSet.has(dateKey(potentialDayOff)) && !isWeekend(potentialDayOff)) {
+            usedDaysOff++;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return { chainLength, usedDaysOff };
+}
+
+// Select days off based on ranked gaps
+function selectDaysOff(rankedGaps, daysOff, allDaysOffSet) {
+    const selectedDays = [];
+
+    while (daysOff > 0 && rankedGaps.length > 0) {
+        const gap = rankedGaps.shift(); // Get the highest-ranked gap
+
+        // Determine the direction and starting point for filling the gap
+        const increment = gap.fillFrom === 'start' ? 1 : -1;
+        const startDate = gap.fillFrom === 'start' ? gap.start : gap.end;
+
+        for (let i = 0; i < gap.gapLength && daysOff > 0; i++) {
+            const potentialDayOff = new Date(startDate);
+            potentialDayOff.setDate(potentialDayOff.getDate() + (i * increment));
+
+            if (!allDaysOffSet.has(dateKey(potentialDayOff)) && !isWeekend(potentialDayOff)) {
+                selectedDays.push(potentialDayOff);
+                allDaysOffSet.add(dateKey(potentialDayOff));
+                daysOff--;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Recalculate gaps and re-rank them after each assignment
+        const newGaps = findGaps(allDaysOffSet, new Date().getFullYear());
+        rankedGaps = rankGapsByEfficiency(newGaps, allDaysOffSet);
+    }
+
+    return selectedDays;
+}
+
+// Find consecutive days off
+function findConsecutiveDaysOff(allDays, holidays, optimizedDaysOff) {
+    let consecutiveDaysOff = [];
+    let currentGroup = [];
+    let includesHoliday = false;
+
+    allDays.forEach(date => {
+        if (isWeekend(date) || isHoliday(date, holidays) || isDayOff(date, new Set(optimizedDaysOff.map(d => dateKey(d))))) {
+            currentGroup.push(date);
+            if (isHoliday(date, holidays)) includesHoliday = true;
+        } else if (currentGroup.length > 0) {
+            addConsecutiveDaysOff(consecutiveDaysOff, currentGroup, optimizedDaysOff, includesHoliday);
+            currentGroup = [];
+            includesHoliday = false;
+        }
+    });
+
+    if (currentGroup.length > 0) {
+        addConsecutiveDaysOff(consecutiveDaysOff, currentGroup, optimizedDaysOff, includesHoliday);
+    }
+
+    return consecutiveDaysOff;
+}
+
+// Add consecutive days off to the list
+function addConsecutiveDaysOff(consecutiveDaysOff, currentGroup, optimizedDaysOff, includesHoliday) {
+    if (currentGroup.some(d => isDayOff(d, new Set(optimizedDaysOff.map(d => dateKey(d)))))) {
         const startDate = currentGroup[0];
         const endDate = currentGroup[currentGroup.length - 1];
-        const totalDays = Math.round((endDate - startDate) / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24) + 1);
-        const usedDaysOff = currentGroup.filter(d => optimizedDaysOff.some(od => od.getTime() === d.getTime())).length;
-        const message = `${usedDaysOff} day off turns into ${totalDays} days off`;
+        const totalDays = daysBetween(startDate, endDate) + 1;
+        const usedDaysOff = currentGroup.filter(d => isDayOff(d, new Set(optimizedDaysOff.map(d => dateKey(d))))).length;
+        const message = `${usedDaysOff} days off -> ${totalDays} days`;
 
         consecutiveDaysOff.push({
             startDate: formatDate(startDate),
@@ -79,65 +212,4 @@ export function calculateConsecutiveDaysOff(holidays, optimizedDaysOff, year) {
             message
         });
     }
-
-    return consecutiveDaysOff;
-}
-
-function getWeekends(year) {
-    const weekends = [];
-    for (let month = 0; month < 12; month++) {
-        for (let day = 1; day <= 31; day++) {
-            const date = new Date(year, month, day);
-            if (date.getMonth() !== month) break;
-            if (date.getDay() === 0 || date.getDay() === 6) {
-                weekends.push(date);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    return weekends;
-}
-
-function findGaps(allDaysOff, year) {
-    const gaps = [];
-    for (let i = 0; i < allDaysOff.length - 1; i++) {
-        const start = allDaysOff[i];
-        const end = allDaysOff[i + 1];
-        const gapLength = (end - start) / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24) - 1;
-        if (gapLength > 0 && gapLength <= 4) {
-            gaps.push({ start, end, gapLength });
-        }
-    }
-    return gaps;
-}
-
-function rankGapsByEfficiency(gaps) {
-    return gaps.map(gap => {
-        const potentialChainLength = gap.gapLength + 2; // including weekends/holidays
-        const efficiency = potentialChainLength / gap.gapLength;
-        return { ...gap, potentialChainLength, efficiency };
-    }).sort((a, b) => b.efficiency - a.efficiency);
-}
-
-function selectDaysOff(rankedGaps, daysOff, allDaysOff) {
-    const selectedDays = [];
-    const allDaysOffSet = new Set(allDaysOff.map(date => date.getTime()));
-
-    for (const gap of rankedGaps) {
-        for (let i = 1; i <= gap.gapLength && daysOff > 0; i++) {
-            const potentialDayOff = new Date(gap.start);
-            potentialDayOff.setDate(potentialDayOff.getDate() + i);
-
-            // Ensure the day is not a weekend or holiday
-            if (!allDaysOffSet.has(potentialDayOff.getTime()) && potentialDayOff.getDay() !== 0 && potentialDayOff.getDay() !== 6) {
-                selectedDays.push(potentialDayOff);
-                daysOff--;
-            }
-        }
-        if (daysOff <= 0) break;
-    }
-    return selectedDays;
-}
-
-function formatDate(date) {
-    return date.toLocaleDateString('en-US', { month: 'short', day: 'numeric' });
 }
\ No newline at end of file