With a brief note on the iOS developer center, Apple informed developers that iTunes Connect won’t be available starting December 23rd through the 28th:
iTunes Connect will be temporarily unavailable from Thursday, December 23 through Tuesday, December 28 for the winter holidays. iTunes Connect access will be back online for use on December 29. If you choose to set an available date for your app to go live during the scheduled holiday shutdown, your app will not go live on the App Store until iTunes Connect resumes for business on December 29. Please plan your releases accordingly.
Previous rumors reported that Apple was planning an additional “lockdown” for the Thanksgiving week. Nope, that won’t happen. Developers, get your apps ready before Christmas.