My job and PTO

So the rule for the company I work for is you can place PTO requests 4 months in advance (it's used to be 6 and they changed it). So I go in to place my ticket to have xmas eve off, it keeps getting denied. I reach out to my boss and they said "there is a new rule and they have to individually go through PTO requests for weekends and before/after holidays and decide if that person can have off due to business needs. So because the company is busy (they need to hire more people) they just aren't going to let us take off, so now PTO hours are just going to be unused since they are being like this. Sorry I just needed to rant. It seems like they just make up rules as they go. It just frustrating because the company being busy is beyond the employees control. But I'm an adult and will work xmas eve if I can't have off.

**I just want to add that this is not a retail job.