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They publish their meeting schedules and are meeting much more than "once a year" nowadays, where I think that reference to "December 1st" was for the 1700s era as sort of a minimum "mandatory" day assuming they don't meet the rest of the year.
The House is currently doing "every 3-day gavel in/gavel out" "Pro Forma" sessions, so they are still supposedly "in session" but are obviously thwarting any real business during those brief sessions before they recess "Subject to the Call of the Chair". The Senate has been generally meeting but with not more than a 3-day gap unless they institute their "Pro Forma" process.
In the Constitution (the clause just below that referenced one about December 1st) -
Article I
(snip)
Section 5.
(snip)
Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
(snip)
(snip)
Section 5.
(snip)
Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
(snip)
Thus the "Pro Forma" sessions.
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