Holiday: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Festive day set aside by custom or by law}} |
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{{about|days of observance|a leave of absence or a trip|Vacation|leave from employment|Annual leave|other uses|Holiday (disambiguation)}} |
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{{About|days of observance|a leave of absence or a trip|Vacation|leave from employment|Annual leave|the holidays|Christmas and holiday season |
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{{redirect|Observance}} |
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|other uses|Holiday (disambiguation)|and|Observance (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Refimprove|date=July 2008}} |
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{{Multiple image|total_width = 440|perrow=2 |
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A '''holiday''' is a day set aside by custom or by law in which normal activities, especially business or work, is to suspended or reduced. Generally holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate something of cultural or religious significance. Holidays may be designated by governments, religious institutions, or other groups or organizations. The degree to which normal activities are reduced by a holiday may depend on local laws, customs, or even personal choices. |
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|image1 = Lathmar Holi 2022 in Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh (edited).jpg |
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|link1 = Holi |
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|image2 = Champs-Elysees Bastille Day 2013 Paris t090858.jpg |
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|link2 = Bastille Day |
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|image3 = School Children On a Mission.jpg |
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|link3 = International Women's Day |
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|image4 = Eid Mubarak 2012 (7877275396).jpg |
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|link4 = Eid al-Fitr |
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|image5 = Nativity in Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil.jpg |
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|link5 = Christmas |
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|image6 = Nowruz bonfire.jpg |
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|link6 = Nowruz |
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|footer = Clockwise from top left: {{hlist|[[Holi]] gathering in India|[[Bastille Day]] military parade in France|[[Eid al-Fitr]] meal in Malaysia|[[Nowruz]] bonfire in Azerbaijan|[[Christmas]] decorations in Brazil|[[International Women's Day]] demonstration in Malawi}} |
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}} |
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A '''holiday''' is a [[day]] or other period of time set aside for [[festivals]] or [[recreation]]. ''[[Public holiday]]s'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often also observed as public holidays in religious majority countries. Some religious holidays, such as [[Christmas]], have become [[Secularization|secularised]] by part or all of those who observe them. In addition to secularisation, many holidays have become commercialised due to the growth of industry.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Schmidt |first=Leigh Eric |date=1991 |title=The Commercialization of the Calendar: American Holidays and the Culture of Consumption, 1870-1930 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2078795 |journal=The Journal of American History |volume=78 |issue=3 |pages=887–916 |doi=10.2307/2078795 |jstor=2078795 |issn=0021-8723}}</ref> |
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Holidays can be thematic, celebrating or commemorating particular groups, events, or ideas, or non-thematic, days of rest that do not have any particular meaning. In [[English in the Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth English]], the term can refer to any period of rest from work, such as [[vacation]]s or [[school holidays]]. In [[American English]], "the holidays" typically refers to the period from [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] to [[New Year's Eve|New Year's]] (late November to January 1), which contains many important holidays in American culture. |
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The concept of holidays has most often originated as religious observances. The intention of a holiday was typically to allow individuals to tend to religious duties associated important dates on the calendar. In most modern societies, however, holidays serve as much of a recreational function as anything else. |
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==Terminology== |
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In many societies there are important distinctions between holidays designated by governments and holidays designated by religious institutions. In many predominantly Christian nations, for example, government-designed holidays may center around Christian holidays though non-Christians may instead observe religious holidays associated with their faith. In some cases, a holiday may only be nominally observed. For example, many Jews in the Americas and Europe treat the relatively minor Jewish holiday of [[Chanukah]] as a ''working holiday'', changing very little of their daily routines for this day. |
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The word ''holiday'' comes from the [[Old English]] word ''hāligdæg'' (''hālig'' "[[holy]]" + ''dæg'' "[[day]]").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://etymonline.com/?term=holiday|title=holiday – Origin and meaning of holiday |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=20 February 2018}}</ref> The word originally referred only to special religious days. |
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==Etymology== |
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The word ''holiday'' derived from the notion of "Holy Day". |
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The word ''holiday'' has differing connotations in different regions. In the [[United States]], the word is used exclusively to refer to the nationally, religiously, or culturally observed day(s) of rest or celebration or the events themselves, whereas in the [[United Kingdom]] and other [[Commonwealth nations]], the word may refer to the period of time where leave from one's duties has been agreed upon and is used as a synonym for the US preferred ''[[vacation]]''. This time is usually set aside for rest, travel, or participation in recreational activities, with entire industries targeted to coincide with or enhance these experiences. The days of leave may not coincide with any specific customs or laws. Employers and educational institutes may designate 'holidays' themselves, which may or may not overlap nationally or culturally relevant dates, which again comes under this connotation, but it is the first implication detailed that this article is concerned with. Modern use varies geographically. In North America, it means any dedicated day or period of celebration. In the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, ''holiday'' is often used instead of the word ''vacation''. |
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The word ''holiday'' comes from the [[Old English]] word ''hāligdæg''. The word originally referred only to special religious days. In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work or school. |
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==Global holidays==<!-- This section is intended as information about secular holidays celebrated on a global scale by people of multiple ethnic or religious backgrounds, or holidays with similar characteristics in different cultures. Christmas is included as a mostly secular holiday. For global religious holidays, look to the religious section below. --> |
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==Types of holiday (observance)== |
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{{Main|Lists of holidays}} |
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The celebration of the New Year has been a common holiday across cultures for at least four millennia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Year's |url=https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years |date=February 16, 2010 |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref> Such holidays normally celebrate the last day of a year and the arrival of the next year in a calendar system. In modern cultures using the Gregorian calendar, the New Year's celebration spans [[New Year's Eve]] on 31 December and [[New Year's Day]] on 1 January. However, other calendar systems also have New Year's celebration, such as [[Chinese New Year]] and [[Tết|Vietnamese Tet]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crump |first=William D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDTfCwAAQBAJ&q=global+holidays |title=Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9545-0 |language=en}}</ref> New Year's Day is the most common public holiday, observed by all countries using the Gregorian calendar except [[Israel]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Year's Day around the world in 2023 |url=https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/international-new-years-day |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=Office Holidays |language=en}}</ref> |
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===Religious holidays=== |
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{{Category see also|Religious holidays}} |
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[[Christmas]] is a popular holiday globally due to the [[spread of Christianity]]. The holiday is recognised as a [[Observance of Christmas by country|public holiday]] in many countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Australasia and is celebrated by over 2 billion people.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-19 |title=Christmas Day around the world |url=https://blog.officeholidays.com/christmas/christmas-day-around-the-world/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=Office Holidays Blog |language=en-GB}}</ref> Although a holiday with religious origins, Christmas is often celebrated by non-Christians as a secular holiday. For example, 61% of British people celebrate Christmas in an entirely secular way.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=How Britons celebrate Christmas and Easter {{!}} YouGov |url=https://yougov.co.uk/topics/society/articles-reports/2020/12/29/how-britons-celebrate-christmas-and-easter |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=yougov.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> Christmas has also become a tradition in some non-Christian countries. For many [[Japanese people]], it has become customary to buy and eat [[fried chicken]] on Christmas.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Kate Springer |title=How KFC became a Christmas tradition in Japan |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kfc-christmas-tradition-japan/index.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=CNN |date=24 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barton |first=Eric |title=Why Japan celebrates Christmas with KFC |url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20161216-why-japan-celebrates-christmas-with-kfc |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en}}</ref> |
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Many holidays are linked to [[faith]]s and [[religion]]s (see etymology above). [[Christian]] holidays are defined as part of the [[liturgical year]], the chief ones being [[Easter]] and [[Christmas]]. The Orthodox Christian and Western-Roman Catholic [[fiesta patronal|patronal feast day or 'name day']] are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the [[Calendar of saints]]. [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] annually observe "The Passover".<ref name="Reasoning from the Scriptures">{{cite book |
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| title = Reasoning from the Scriptures |
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| publisher = Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania |
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| date = 1985, revised 1989 |
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| pages = 176–182 |
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| isbn = }}</ref> In [[Islam]], the largest [[Muslim holidays|holidays]] are [[Eid ul-Fitr]] (immediately after [[Ramadan]]) and [[Eid al-Adha]] (at the end of the [[Hajj]]). [[Hindu]]s, [[Jainism|Jains]] and [[Sikh]]s observe several holidays, one of the largest being [[Diwali]] (Festival of Light). [[Public holidays in Japan|Japanese holidays]] contain references to several different faiths and beliefs. Celtic, Norse, and [[Neopaganism|Neopagan]] holidays follow the order of the [[Wheel of the Year]]. Some are closely linked to [[Swedish festivities]]. The [[Bahá'í Faith]] observes [[Bahá'í calendar#Holy_days|holidays]] as defined by the [[Bahá'í calendar]]. Jews have two holiday seasons: the Spring Feasts of [[Pesach]] (Passover) and [[Shavuot]] (Weeks, called [[Pentecost]] in Greek); and the Fall Feasts of [[Rosh Hashanah]] (Head of the Year), [[Yom Kippur]] (Day of Atonement), [[Sukkot]] (Tabernacles), and [[Shemini Atzeret]] (Eighth Day of Assembly). |
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Recently invented holidays commemorate a range of modern social and political issues and other important topics. The United Nations publishes a list of International Days and Weeks. One such day is [[International Women's Day]] on 8 March, which celebrates women's achievements and campaigns for gender equality and women's rights.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Women's Day 2023 campaign theme: Embrace Equity |url=https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=International Women's Day |language=en}}</ref> [[Earth Day]] has been celebrated by people across the world since 1970, with 10,000 events in 2007. It is a holiday marking the dangers of environmental damage, such as [[pollution]] and the [[climate crisis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Earth Day Timeline |url=https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/earth-day-timeline |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=history.com |language=en}}</ref> |
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===Northern Hemisphere winter holidays=== |
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{{Main|Christmas and holiday season}} |
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==Common secular holidays== |
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Winter in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] features many holidays that involve [[List of winter festivals|festivals and feasts]]. The '''Christmas and holiday season''' surrounds the [[winter solstice]], [[Christmas]] and other holidays, and is celebrated by many religions and cultures. Usually, this period begins near the start of November and ends with [[New Year's Day]]. ''Holiday season'' is, somewhat, a commercial term that applies, in the US, to the period that begins with Thanksgiving and ends with New Year's Eve. Some [[Christianity|Christian]] countries consider the end of the festive season to be after the feast of [[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]]. |
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Other [[Secularity|secular]] holidays are observed regionally, nationally and across multi-country regions. The United Nations Calendar of Observances<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nations |first=United |title=List of International Days and Weeks |url=https://www.un.org/en/observances/list-days-weeks |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=United Nations |language=en}}</ref> dedicates decades to a specific topic, but also a complete year, month, week and days. Holidays dedicated to an observance such as the commemoration of the ending of [[World War II]], or the [[Shoah]], can also be part of the [[Reparations (transitional justice)|reparation]] obligation as per [[UN General Assembly Resolution 60/147]] Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 16, 2005 |title=Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RemedyAndReparation.aspx |access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> |
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Another example of a major secular holiday is the [[Lunar New Year]], which is celebrated across East Asia and South East Asia. Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given; examples include [[Arbor Day]] (originally U.S.), [[Labor Day]] (celebrated sometimes under different names and on different days in different countries), and [[Earth Day]] (22 April). |
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===National holidays=== |
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{{Main|National Day}} |
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[[Sovereign]] nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history. For example, Americans celebrate [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]], celebrating the signing of the [[Declaration of Independence]] in 1776. |
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== |
==Public holidays== |
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{{ |
{{Main|Public holidays}} |
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Several [[secular]] holidays are observed, such as [[Earth Day]] or, [[Arbor Day]], or [[Labor Day]], both [[International observance|internationally]], and across multi-country regions, often in conjunction with organizations such as the [[United Nations]]. Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given. |
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=== |
===Substitute holidays=== |
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If a holiday coincides with another holiday or a [[weekend]] day a substitute holiday may be recognised in lieu. In the United Kingdom the government website states that "If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a 'substitute' weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.", and the list of bank holidays for the year 2020 includes Monday 28 December as "[[Boxing Day]] (substitute day)", as 26 December is a Saturday.<ref name="ukbank">{{cite web |title=UK bank holidays |url=https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays |access-date=7 February 2020 |website=gov.uk}}</ref> The process of moving a holiday from a weekend day to the following Monday is known as '''Mondayisation''' in New Zealand.<ref name="smith">{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Bridget |last2=Oldfield |first2=Tim |date=3 May 2013 |title=Happy holidays: the 'Mondayisation' of public holidays |url=https://www.sbmlegal.co.nz/Publications/Article.aspx?articleId=42 |access-date=7 February 2020 |publisher=SBM Legal}}</ref> |
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{{Category see also|Unofficial observances}} |
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These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some promote a cause, others recognize historical events not officially recognized, and others are "funny" holidays celebrated with humorous intent. For example, [[Monkey Day]] celebrated on December 14, [[International Talk Like a Pirate Day]] observed on September 19, and [[Blasphemy Day]] is September 30. |
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===National days=== |
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{{See also|National day}} |
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National days are days of significance to a nation or nation state. National days are typically celebratory of a state's independence (e.g. [[Independence Day (United States)|4 July in the US]]), founding or unification (e.g. [[German Unity Day]]), the commemoration of a revolution (e.g. [[Bastille Day]] in France) or liberation (e.g. [[Liberation Day (Channel Islands)|9 May in the Channel Islands]]), or the feast day for a [[patron saint]] (e.g. [[Saint Patrick's Day|St Patrick's Day]] in Ireland) or ruler (e.g. 5 December in Thailand). Belgium's national day, on the 21st of July, commemorates the [[oath of office]] of [[Leopold I of Belgium|the first King of the Belgians]] (an uncle of the then-future [[Queen Victoria]]), i.e., so to say, the day Belgium became a kingdom by ending the initial [[interregnum]]. Every country other than Denmark and the United Kingdom observes a national day.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Max |date=26 February 2013 |title=A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries have no national day) |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/02/26/a-surprising-map-of-the-worlds-national-holidays-only-two-countries-have-no-national-day/}}</ref> In the UK, constituent countries have official or unofficial national days associated with their patron saint. A [[British National Day|British national day]] has often been proposed, such as the date of the [[Acts of Union 1707]] (1 May) or the [[King's Official Birthday]], but never adopted.<ref name="BBCBD">{{cite news |date=2007-06-05 |title=Ministers proposing 'Britain Day' |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6721239.stm |accessdate=2009-07-08}}</ref> |
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Other days of national importance exist, such as one to celebrate the country's military or [[veteran]]s. For example, Armistice Day (11 November) is recognised in World War I Allied nations (and across [[Commonwealth of Nations|the Commonwealth]]) to memoralise those lost in the World Wars. National leaders will typically attend remembrance ceremonies at national memorial sites. Maybe surprisingly, World War II Armistice Day (and victory against [[Nazism]]) day, on 8 May, is much less celebrated. |
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== Religious holidays == |
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Many holidays are linked to [[faith]]s and [[religion]]s (see etymology above). [[Christianity|Christian]] holidays are defined as part of the [[liturgical year]], the chief ones being [[Easter]] and [[Christmas]]. The Orthodox Christian and Western-Roman Catholic [[patronal feast day]] or "name day" are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the [[Calendar of saints]]. [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] annually commemorate "The Memorial of Jesus Christ's Death", but do not celebrate other holidays with any religious significance such as Easter, Christmas or New Year. This holds especially true for those holidays that have combined and absorbed rituals, overtones or practices from non-Christian beliefs into the celebration, as well as those holidays that distract from or replace the worship of Jehovah.<ref>Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. ''Reasoning from the Scriptures''. Watchtower, 1985, pp. 176–182</ref> In [[Islam]], the largest [[Islamic holidays|holidays]] are [[Eid al-Fitr]] (after [[Ramadan]]) and [[Eid al-Adha]] (at the end of the [[Hajj]]). [[Ahmadi Muslims]] additionally celebrate [[Promised Messiah Day]], [[Promised Reformer Day]], and [[Khilafat Day]], but contrary to popular belief, neither are regarded as holidays. [[Hindu]]s, [[Jainism|Jains]] and [[Sikh]]s observe several holidays, one of the largest being [[Diwali]] (Festival of Light). [[Public holidays in Japan|Japanese holidays]] as well as few Catholic holidays contain heavy references to several different faiths and beliefs. Celtic, Norse, and [[Neopaganism|Neopagan]] holidays follow the order of the [[Wheel of the Year]]. For example, Christmas ideas like decorating trees and colors (green, red, and white) have very similar ideas to modern Wicca (a modern Pagan belief) Yule which is a lesser Sabbat of the wheel of the year. Some are closely linked to [[Swedish festivities]]. The [[Baháʼí Faith]] observes [[Baháʼí Holy Days|11 annual holidays]] on dates determined using the [[Baháʼí calendar]]. Jews have two holiday seasons: the Spring Feasts of [[Pesach]] (Passover) and [[Shavuot]] (Weeks, called [[Pentecost]] in Greek); and the Fall Feasts of [[Rosh Hashanah]] (Head of the Year), [[Yom Kippur]] (Day of Atonement), [[Sukkot]] (Tabernacles), and [[Shemini Atzeret]] (Eighth Day of Assembly). |
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=== Secularisation === |
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Some religious holidays are also celebrated by many as secular holidays. For example, 61% of Brits celebrate Christmas in an entirely secular way.<ref name=":1" /> 81% of non-Christian Americans also celebrate Christmas. A 2019 Gallup poll found that two-thirds of Americans still celebrate an at least somewhat religious Christmas.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-20 |title=More Americans Celebrating a Secular Christmas |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/272378/americans-celebrating-secular-christmas.aspx |first1= Zach |last1=Hrynowski |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=Gallup |language=en}}</ref> |
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The claimed over-secularisation of particular holidays has caused controversy and claims of censorship of religion or [[political correctness]]. For example, in the 1990s, [[Birmingham City Council]] promoted a series of events in the Christmas season under the brand [[Winterval]] to create a more multi-cultural atmosphere about the seasonal festivities. The [[Bishop of Birmingham]] responded to the events, saying "the secular world, which expresses respect for all, is actually embarrassed by faith. Or perhaps it is Christianity which is censored".<ref>{{Cite web |title= Winterval gets frosty reception |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/210672.stm |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=BBC News |date=November 9, 1998 }}</ref> In the United States, conservative commentators have characterised the secularisation of Winter festivities as "the [[War on Christmas]]".<ref>{{cite news |last=Keck |first=Kristi |date=18 December 2009 |title=Heated Debate Again over 'War on Christmas' Claims |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/18/war.on.christmas/index.html |access-date=25 December 2012}}</ref> |
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== Unofficial holidays == |
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{{See also|List of minor secular observances}} |
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These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some promote a cause, others recognize historical events not officially recognized, and others are "funny" holidays celebrated with humorous intent. For example, [[Monkey Day]] is celebrated on December 14, [[International Talk Like a Pirate Day]] is observed on September 19, and [[Blasphemy Day]] is held on September 30. Other examples are [[April Fools' Day]] on April 1 and [[World No Tobacco Day]] on May 31. Various community organizers and marketers promote odd [[social media holiday]]s. |
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==Commercialism== |
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In the United States, holidays have been drawn into a culture of [[Consumption (economics)|consumption]] since the late 19th century. Many civic, religious and folk festivals have been [[Commercialization|commercialised]]. As such, traditions have been reshaped to serve the needs of industry. Leigh Eric Schmidt argues that the growth of consumption culture allowed the growth of holidays as an opportunity for increased public consumption and the orderly timing of it. Thus, after the Civil War, as department stores became the spatial expression of [[commercialism]], holidays became the temporal expression of it.<ref name=":0" /> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{Portal|Holidays}} |
{{Portal|Holidays}} |
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* [[Christmas and holiday season]] |
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*[[List of holidays by country]] |
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* [[Holiday heart syndrome]] |
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*[[Christmas controversy]] |
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*[[ |
* [[Public holiday]] |
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* [[List of holidays by country]] |
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* [[Commemoration (Anglicanism)]] |
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==Notes== |
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* [[Tribute]] |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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* {{cite book|title=Holidays & Holy Days: Origins, Customs, and Insights on Celebrations Through the Year|author=Susan E. Richardson|publisher=Vine Books|month=July | year=2001|isbn=0-8307-3442-2}} |
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* {{cite book|title=Celebration: The Story of American Holidays|author=Lucille Recht Penner and Ib Ohlsson|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Company|month=September | year=1993|isbn=0-02-770903-5}} |
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* {{cite book|title=American Holidays: Exploring Traditions, Customs, and Backgrounds|author=Barbara Klebanow and Sara Fischer|publisher=Pro Lingua Associates|year=2005|isbn=0-86647-196-0}} |
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{{Public holidays of the World|state=collapsed}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Parties}} |
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{{Cookbook|Holiday Recipes}} |
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{{Tourism}} |
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{{Subject bar|commons=yes|commons-search=Category:Holidays|wikt=yes|b=yes|q=yes}} |
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*{{dmoz|Society/Holidays|Holidays}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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*{{cite web|url=http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/53481/where-holiday-traditions-come-from#index/0 |title=Where Holiday Traditions Come From |publisher=[[Life magazine|LIFE]] |date=September 10, 2005}} |
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*{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=276559&page=1 |title=Holiday Stress Brings Anxiety and Abuse |publisher=ABC News |first=Marc |last=Lallanilla |date=November 24, 2004}} |
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[[Category:Holidays]] |
[[Category:Holidays| ]] |
Latest revision as of 23:21, 5 December 2024
A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. Public holidays are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often also observed as public holidays in religious majority countries. Some religious holidays, such as Christmas, have become secularised by part or all of those who observe them. In addition to secularisation, many holidays have become commercialised due to the growth of industry.[1]
Holidays can be thematic, celebrating or commemorating particular groups, events, or ideas, or non-thematic, days of rest that do not have any particular meaning. In Commonwealth English, the term can refer to any period of rest from work, such as vacations or school holidays. In American English, "the holidays" typically refers to the period from Thanksgiving to New Year's (late November to January 1), which contains many important holidays in American culture.
Terminology
[edit]The word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg (hālig "holy" + dæg "day").[2] The word originally referred only to special religious days.
The word holiday has differing connotations in different regions. In the United States, the word is used exclusively to refer to the nationally, religiously, or culturally observed day(s) of rest or celebration or the events themselves, whereas in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations, the word may refer to the period of time where leave from one's duties has been agreed upon and is used as a synonym for the US preferred vacation. This time is usually set aside for rest, travel, or participation in recreational activities, with entire industries targeted to coincide with or enhance these experiences. The days of leave may not coincide with any specific customs or laws. Employers and educational institutes may designate 'holidays' themselves, which may or may not overlap nationally or culturally relevant dates, which again comes under this connotation, but it is the first implication detailed that this article is concerned with. Modern use varies geographically. In North America, it means any dedicated day or period of celebration. In the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, holiday is often used instead of the word vacation.
Global holidays
[edit]The celebration of the New Year has been a common holiday across cultures for at least four millennia.[3] Such holidays normally celebrate the last day of a year and the arrival of the next year in a calendar system. In modern cultures using the Gregorian calendar, the New Year's celebration spans New Year's Eve on 31 December and New Year's Day on 1 January. However, other calendar systems also have New Year's celebration, such as Chinese New Year and Vietnamese Tet.[4] New Year's Day is the most common public holiday, observed by all countries using the Gregorian calendar except Israel.[5]
Christmas is a popular holiday globally due to the spread of Christianity. The holiday is recognised as a public holiday in many countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Australasia and is celebrated by over 2 billion people.[6] Although a holiday with religious origins, Christmas is often celebrated by non-Christians as a secular holiday. For example, 61% of British people celebrate Christmas in an entirely secular way.[7] Christmas has also become a tradition in some non-Christian countries. For many Japanese people, it has become customary to buy and eat fried chicken on Christmas.[8][9]
Recently invented holidays commemorate a range of modern social and political issues and other important topics. The United Nations publishes a list of International Days and Weeks. One such day is International Women's Day on 8 March, which celebrates women's achievements and campaigns for gender equality and women's rights.[10] Earth Day has been celebrated by people across the world since 1970, with 10,000 events in 2007. It is a holiday marking the dangers of environmental damage, such as pollution and the climate crisis.[11]
Common secular holidays
[edit]Other secular holidays are observed regionally, nationally and across multi-country regions. The United Nations Calendar of Observances[12] dedicates decades to a specific topic, but also a complete year, month, week and days. Holidays dedicated to an observance such as the commemoration of the ending of World War II, or the Shoah, can also be part of the reparation obligation as per UN General Assembly Resolution 60/147 Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law.[13]
Another example of a major secular holiday is the Lunar New Year, which is celebrated across East Asia and South East Asia. Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given; examples include Arbor Day (originally U.S.), Labor Day (celebrated sometimes under different names and on different days in different countries), and Earth Day (22 April).
Public holidays
[edit]Substitute holidays
[edit]If a holiday coincides with another holiday or a weekend day a substitute holiday may be recognised in lieu. In the United Kingdom the government website states that "If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a 'substitute' weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.", and the list of bank holidays for the year 2020 includes Monday 28 December as "Boxing Day (substitute day)", as 26 December is a Saturday.[14] The process of moving a holiday from a weekend day to the following Monday is known as Mondayisation in New Zealand.[15]
National days
[edit]National days are days of significance to a nation or nation state. National days are typically celebratory of a state's independence (e.g. 4 July in the US), founding or unification (e.g. German Unity Day), the commemoration of a revolution (e.g. Bastille Day in France) or liberation (e.g. 9 May in the Channel Islands), or the feast day for a patron saint (e.g. St Patrick's Day in Ireland) or ruler (e.g. 5 December in Thailand). Belgium's national day, on the 21st of July, commemorates the oath of office of the first King of the Belgians (an uncle of the then-future Queen Victoria), i.e., so to say, the day Belgium became a kingdom by ending the initial interregnum. Every country other than Denmark and the United Kingdom observes a national day.[16] In the UK, constituent countries have official or unofficial national days associated with their patron saint. A British national day has often been proposed, such as the date of the Acts of Union 1707 (1 May) or the King's Official Birthday, but never adopted.[17]
Other days of national importance exist, such as one to celebrate the country's military or veterans. For example, Armistice Day (11 November) is recognised in World War I Allied nations (and across the Commonwealth) to memoralise those lost in the World Wars. National leaders will typically attend remembrance ceremonies at national memorial sites. Maybe surprisingly, World War II Armistice Day (and victory against Nazism) day, on 8 May, is much less celebrated.
Religious holidays
[edit]Many holidays are linked to faiths and religions (see etymology above). Christian holidays are defined as part of the liturgical year, the chief ones being Easter and Christmas. The Orthodox Christian and Western-Roman Catholic patronal feast day or "name day" are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints. Jehovah's Witnesses annually commemorate "The Memorial of Jesus Christ's Death", but do not celebrate other holidays with any religious significance such as Easter, Christmas or New Year. This holds especially true for those holidays that have combined and absorbed rituals, overtones or practices from non-Christian beliefs into the celebration, as well as those holidays that distract from or replace the worship of Jehovah.[18] In Islam, the largest holidays are Eid al-Fitr (after Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (at the end of the Hajj). Ahmadi Muslims additionally celebrate Promised Messiah Day, Promised Reformer Day, and Khilafat Day, but contrary to popular belief, neither are regarded as holidays. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs observe several holidays, one of the largest being Diwali (Festival of Light). Japanese holidays as well as few Catholic holidays contain heavy references to several different faiths and beliefs. Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays follow the order of the Wheel of the Year. For example, Christmas ideas like decorating trees and colors (green, red, and white) have very similar ideas to modern Wicca (a modern Pagan belief) Yule which is a lesser Sabbat of the wheel of the year. Some are closely linked to Swedish festivities. The Baháʼí Faith observes 11 annual holidays on dates determined using the Baháʼí calendar. Jews have two holiday seasons: the Spring Feasts of Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Weeks, called Pentecost in Greek); and the Fall Feasts of Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Tabernacles), and Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly).
Secularisation
[edit]Some religious holidays are also celebrated by many as secular holidays. For example, 61% of Brits celebrate Christmas in an entirely secular way.[7] 81% of non-Christian Americans also celebrate Christmas. A 2019 Gallup poll found that two-thirds of Americans still celebrate an at least somewhat religious Christmas.[19]
The claimed over-secularisation of particular holidays has caused controversy and claims of censorship of religion or political correctness. For example, in the 1990s, Birmingham City Council promoted a series of events in the Christmas season under the brand Winterval to create a more multi-cultural atmosphere about the seasonal festivities. The Bishop of Birmingham responded to the events, saying "the secular world, which expresses respect for all, is actually embarrassed by faith. Or perhaps it is Christianity which is censored".[20] In the United States, conservative commentators have characterised the secularisation of Winter festivities as "the War on Christmas".[21]
Unofficial holidays
[edit]These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some promote a cause, others recognize historical events not officially recognized, and others are "funny" holidays celebrated with humorous intent. For example, Monkey Day is celebrated on December 14, International Talk Like a Pirate Day is observed on September 19, and Blasphemy Day is held on September 30. Other examples are April Fools' Day on April 1 and World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Various community organizers and marketers promote odd social media holidays.
Commercialism
[edit]In the United States, holidays have been drawn into a culture of consumption since the late 19th century. Many civic, religious and folk festivals have been commercialised. As such, traditions have been reshaped to serve the needs of industry. Leigh Eric Schmidt argues that the growth of consumption culture allowed the growth of holidays as an opportunity for increased public consumption and the orderly timing of it. Thus, after the Civil War, as department stores became the spatial expression of commercialism, holidays became the temporal expression of it.[1]
See also
[edit]- Christmas and holiday season
- Holiday heart syndrome
- Public holiday
- List of holidays by country
- Commemoration (Anglicanism)
- Tribute
References
[edit]- ^ a b Schmidt, Leigh Eric (1991). "The Commercialization of the Calendar: American Holidays and the Culture of Consumption, 1870-1930". The Journal of American History. 78 (3): 887–916. doi:10.2307/2078795. ISSN 0021-8723. JSTOR 2078795.
- ^ "holiday – Origin and meaning of holiday". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ "New Year's". HISTORY. February 16, 2010. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Crump, William D. (2014). Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9545-0.
- ^ "New Year's Day around the world in 2023". Office Holidays. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Christmas Day around the world". Office Holidays Blog. 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ a b "How Britons celebrate Christmas and Easter | YouGov". yougov.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Kate Springer (24 December 2019). "How KFC became a Christmas tradition in Japan". CNN. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Barton, Eric. "Why Japan celebrates Christmas with KFC". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "International Women's Day 2023 campaign theme: Embrace Equity". International Women's Day. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Earth Day Timeline". history.com. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Nations, United. "List of International Days and Weeks". United Nations. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law". December 16, 2005. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ^ "UK bank holidays". gov.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ Smith, Bridget; Oldfield, Tim (3 May 2013). "Happy holidays: the 'Mondayisation' of public holidays". SBM Legal. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ Fisher, Max (26 February 2013). "A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries have no national day)". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Ministers proposing 'Britain Day'". BBC News. 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Reasoning from the Scriptures. Watchtower, 1985, pp. 176–182
- ^ Hrynowski, Zach (2019-12-20). "More Americans Celebrating a Secular Christmas". Gallup. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Winterval gets frosty reception". BBC News. November 9, 1998. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Keck, Kristi (18 December 2009). "Heated Debate Again over 'War on Christmas' Claims". CNN. Retrieved 25 December 2012.