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Holiday

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For films with the same title, see Holiday film (disambiguation).
For songs with the same title, see Holiday song (disambiguation).

The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. Based on the words holy and day, holidays originally represented special religious days. The word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day of rest (as opposed to regular days of rest such as the weekend).

In most of the English-speaking world a holiday is also a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation (e.g. "I'm going on holiday to Malta next week"), the North American equivalent being "vacation". However, some Canadians (especially those of English or Irish descent) will use both the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work.

In Canada and the United States, a holiday is a day set aside by a nation or culture (in some cases, multiple nations and cultures) typically for celebration but sometimes for some other kind of special culture-wide (or national) observance or activity. A holiday can also be a special day on which school and/or offices are closed, such as Labor Day.

When translated from/to other languages, the meanings of the word "holiday" may be conflated with these of "observance" and "celebration".

Public holidays

A public holiday or legal holiday or bank holiday is a holiday endorsed by the state. Public holidays can be either religious, in which case they reflect the dominant religion in a country, or secular, in which case they are usually political or historical in inspiration. "Public Holiday" is the term used in, for example, Australia. "Bank Holiday" is the term used in the UK because on these days the Banks do not by law open for business, which originally prevented the transacting of other commercial business (although some industries in the UK now work through Bank Holidays, including some shops). "Legal holiday" is the predominant term used within the United States of America although "Bank Holiday" is recognized by many persons as referring to the same phenomenon.

Consecutive holidays

Consecutive holidays are a string of holidays taken together without working days in between. They tend to be considered a good chance to take short trips. In late 1990s, the Japanese government passed a law that increased the likelihood of consecutive holidays by moving holidays from fixed days to a relative position in a month, such as the second Monday. Well-known consecutive holidays include:

Religious holidays

See Category:Holy days

Buddhist holidays

Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays

In the order of the Wheel of the Year:

Christian holidays

See also: liturgical year

The Catholic fiestas patronales are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints.

Hindu holidays

Islamic holidays

Jewish holidays

Main article: Jewish holiday

Bahá'í holidays

Main article: Bahá'í calendar
  • Naw Ruz (Bahá'í New Year)
  • 1st Day of Ridván
  • 9th Day of Ridvan
  • 12th Day of Ridvan
  • Declaration of the Báb
  • Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
  • Martyrdom of the Báb
  • Birth of the Israel
  • Birth of Bahá'u'lláh

The Northern Hemisphere winter holiday season

In many Western countries, the winter holiday season is known as a period of time surrounding Christmas that was formed in order to embrace all cultural and religious celebration rather than only Christian celebrations. Usually, this period begins near the end of November and ends with New Year's Day on January 1. The holiday season is usually commercially referred to with a broad interpretation, avoiding the reference of specific holidays like Hanukkah or Christmas. Traditional "holiday season" festivities are usually associated with winter, including snowflakes and wintry songs. It is noted by some, however, that winter-associated themes are simply a ripoff from Christmas tradition. In some Christian countries, the end of the festive season is considered to be after the feast of Epiphany, although this has only symbolic value.

Holidays traditionally in the winter holiday season

  • Thanksgiving - (second Monday in October in Canada, fourth Thursday in November in USA) — Holiday generally observed as an expression of gratitude, traditionally to God, for the autumn harvest. It is traditionally celebrated with a meal shared among friends and family in which turkey is eaten. It is celebrated by many as a secular holiday, and in the USA marks the beginning of the "holiday season".
  • Yule - (Winter Solstice, around 21-22 December) — a Pagan celebration of the winter solstice. One of the eight sabbats.
  • Hanukkah - (26 Kislev - 2/3 Tevet - almost always in December) — Jewish holiday celebrating the defeat of Seleucid forces who had tried to prevent Israel from practising Judaism, and also celebrating the miracle of the Menorah lights burning for eight days with only enough (olive) oil for one day.
  • Christmas Day - (25 December) — Christian holiday commemorating the traditional birth-date of Jesus. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular gift-giving holiday; other observances include the decoration of trees and houses. A secular, "politically-correct" euphemism for Christmas is "Winter holiday".
  • Boxing Day (26 December) — Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. In many European countries it is also a holiday, called St Stephen's Day or the second day of Christmas.

Winter holiday greetings

(See Christmastime greetings)

National holidays

Further information: [[:national holiday and list of holidays by country]]

International holidays (secular)

Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given.

See also "International observance". Some of these observances are celebrations, some others are not, being, e.g., mournful observances.

Suggested international observances

Other secular holidays

Other secular holidays not observed internationally:

Unofficial holidays

These are holidays celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some are designed to promote a cause, others recognize historical events not recognized officially, and others are "funny" holidays, generally intended as humorous distractions and excuses to share laughs among friends.

Vanishing holidays

Some holidays that were once widely celebrated are less so today, for various reasons. One example of this fact is revealed by the assumption inherent in this bit of dialogue from the 1961 musical-comedy album, Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America, Volume One. Christopher Columbus, who has arrived in the New World just moments earlier, tells a Native American that he wants to cash a check...

  • Native: "You out of luck today. Banks closed."
  • Columbus: "Oh? Why?"
  • Native: "Columbus Day!"

No holidays?

Referring to the original meaning of the term, Henny Youngman included this joke among his vast catalog of one-liners:

"I was an atheist for awhile, but I gave it up. No holidays!"

Although Youngman's jest suggests that the list of holidays for a non-believer would necessarily be the "empty set", many non-believers honor various secular holidays and other "holy" days, and those of one faith often honor holidays of other faiths.

See also

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