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See also: Lists of holidays

The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents, but will usually refer to one of the following activities or events: Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... A vacation is time off. ... A holiday is a special day of rest. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

• A general leave of absence from a regular occupation for rest or recreation
• A specific trip or journey for the purposes of recreation / tourism
• Official or unnofficial observances of religious/national/cultural/other significance, often accompanied by celebrations or festivities (public/religious holiday)

A holiday or vacation trip/break will often be undertaken during specific holiday observances, or be made for specific festivals or celebrations. Certain religious holidays may be of a more sombre nature. Vacation or holidays are often used as a time to spend with friends or family. Rest may refer to: rest (fitness), a period of relative inactivity to allow recovery and growth. ... Fun redirects here. ... Fun redirects here. ... Tourist redirects here. ...

Longer breaks from a career or occupation also exist, such as a sabbatical, gap year or career break. A sabbatical year is a prolonged hiatus, typically one year, in the career of an otherwise successful individual taken in order to fulfill some dream, e. ... A gap year (also known as a year out, year off, deferred year, bridging year, overseas experience, time off, or time out) is a term that refers to a prolonged period (often, but not always, a year) between two major life stages. ... A career break is a period of time out from employment. ...

[edit] Etymology

[edit] Holiday

Holiday is a contraction of holy and day, holidays originally represented special religious days. This 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 traditional grammar, a contraction is the formation of a new word from two or more individual words. ... Holiness means the state of being holy, that is, set apart for the worship or service of a god or gods. ... Look up day in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that religion. ... Week End The weekend is a part of the week lasting one or two days in which most paid workers do not work. ...

[edit] Vacation

In the United Kingdom the word "vacation" referred specifically to the long summer break taken by the law courts (and later universities)—a custom introduced by William the Conqueror from Normandy where it was intended to facilitate the grape harvest. The French term is similar to the American English: "Les Vacances." The term derives from the fact that, in the past, upper-class families would literally move to a summer home for part of the year, leaving their usual family home vacant. A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... William I ( 1027 – September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ... For other uses, see Normandy (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Regional meanings

[edit] As a trip

Vacation is a term used in English-speaking North America to describe a lengthy time away from work or school, a trip abroad, or simply a pleasure trip away from home, such as a trip to the beach that lasts several days or longer. In the rest of the English-speaking world the word holiday is used (e.g. "I'm going on holiday to Malta next week"). Americans, especially those of recent British or European descent, may also use the word "holiday." "Annual Leave" is another expression used in Commonwealth countries. Tourist redirects here. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2008. ...

Canadians often use the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work. In Australia, the term can refer to a vacation or gazetted public holiday, but not to a day of observance such as Mothers' Day or Halloween. A gazette is a newspaper. ... A celebratory cookie. ... This article is about the holiday. ...

[edit] As an observance

In all of the English-speaking world including North America, a holiday can refer to 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. By extension, (observance)-holiday, e.g. Labour Day holiday, refers to the rest period around the official observance. For other uses, see Nation (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... A celebration is a joyous observation on the occasion of a special event: - Personal Level birth, etc. ... This article is about the holiday in the United States. ...

[edit] Employment issues

See also: List of statutory minimum employment leave by country

Most countries around the world have labor laws mandating a certain number of days of time off per year to be given to a worker. In nearly all Canadian provinces, the legal minimum is three weeks, while in most of Europe the limit is significantly higher. Neither the U.S. nor China^{[citation needed]} requires that employees receive any vacation time at all. There are movements fighting for laws requiring more vacation time for American workers such as timeday.org. This article is in need of attention. ...

In some cases "vacation holiday" is used in North America, which signifies that a vacation trip is taken during a traditional national holiday period, extended on either end of the period by taking additional time off from work. This is common in the United States where employers give far fewer annual vacation days than European employers—so stretching the related national holidays tends to conserve one's accumulated total of eligible days available for longer quality vacation excursions. This is often termed a "long weekend", if a national holiday falls next to a weekend. When national holidays fall on a normal non-working day, such as a weekend, they will sometimes be carried over to the next working day.

In the United Kingdom there is an annual issue for parents, who only have the mandated summer holidays in order to plan vacations. Accordingly, holiday companies charge higher prices, giving an incentive for parents to use their work vacation time in term time.

[edit] Types of holiday (observance)

Main article: Lists of holidays

[edit] 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. The common vernacular has seen the inclusion of the term "holliday junction" as an expression of when two holidays recombine. 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: A Holliday junction is a mobile junction between four strands of DNA. The structure is named after Robin Holliday, who proposed it in 1964 to account for a particular type of exchange of genetic information in yeast known as homologous recombination. ...

[edit] Religious holidays

Further information: Category:Religious holidays

Several holidays are linked to faiths and religions. Christian holidays are defined as part of the liturgical year. The Catholic patronal feast day or 'name day' are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints. In Islam, the largest holidays are Eid and Ramadan. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs observe several holidays, one of the largest being Diwali (Festival of Light). Japanese holidays contain references to several different faiths and beliefs. Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays follow the order of the Wheel of the Year. Some are closely linked to Swedish festivities. There are also many well known Jewish holidays. The Bahá'í Faith observes holidays as defined by the Bahá'í calendar. For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... The month of October from a liturgical calendar for Abbotsbury Abbey. ... The Fiestas patronales are yearly celebrations held in countries influenced by Spanish culture. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The word Eid can mean several things: There are two Islamic festivals of Eid: One is called Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر) that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, The other is Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) or Eid-e Qurban (Persian: عید قربان) which is celebrated to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim... This article is about religious observances during the month of Ramadan. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahinsa, meaning non-injury and nonviolence. ... A Sikh man wearing a turban The adherents of Sikhism are called Sikhs. ... Diwali, or Deepawali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal) (Markiscarali) is a major Indian and Nepalese festive holiday, and a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ... The Public Holiday Law ) of 1948 (as amended) establishes the occasions on which Japan has a legal holiday. ... In Neopaganism, the Wheel of the Year is the natural cycle of the seasons, commemorated by the eight Sabbats. ... See Holidays in Sweden. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... This article is about the generally recognized global religious community. ... The Baháí calendar, also called the Badí‘ calendar, used by the Baháí Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years of 365 days, and leap years of 366 days. ... The Baháí calendar, also called the Badí‘ calendar, used by the Baháí Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years of 365 days, and leap years of 366 days. ...

[edit] Northern Hemisphere winter holidays

Main article: Christmas and holiday season

The winter months in the Northern Hemisphere see the observance of many holidays considered a season, often accompanied by festivals and feasts. 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 start 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. In some Christian countries, the end of the festive season is considered to be after the feast of Epiphany, although this is only within the Christian creed.Winter holiday greetings are traditionally a part of the winter holiday season. Northern hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... This is an incomplete list of festivals and holidays that take place during the winter in the northern hemisphere, especially those commemorating the season. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... This article is about the date January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of Skulen Hasidism lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, alt. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Winter (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The Wise Men (Magi) adoring the infant Jesus. ... Merry Christmas redirects here. ...

[edit] National holidays

Main article: list of holidays by country

Several sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history. This is the list of holidays by country. ...

[edit] Secular holidays

Several secular holidays are observed, both internationally, and across multi-country regions, often in conjunction with organisations 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. This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... International observance (also known as international dedication or international anniversary) denotes a period of time to observe some issue of international interest or concern. ... UN redirects here. ...

[edit] Unofficial holidays

See also: :Category:Unofficial observances

These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are 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.

[edit] See also

Holidays Portal

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Holiday Recipes

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Vacation

• Federal holiday
• Bank Holiday
• Holiday heart syndrome
• Adventure tourism
• Lists of holidays
• List of statutory minimum employment leave by country
• List of vacation resorts
• List of holidays by country
• Christmas controversy
• Easter/Good Friday controversy
• Luxury resorts
• Scientology holidays
• Holiday characters
• Furlough
• Labour and employment law
• Long service leave
• Luxury resorts
• Sick leave
• Tourism
• Volunteer Vacation

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... In the United States, a Federal holiday is a holiday recognized by the United States Government. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Holiday Heart Syndrome is a consequence of binge drinking. ... Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving exploration or travel to remote areas, where the traveler should expect the unexpected. ... This is a list of vacation resorts in the world. ... This is the list of holidays by country. ... Christmas controversy refers to publicized controversy surrounding public acknowledgment or celebration of the Christmas holiday in media, advertising, government, and various secular environments. ... Easter/Good Friday controversy refers to modern controversy surrounding the public acknowledgement and celebration of Easter and Good Friday, especially in the United States. ... A luxury resort, sometimes referred to as an exclusive resort, is a very expensive vacation facility which is fully staffed and has been rated with five stars. ... There are many holidays, commemorations and observances in the Church of Scientology, including but not limited to: January 25: Criminon Day This commemorates the 1970 founding of Criminon, a program which seeks to rehabilitate prisoners by disseminating free copies of Scientology-related materials such as The Way to Happiness. ... Look up Furlough in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A furlough (IPA: ) is temporary leave of absence, especially from duty in the armed services or from a prison term. ... Labour law (American English: labor) or employment law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which addresses the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. ... Long Service Leave is an additional employee vacation payable after long periods of service with an employer // In Australia, unlike many other countries, employees are generally entitled to additional leave, known as Long Service Leave, over and above their annual leave if they stay with a particular firm for a... A luxury resort, sometimes referred to as an exclusive resort, is a very expensive vacation facility which is fully staffed and has been rated with five stars. ... Sick leave (or sickness pay or sick pay) is an employee benefit in the form of paid leave which can be taken during periods of sickness. ... Tourist redirects here. ... Volunteer vacations are an opportunity for people to make a positive difference in the lives of others or to help improve or contribute to society, culture, or the environment while on vacation. ...

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Holidays -- Calendars and Lists at the Open Directory Project
• Holiday Stress Brings Anxiety and Abuse (ABC News)
• Internet Accuracy Project U.S. Mail holidays - UPS holidays - FedEx holidays
• Calendar of all legal Public and Bank Holidays worldwide, until 2050