Holiday

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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. 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 the English-speaking world a holiday can mean 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 is "vacation". Many Canadians will 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 commemoration such as Mothers' Day or Halloween.

In all of the English-speaking world, 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".

Contents 1 Public holidays 2 Consecutive holidays 3 Religious holidays 3.1 Bahá'í holidays 3.2 Buddhist holidays 3.3 Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays 3.4 Christian holidays 3.5 Hindu holidays 3.6 Muslim holidays 3.7 Jewish holidays 4 The American winter holiday season 4.1 Holidays traditionally in the winter holiday season 4.2 Winter holiday greetings 5 National holidays 6 International holidays (secular) 6.1 Suggested international observances 7 Other secular holidays 8 Unofficial holidays 9 No holidays? 10 Further reading 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

[edit] 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 on Bank Holidays, including many shops). "Legal holiday" is the predominant term used within the United States, although "bank holiday" is recognized by many people as referring to the same phenomenon. In the United States both federal holidays and state holidays are observed.

[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. 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:

• Beginning in 2000, Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day are week-long holidays in the People's Republic of China.
• In Japan, golden-week, lasting roughly a full week.
• In Poland during holidays on the 1st and 3 May, when taking a few days of leave can result in 9-day-long holidays; this is called The Picnic (or Majówka).
• In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day can occasionally occur in Holy Week, the week before Easter; in this case the three holidays (St. Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday) plus three days leave can result in a 10-day break. See Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.
• In Australia, Canada and the UK, a public holiday otherwise falling on a Sunday will result in observance of the public holiday on the next available weekday (generally Monday). This arrangement results in a long weekend
• The U.S. Congress changed the observance of Memorial Day and Washington's Birthday from fixed dates to certain Mondays in 1968 (effective 1971). Several states had passed similar laws earlier.

[edit] Religious holidays

See Category:Holy days

[edit] 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 Báb
• Birth of Bahá'u'lláh

[edit] Buddhist holidays

• Vesak
• Bon Festival (in Japan)
• Blessed Rainy Day in Bhutan

[edit] Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays

In the order of the Wheel of the Year:

• Samhain (Celtic): 31 October-1 November, Celtic New Year, first day of winter
• Winternights (Norse): 29 October-2 November, Norse New Year
• Yule (Norse): 21 December-22 December, winter solstice, Celtic mid-winter
• Imbolc (Celtic): 1 February-2 February, Celtic first day of spring
• Ostara/Easter (Norse): 21 March-22 March, vernal equinox, Celtic mid-spring
• Beltane (Celtic): 30 April-1 May, Celtic first day of summer
• Litha (Norse): 21 June-22 June, summer solstice, Celtic mid-summer
• Lughnasadh (Celtic): 1 August-2 August, Celtic first day of autumn
• Mabon/Harvest End (Norse): 21 September-22 September, autumnal equinox, Celtic mid-fall

See also Swedish festivities.

[edit] Christian holidays

See also: liturgical year

• Advent
• All Saints' Day
• All Souls' Day
• Ascension Thursday (Ascension of Jesus into Heaven)
• Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent)
• Assumption of Mary (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
• Candlemas
• Childermas
• Christmas (Birth of Jesus)
• Corpus Christi (Sacrifice of Jesus)
• Easter (Resurrection of Jesus, end of Lent)
• Easter Triduum
  • Holy Thursday (Celebration of The Last Supper)
  • Good Friday (Death of Jesus)
  • Holy Saturday
  • Easter Vigil
• Easter Monday (Monday following Easter Sunday, not part of the Easter Triduum)
• Epiphany
• Lent (40 days of penance before Easter)
• Pentecost or Whitsun (Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus)
• Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (last day of Carnival, last day before Ash Wednesday)
• Winter Lent
• Watch Night

The Catholic patronal feast day or 'name day' are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints.

[edit] Hindu holidays

• Akshaya Tritiya
• Baisakhi
• RakshaBandhan
• Dasara
• Diwali
  • Diwali Amvasaya (Laxmi Puja)
  • Diwali (day 2)
  • Bhaubeej
• Durga Puja
• Ekadasi
• Ganesh Chaturthi
• Gokul Ashtami
• Gudhi Padwa
• Guru Purnima
• Holi
• Karthikai deepam
• Krishna Janmaashtami
• Mahashivratri
• Mahalakshmi vrata
• Bhogi
• Makara Sankranti
• Kanumu
• Navratri
• Onam
• Pongal
• Rama-Lilas
• Ram Navami
• Vaikunta Ekadasi
• Vijayadashami
• Ugadi

[edit] Muslim holidays

• Aashurah Muharram
• Eid: date determined by the lunar calendar and observation of the moon
  • Eid ul-Fitr
  • Eid ul-Adha
• Mawlid Al Rasul - Celebration of Prophet Muhammad's birth
• Nisfu Shaaban
• Nuzul Al Qur'an - First revelation of Quran
• Ramadan-ul-Mubarik
• Isra' Mi'raj - Prophet Muhammad's ascension to heaven.
• Youm Arafat - Eve of Eid ul-Adha

[edit] Jewish holidays

Main article: Jewish holiday

• Hanukkah (also: Chanukah; the Festival of Lights)
• Passover
• Purim (Deliverance from Marcus Mit C)
• Rosh Hashanah (New Year)
• Shavuot (Festival of Weeks; Harvest Festival)
• Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles)
• Tisha B'Av
• Tu Bishvat (New year of the trees)
• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

[edit] The American winter holiday season

Main article: Winter holiday season

In the United States and periodically Canada, 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. 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.

[edit] 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".

• Winter Solstice, Yule - (Winter solstice, around 21-22 December) — The Neopagan celebration of the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. The shortest day of the year, this is the celebration of the death and rebirth of the sun. The celebration is traditionally marked with anything that symbolizes or encourages life. Decorations of evergreens, bright objects and lights; singing songs, giving gifts, feasting and romantic events can all be included. One of the eight sabbats on the wheel of the year, also one of the four minor sabbats. In the southern hemisphere this date marks the celebration of Litha, the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

• 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. Observances include gift-giving, the decoration of trees and houses, and the Santa Claus myth.

• Kwanzaa (USA) - (26 December - 1 January) — A modern american invention held from December 26 to January 1 honoring African-American heritage, primarily in the United States. It was invented in 1966 by black activist and marxist Ron Karenga.

• Boxing Day (26 December or 27 December) — Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on the first non-Sunday after Christmas.

• St Stephen's Day or Second Day of Christmas (26 December) — Holiday observed in many European countries.

• Eid ul-Adha (31 December 2006 or 22 December 2007) — The Festival of Sacrifice — Commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj for the millions of Muslims who make the trip to Mecca each year. Its presence in the Winter Holidays is mostly coincidental, and will move out of the holiday season within a few years.

• New Year's Day - (1 January) — Holiday observing the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Preceded by New Year's Eve on 31 December, which is celebrated with festivities in anticipation of New Year's Day.

• A secular name for these holidays is a winter holiday. iTunes clasiffies "Christmas Music" as "Holiday Music" which can cause confusion for the English speaking world outside of the US, for whom "Holidays" are the same as "Vacations" - Annual Holidays, Easter Holidays, School Holidays, Summer Holidays, Skiing Holidays, Public Holidays etc.

[edit] Winter holiday greetings

(See Winter holiday greetings)

[edit] National holidays

Further information: national holiday and list of holidays by country

[edit] 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.

• Valentine's Day (14 February)
• International Women's Day (8 March, particularly in Eastern European Countries)
• Hug a Cop Day (23 June)
• Labour Day, Worker's Day or May Day (1 May in most countries. The United States and Canada both celebrate on the first Monday in September)
• Mother's Day (second Sunday in May in North America, fourth Sunday in Lent in UK)
• Father's Day (Various dates depending on celebrating country)
• Halloween (31 October)

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

[edit] Suggested international observances

• Astronomy Day (date varies depending on cycle of Moon)
• World Ocean Day (8 June)

[edit] Other secular holidays

Other secular holidays not observed internationally:

• Canada Day (1 July) in Canada, celebration of the date of the Confederation of Canada, although Canada was not completely independent from Britain until the proclamation of the Constitution of Canada, 17 April 1982.
• Independence day (4 July in the United States; many other nations refer to the holiday celebrating their independence as Independence Day as well. )
• Lee-Jackson-King Day (20 January) Combined holiday celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1984 to 2000
• Confederate Memorial Day Celebrated by the original Confederate States at various times during the year; still celebrated on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama
• Robert E. Lee's birthday and Martin Luther King's birthday (third Monday in January in Alabama)
• Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January in the United States)
• Groundhog Day (2 February in United States and Canada)
• Spring Holiday, a secular euphemism for Easter or Good Friday. Counterpart of "Winter holiday".
• Patriot's Day (third Monday in April in Massachusetts and Maine, United States)
• Queen's Day (30 April in the Netherlands)
• Labour Day (Many European and South American countries celebrate Labour Day on May 1)
• Hug a Cop Day (23 June International)
• Loyalty Day (1 May in the United States)
• Jefferson Davis' birthday (first Monday in June in Alabama)
• Juneteenth (19 June) Official holiday in 14 states that commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas (unofficial in 5 other US states)
• Victoria Day (Monday on or before May 24 in Canada, also in some parts of Scotland)
• Flag Day (14 June in the United States)
• Pioneer Day (24 July in Utah, United States)
• Labor Day (first Monday in September in the United States (federal holiday) and Canada)
• Grandparents Day (Sunday after September Labor Day - proclaimed in the United States by Jimmy Carter in 1978)
• Sweetest Day (third Saturday in October, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan in the United States)
• Mother-in-Law's Day (fourth Sunday in October, Germany)
• Saint Nicholas Day (05 December in the Netherlands, 06 December in Belgium)
• Boxing Day (26 December in the Commonwealth of Nations)

• Holidays originating in ancient Latvia

[edit] 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.

• Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year)
• Bloomsday (16 June based on James Joyce's novel Ulysses)
• Buy Nothing Day (The Day After Thanksgiving)
• Decemberween (25 December Created from the popular internet Cartoon Homestar Runner, as a way to celebrate the holiday season, without crediting any organized Religious Holidays, the date is apparently, 'just a coincidence' as Decemberween takes place exactly 55 days after Halloween)
• Evoloterra (20 July celebrates the first manned Moon Landing)
• Festivus (23 December)
• Flying Spaghetti Monsterism Holy Day (every Friday)
• Friendship Day (first Sunday in August)
• International Cannabis Day (20 April)
• International Dadaism Month (4 February, 1 April, 28 March, 15 July, 2 August, 7 August, 16 August, 26 August, 18 September, 22 September, 1 October, 17 October, 26 October)
• International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September)
• Mischief Night (30 October) Notorious night of vandalism the night before Halloween
• Mole Day (23 October)
• No Pants Day (first Friday of May)
• Pi Approximation Day (22 July)
• Pi Day (14 March)
• Tax Freedom Day
• Towel Day (25 May) (a tribute to the late Douglas Adams)
• Winter-een-mas (The season lasts all of January, however the actual holiday itself is 25 January - 31 January)
• X-Day (5 July in the Church of the SubGenius)

[edit] 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.

[edit] Further reading

• Susan E. Richardson (Jul 2001). Holidays & Holy Days: Origins, Customs, and Insights on Celebrations Through the Year. Vine Books. ISBN 0-8307-3442-2. 
• Lucille Recht Penner and Ib Ohlsson (September 1993). Celebration: The Story of American Holidays. MacMillan Publishing Company. ISBN 0-02-770903-5. 
• Barbara Klebanow and Sara Fischer (2005). American Holidays: Exploring Traditions, Customs, and Backgrounds. Pro Lingua Associates. ISBN 0-86647-196-0. 

[edit] See also

• Federal holiday
• Bank Holiday
• Holiday heart syndrome
• D-Day
• Adventure tourism
• List of holidays by country
• List of holidays
• Annual observances in the United States
• Annual observances in the United Kingdom
• Luxury resorts
• Scientology holidays
• Holiday characters
• List of songs about holidays
• Japanese holiday

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Holidays -- Calendars and Lists at the Open Directory Project (suggest site)
• Holiday Stress Brings Anxiety and Abuse (ABC News)
• U.S. Mail holidays - UPS holidays - FedEx holidays - Internet Accuracy Project