Holidays

Holidays

Holidays are a special time of the year where we let loose and spend time with friends and family. A holiday is basically a day set apart by law or custom, where normal daily activities, particularly work or business including education are either suspended or completely reduced. In general, holidays are meant to let people celebrate or mark an occasion of historical or cultural importance to the people. Some holidays, however, have more than a religious or spiritual significance as well and are widely used to celebrate major milestones such as birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and many other festivals.

There are many words associated with different types of holidays in the English language. Some of these words are associated with specific countries or regions and are called country holidays, while others are common holidays in the English language, which cover the entire world. The most common word holiday in English is of course the word holiday, but there are several others like summer holidays, spring holidays, harvest holidays, memorial holidays, New Year’s holidays, family holidays and annual holidays. A few other words that are related to holidays in the English language include enjoy, getaway, take pleasure, take rest, get well, take time off, take treatment, relax and treat. These words clearly indicate that holiday is a time for relaxation and enjoyment.

Holidays also fall under several categories such as religious holidays, civil holidays, public holidays, family holidays and annual holidays. In the United States, the most common holidays in America are Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, Christmas and Halloween. In England, the most common holidays on the English calendar are Christmas, Whitsundays, Good Friday, Saturday, and Easter. These holy days and occasions are observed in most of the Christian communities in the country.

Most people have a great attachment with family holidays, especially during holidays when they take time off from their work and other hectic schedules. For this reason, a family vacation is very popular among the youth. Holidays are now being associated with fun-filled activities and outdoor sports that can be enjoyed by all. Vacation packages offer fun-filled vacations for children, adults and senior people at the same time.

There are several famous and widely celebrated holidays around the world; however, the United Kingdom has its own unique and traditional Christmas holidays. The traditional six-day Christmas break is known as Christmas. Apart from the Christmas break, the British English celebrate several other major holidays including summer festivals, school holidays, work related festivals, and festivals marking various social moments such as New Year’s day, Victoria Day, Mother’s day, Father’s day and Flag day.

The word holiday is derived from Latin “hume”, which means joy or cheerfulness. This holiday may also be called “glory holidays” or “hardscape holidays”. Holidays are also associated with religious events. In some places in the United Kingdom, such as Norfolk and Suffolk, for example, Christianity plays an important role in the entire celebration of Holidays. While in other locations such as Scotland, Turkey and France, there is little or no connection between the celebration of Holidays and religion.