Holidays

Holidays are a special day set aside usually by government or custom where normal daily activities, particularly work or school including church, are halted or limited. In general, holidays are meant to let people to commemorate or celebrate an occasion or tradition of greater or less importance. For instance, in the United States, a major holiday is Christmas. People celebrate this day with family and friends. In many countries, they have their own national holidays which are celebrated with great joy and happiness. However, Holidays are internationally recognized as a special day when people return home from a holiday tour and spend time with their loved ones.

Holidays have strong religious roots and the concept of a holiday is linked to religious celebrations. The first recorded mention of a holiday in English is found in a prayer in the Holy Bible, which was written around 600 B.C. The concept of a holiday can be traced as far back as the twelfth century, when the Magi were told that Jesus would be born on the third day of the winter, which was also Christmas.

Since the twelfth century, different countries have designated holidays. In most of these nations, the names of the holidays follow specific religious celebrations. Some of the most popular international holidays in which people return home to spend time with loved ones are Mother’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and Hanukkah, which is an annual festival to commemorate the Jewish victory over evil during the ancient times. In these nations, certain days are more popular than others for these religious festivals. For example, Mother’s Day and Christmas are generally celebrated on the first day of the year, while New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day are generally celebrated between February 14 and February 18.

In most of the developed countries, public holidays and school holidays are considered holidays. In many of the developing nations, however, public holidays do not feature traditional holiday festivities but instead involve public gatherings, which include parades, processions, games, and special presentations. Some examples of public holidays in these countries include Chinese New Year, fourth Sunday of the fasting period of Chinese calendar, Head of the State’s Birthday, Independence Day, Chinese People’s New Year, Saint Valentine Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, and so forth. Bank holidays, which are generally observed in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, are considered church holidays in these regions. Bank holidays allow residents to spend extended periods of time at church or in meeting rooms without traveling long distances.

Many countries across the world have different national traditions for celebrating holidays. Many European countries have very elaborate public holiday festivities, which include parades, processions, concerts, street entertainers, masquerade balls, fancy dress parties, dancing, and food festivals. In many other countries, the term “public holiday” is used to describe a scheduled workday, vacation, or public holiday that occurs without notice to the public. The term “working holiday” is often used to describe vacation time off, which is typically scheduled before or after a holiday and is paid for through savings or paid time off schemes administered by employers. In the United States, public holidays and other non-business days are generally referred to as “working days.”

Holidays are based on a person’s birth date, which is February 2 in North America, and a person’s age (inclusive of age of majority). On February 13th, Canada celebrates Canada Day, while the last day of the summer vacation season is known as Labor Day in the United States. In most countries, public holidays and school holidays occur in February while special public events, such as parades, take place in mid-summer. A British public holiday is also a public holiday in the United States.