holiday
Other forms: holidays; holidaying; holidayed
A holiday celebrates a person, anniversary, religious belief or other occasion. You might observe the Indian holiday of Holi, and take a week off of work to celebrate with your family.
A holiday is an occasion recognized by the state or federal government and marked on calendars, like Thanksgiving in the United States. Most holidays are celebratory and fun, and just about all of them mean no work or school. You can also take a holiday, or vacation. Holiday comes from "holy" and "day," meaning a religious festival, and the word was even pronounced that way until the sixteenth century.
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leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure“we took a short holiday in Puerto Rico”synonyms: vacationtypes:half-terma short vacation about halfway through a school termvacinformal term for vacationhoneymoona holiday taken by a newly married couplepaid vacationa vacation from work by an employee with pay grantedtype of:
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a day on which work is suspended by law or custom“no mail is delivered on federal holidays”types:half-holidaya day on which half is free from work or dutylegal holiday, national holiday, public holidayauthorized by law and limiting work or official businessPoppy Day, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sundaythe Sunday nearest to November 11 when those who died in World War I and World War II are commemoratedRamanavamiHindu lunar holiday (on the 9th day of Caitra) to celebrate the birth of RamaMesasamkrantiHindu solar holiday at the beginning of the new astrological year when the sun enters the constellation Ariesfast daya day designated for fastingMartin Luther King Day, Martin Luther King Jr's Birthdayobserved on the Monday closest to January 15Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, Rosh Hashanah, Rosh Hashona, Rosh Hashonah(Judaism) a solemn Jewish feast day celebrated on the 1st or 1st and 2nd of Tishri; noted for the blowing of the shofarChristian holy daya religious holiday for ChristiansJewish holy daya religious holiday for JewsPresidents' Daythe third Monday in February; commemorates both presidents Lincoln and WashingtonDecoration Day, Memorial Daylegal holiday in the United States, last Monday in May; commemorates the members of the United States armed forces who were killed in warLabor Dayfirst Monday in September in the United States and CanadaColumbus Day, Discovery Day, October 12a legal holiday commemorating the discovery of America by Christopher ColumbusCircumcision, Feast of the Circumcision, January 1(Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Church) feast day celebrating the circumcision of Jesus; celebrated on January 1stDormition, Feast of Dormitioncelebration in the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary's being taken up into heaven when her earthly life ended; corresponds to the Assumption in the Roman Catholic Church and is also celebrated on August 15thChristmas, Christmas Day, Dec 25, Xmasa Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and IrelandBoxing Dayfirst weekday after Christmasbank holidayany of several weekdays when banks are closed; a legal holiday in Britain14 July, Bastille Daya legal holiday in France celebrating the storming of the Paris bastille in 1789Armistice Day, November 11, Veterans Day, Veterans' Daya legal holiday in the United States; formerly Armistice Day but called Veterans' Day since 1954Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dayfourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the WampanoagVictoria Daya public holiday in Canada on the Monday on or before May 24thId al-Fitra Muslim day of feasting at the end of RamadanFeast of Sacrifice, Id al-Adhathe 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijja; all Muslims attend a service in the mosques and those who are not pilgrims perform a ritual slaughter of a sheep (commemorating God's ransom of Abraham's son from sacrifice) and give at least a third of the meat to charitytype of:daya day assigned to a particular purpose or observance
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spend or take a vacation
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Vocabulary lists containing holiday
Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was originally called in the localities in which it was celebrated, began as an occasion for decorating the graves of soldiers who had died fighting in the U.S. Civil war. Declared a national holiday in 1966, it is traditionally observed by decorating fallen soldiers' graves, honoring them with parades, speeches, and concerts, and gathering for picnics and family gatherings. Celebrate Memorial Day with these words that help promote an understanding of the holiday's meaning. Then look for more meaning in the day by learning vocabulary from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and recite the famous memorial oration on this solemn day.
What could be more egg-citing than celebrating a hoppy holiday with this list of Easter-themed vocabulary.
Prepare for Passover by brushing up on this list of common vocabulary terms associated with the holiday.