This page will contain discussion groups about holidays, as they become available.HolidayThe word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. Based on the words holy and day -, holidays originally represented special religious days. The word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day. In most of the English-speaking world a holiday is also 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 being "vacation". However, some Canadians (especially those of English or Irish decent) will use both the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work. In Canada and the United States, 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) observation or activity. A holiday can also be a special day on which school and/or offices are closed, such as Labor Day. Public holidaysA public holiday or legal 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 character. "Public Holiday" is the term used in Australia and "Bank Holiday" in the UK, although some industries in the UK work through Bank Holidays. "Legal holiday" is not a term used outside the United States. Consecutive holidaysConsecutive 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:
Religious holidaysBuddhist holidays
Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidaysIn the order of the Wheel of the Year:
Christian holidays
The Catholic fiestas patronales are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints. Hindu holidays
Islamic holidays
Jewish holidays
Bahá'í holidays
The Northern Hemisphere winter holiday seasonIn many Western countries, the winter holiday season is a period of time surrounding Christmas. Except in North America, the phrases "holiday season" and "holiday period" usually mean the summer months when most people take their annual holiday ("vacation" in North American English), and phrases such as the "festive period" are used to describe the period around Christmas and New Year. Usually, this festive period begins near the end of November and ends with New Year's Day on January 1, reflecting traditional pagan celebrations of the period around the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. 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. Holidays traditionally in the winter holiday season
Winter holiday greetingsWith the winter holidays, come various different greetings appropriate for each holiday or the entire season. They are:
National holidaysFurther information: national holiday and list of holidays by country 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.
Other secular holidaysOther secular holidays not observed internationally:
Unofficial holidaysThese 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 are generally intended as humorous distractions and excuses to share laughs among friends.
Vanishing holidaysSome holidays that were once widely celebrated are less so today, for various reasons. One example of this fact is revealed by the assumption inherent in this bit of dialogue from the 1961 musical-comedy album, Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America, Volume One. Christopher Columbus, who has arrived in the New World just moments earlier, tells a Native American that he wants to cash a check...
No holidays?Referring to the original meaning of the term, Henny Youngman included this joke among his vast catalog of one-liners: 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 holidays and "holy" days, and those of one faith often honor holidays of other faiths. This page about holidays includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about holidays News stories about holidays External links for holidays Videos for holidays Wikis about holidays Discussion Groups about holidays Blogs about holidays Images of holidays |
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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 holidays and "holy" days, and those of one faith often honor holidays of other faiths. Scar is an English dialectical word meaning "rocky cliff.". Referring to the original meaning of the term, Henny Youngman included this joke among his vast catalog of one-liners:. See List of Michael Jackson songs. Christopher Columbus, who has arrived in the New World just moments earlier, tells a Native American that he wants to cash a check... Is it scary is a song by Michael Jackson. One example of this fact is revealed by the assumption inherent in this bit of dialogue from the 1961 musical-comedy album, Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America, Volume One. During the War of the Ring, provisions were stored in the quarry by the Chief's Men, and after the Scouring of the Shire the Hobbits were able to use these stores of food and goods for the Yule holiday. Some holidays that were once widely celebrated are less so today, for various reasons. There was a quarry to the east of Scary. Some are designed to promote a cause, others recognize historical events not recognized officially, and others are "funny" holidays are generally intended as humorous distractions and excuses to share laughs among friends. A road ran south from Scary to cross the Water at Budge Ford and join the Great East Road at Whitfurrows. These are holidays celebrated by various groups and individuals. The village was at the southern foot of the Hills of Scary. Other secular holidays not observed internationally:. Scary was located in the northern part of the Eastfarthing. Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given. Village in the Shire. They are:. Scary is a fictional city in the Lord of the Rings saga. With the winter holidays, come various different greetings appropriate for each holiday or the entire season. 191. 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. "Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings," p. Usually, this festive period begins near the end of November and ends with New Year's Day on January 1, reflecting traditional pagan celebrations of the period around the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. 302. Except in North America, the phrases "holiday season" and "holiday period" usually mean the summer months when most people take their annual holiday ("vacation" in North American English), and phrases such as the "festive period" are used to describe the period around Christmas and New Year. The Return of the King: "The Grey Havens," p. In many Western countries, the winter holiday season is a period of time surrounding Christmas. The Fellowship of the Ring: Map of "A Part of the Shire". The Catholic fiestas patronales are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints. In the order of the Wheel of the Year:. Well-known consecutive holidays include:. 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. They tend to be considered a good chance to take short trips. Consecutive holidays are a string of holidays taken together without working days in between. "Legal holiday" is not a term used outside the United States. "Public Holiday" is the term used in Australia and "Bank Holiday" in the UK, although some industries in the UK work through Bank Holidays. 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 character. A public holiday or legal holiday is a holiday endorsed by the state. . In Canada and the United States, 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) observation or activity. However, some Canadians (especially those of English or Irish decent) will use both the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work. "I'm going on holiday to Malta next week"), the North American equivalent being "vacation". In most of the English-speaking world a holiday is also a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation (e.g. The word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day. Based on the words holy and day -, holidays originally represented special religious days. The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. Native: "Columbus Day!". Columbus: "Oh? Why?". Banks closed.". Native: "You out of luck today. Tax Freedom Day (calculated by dividing the tally of all taxes collected in each year by a tally of all income, and applying it to the calendar). Sinkie Day (The Day After Thanksgiving). Flying Spaghetti Monsterism Holy Day (every Friday). Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year). Christmahanukwanzakah (the holiday season in general, a holiday made out of a marketing campaign invented by Virgin Mobile during the 2004 holiday season.). Festivus (23 December). Mole Day (23 October). Brick Day (15 October). October Fool's Day (1 October) (Southern Hemisphere version of April Fool's Day). Ask a Stupid Question Day (28 September). International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September). National Underwear Day (11 August). National Talk In Elevators Day (last Friday of July). Pi Approximation Day (22 July). Evoloterra (20 July celebrates the first manned Moon Landing). X-Day (5 July in the Church of the SubGenius). Bloomsday (16 June based on James Joyce's novel Ulysses). No Pants Day (first Friday of May). 24-hour Comics Day (24 April). Towel Day (25 May) (a tribute to the late Douglas Adams). International Cannabis Day (20 April). Pi Day (14 March). 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). Wintereenmas (25 January through 31 January). Paper Hat Day (4 January). Holidays originating in ancient Latvia. Sweetest Day (third Saturday in October, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the United States). Queen's Day (30 March in the Netherlands). Pioneer Day (24 July in Utah, United States). Patriot's Day (third Monday in April in Massachusetts and Maine, United States). Mother-in-Law's Day (fourth Sunday in October, where?). Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January in the United States). Loyalty Day (1 May in the United States). Lee-Jackson-King Day (20 January) Combined holiday celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1984 to 2000. Independence day (observed by many different countries at different dates). Labour Day (Many European countries celebrate Labour Day on May 1). Labor Day (a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday of September). Groundhog Day (2 February in United States and Canada). Grandparent's Day (Sunday after September Labor Day - proclaimed in the United States by Jimmy Carter in 1978). Flag Day (14 June in the United States). Boxing Day (26 December in the Commonwealth of Nations). International Women's Day (8th of March, particularly in Eastern European Countries). United Nations holidays. Halloween (31 October). Father's Day (third Sunday in June; 19 March, others; 8 August, Republic of China). World Ocean Day (8 June). Mother's Day (second Sunday in May in North America, fourth Sunday in Lent in UK). Labour Day, Worker's Day or May Day (1 May, most countries - United States and Canada are prominent exceptions). Earth Day (22 April). April Fool's Day (1 April). Astronomy Day (date varies depending on cycle of Moon). Leap Day (29 February, every four years). Valentine's Day (14 February). Perihelion (3-6 January, depending on year and location). Happy Winter. Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Solstice. Happy New Year. Happy Kwanzaa. Joyous Yule. Happy Holiday(s). Season's Greetings. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas (sometimes referenced in Spanish or French as Feliz Navidad and Joyeux Noel). Preceded by New Year's Eve on 31 December, which is celebrated with festivities in anticipation of New Year's Day. New Year's Day - (1 January) — Holiday observing the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. In many European countries it is also a holiday, called St Stephen's Day or the second day of Christmas. Boxing Day (26 December) — Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. It was created in 1966. Kwanzaa (USA) - (26 December - 1 January) — Holiday observance held from December 26 to January 1 honoring African-American heritage, primarily in the United States. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular gift-giving holiday; other observances include the decoration of trees and houses. Christmas Day - (25 December) — Christian holiday commemorating the traditional birth-date of Jesus. 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. It is celebrated by many as a secular holiday, and marks the beginning of the American "holiday season". It is traditionally celebrated with a meal shared among friends and family in which turkey is eaten. Thanksgiving - (fourth Thursday in November in USA, second Monday in October in Canada) — Holiday generally observed as an expression of gratitude, traditionally to God, for the autumn harvest. Birth of Bahá'u'lláh. Birth of the Báb. Martyrdom of the Báb. Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. Declaration of the Báb. 12th Day of Ridvan. 9th Day of Ridvan. 1st Day of Ridván. Naw Ruz (Bahá'í New Year). Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Tu Bishvat (New year of the trees). Tisha B'Av. Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles). Shavuot (Pentecost). Rosh Hashanah (New Year). Purim (Based on the events in the Biblical book of Esther). Passover. Lag Ba'omer. Hanukkah (also: Chanukah; the Festival of Lights). Ramadan. Festival of Muharram. Eid ul-Adha, Greater Bairam. Eid ul-Fitr, Lesser Bairam
Ugadi. Vaikunta Ekadasi. Ram Navami. Rama-Lilas. Pongal. Onam. Makar Sankranti. Mahashivratri. Holi. Gudhi Padwa. Gokul Ashtami. Ganesh Chaturthi. Ekadasi. Bhaubeej. Diwali (day 2). Diwali Amvasaya (Laxmi Puja). Diwali
Winter Lent. Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (last day of Carnival). Pentecost or Whitsun (Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus). Lent. Epiphany. Holy Thursday (Celebration of The Last Supper). Holy Saturday. Good Friday (Death of Jesus). Easter Vigil. Easter Triduum
Corpus Christi. Christmas (Birth of Jesus). Childermas. Candlemas. Assumption of Mary (Assumption of the Virgin Mary). Ash Wednesday. Ascension Day (Ascension of Jesus into Heaven). All Souls' Day. All Saints' Day. Advent. Mabon/Harvest End (Norse): 21 September-22 September, autumnal equinox, Celtic mid-fall. Lughnasadh (Celtic): 1 August-2 August, Celtic first day of autumn. Litha (Norse): 21 June-22 June, summer solstice, Celtic mid-summer. Beltane (Celtic): 30 April-1 May, Celtic first day of summer. Ostara/Easter (Norse): 21 March-22 March, vernal equinox, Celtic mid-spring. Imbolc (Celtic): 1 February-2 February, Celtic first day of spring. Yule (Norse): 21 December-22 December, winter solstice, Celtic mid-winter. Winternights (Norse): 29 October-2 November, Norse New Year. Samhain (Celtic): 31 October-1 November, Celtic New Year, first day of winter. Blessed Rainy Day in Bhutan. Matsuri (in Japan, could also be considered a Shinto holiday). Vesak. Several states had passed similar laws earlier. Congress changed the observance of Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Washington's Birthday from fixed dates to certain Mondays in 1968 (effective 1971). The U.S. This arrangement results in a long weekend. In Australia and England, a public holiday otherwise falling on a Sunday will result in observance of the public holiday on the next available weekday (generally Monday). Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday) plus three days leave can result in a 10-day break. Patrick's Day can occasionally occur in Holy Week, the week before Easter; in this case the three holidays (St. In Ireland, St. In Poland during holidays on the 1st and 3rd of May, when taking a few days of leave can result in 9-day-long holidays; this is called The Picnic (or Majówka). In Japan, golden-week, lasting roughly a full week. Began at 2000, in the People's Republic of China, Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day are week-long holidays. |