Holiday - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A holiday is a regularly reoccurring festive day. Usually, but not always, the festive day is observed every year. The word "holiday" is derived from the words "holy" and "day." In British English, the word "holiday" is used to refer to a Vacation as well as a public holiday.^[1]

Long holidays with no work

Spring Festival, May Day, and National Day (People's Republic of China)
Golden Week (Japan)
The Majówka, also called the Picnic (Poland)
Holy Week, sometimes with Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Easter Monday and Good Friday (Ireland)
A long weekend, when a holiday is next to the weekend (Australia and England).
In the United States, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day are always on Monday to create a "long weekend" or "3-day weekend".

Other holidays like America's Independence Day and Veterans' Day can come on a weekday or weekend. If the holiday is on a weekend, it is moved to Friday or Monday to create a "3-day weekend." Calendars sometimes mark these holidays twice. For example, in 2006, Veterans' Day in America was on Saturday, November 11. "Veteran's Day (observed)" was also on the calendar; it was Friday, November 10.

Holidays in western countries during winter

New Year's Day
Boxing Day (Wren day, St. Stephan's day)
Kwanzaa
Christmas Day
Hanukkah
Yule

Greetings

Merry Christmas (also called Feliz Navidad (Spanish) and Joyeux Noel (French))
Merry Yuletide
Happy Hanukkah
Happy Kwanzaa
Happy New Year
Joyous Yule
Happy Solstice
Season's Greetings
Happy Holiday(s)

Holidays celebrated around the world

New Year's Day (1 January)
Valentine's Day (14 February)
International Women's Day (8 March, mostly in Eastern European Countries)
World Party Day (3 April)
Earth Day (22 April)
Labour Day, Worker's Day or May Day (1 May, most countries - United States and Canada celebrate Labour Day on the first Monday of September)
Mother's Day (second Sunday in May in North America, fourth Sunday in Lent in UK)
Father's Day (Different countries have different dates)
Halloween (31 October)
New Year's Eve (31 December)

Holidays celebrated in various countries

United States

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, either January 15 or the third Monday in January
Abraham Lincoln's birthday, either February 12 or the second Monday in February
George Washington's birthday (or Presidents' Day), either February 22 or the third Monday in February
Memorial Day, last Monday in May
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, first Monday in September
Thanksgiving, fourth Thursday in November