What is "holiday"

Vacation \Va*ca"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. vacatio a being free from a duty, service, etc., fr. vacare. See Vacate.]

1. The act of vacating; a making void or of no force; as, the vacation of an office or a charter.

2. Intermission of a stated employment, procedure, or office; a period of intermission; rest; leisure. It was not in his nature, however, at least till years had chastened it, to take any vacation from controversy. --Palfrey. [1913 Webster] Hence, specifically:

   1. (Law) Intermission of judicial proceedings; the space of time between the end of one term and the beginning of the next; nonterm; recess. ``With lawyers in the vacation.''
      --Shak.

   2. A period of intermission of regular paid work or employment, or of studies and exercises at an educational institution; the time during which a person temporarily ceases regular duties of any kind and performs other activites, usually some form of liesure; holidays; recess (at a school); as, the spring vacation; to spend one's vacation travelling; to paint the house while on vacation. Vacation is typically used for rest, travel, or recreation, but may be used for any purpose. In Britain this sense of vacation is usually referred to as holiday.

   3. The time when an office is vacant; esp. (Eccl.), the time when a see, or other spiritual dignity, is vacant.

1500s, earlier haliday (c.1200), from Old English haligdæg "holy day; Sabbath," from halig "holy" (see holy) + dæg "day" (see day); in 14c. meaning both "religious festival" and "day of recreation," but pronunciation and sense diverged 16c. As a verb meaning "to pass the holidays" by 1869. Happy holidays is from mid-19c., in British English, with reference to summer vacation from school. As a Christmastime greeting, by 1937, American English, in Camel cigarette ads.

n. 1 A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed. 2 A day declared free from work by the state or government. 3 A period of one or more days taken off work by an employee for leisure. 4 A period during which pupils and students do not attend their school or university. 5 A period taken off work or study for travel or leisure. vb. 1 To take a period of time away from work or study. 2 (context British English) To spend a period of time for travel.

1. n. leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure; "we get two weeks of vacation every summer"; "we took a short holiday in Puerto Rico" [syn: vacation]

2. a day on which work is suspended by law or custom; "no mail is delivered on federal holidays"; "it's a good thing that New Year's was a holiday because everyone had a hangover"

v. spend or take a vacation [syn: vacation]

A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tradition of cultural or religious significance. Holidays may be designated by governments, religious institutions, or other groups or organizations. The degree to which normal activities are reduced by a holiday may depend on local laws, customs, the type of job being held or even personal choices.

The concept of holidays often originated in connection with religious observances. The intention of a holiday was typically to allow individuals to tend to religious duties associated with important dates on the calendar. In most modern societies, however, holidays serve as much of a recreational function as any other weekend days or activities.

In many societies there are important distinctions between holidays designated by governments and holidays designated by religious institutions. For example, in many predominantly Christian nations, government-designed holidays may center on Christian holidays, though non-Christians may instead observe religious holidays associated with their faith. In some cases, a holiday may only be nominally observed. For example, many Jews in the Americas and Europe treat the relatively minor Jewish holiday of Hanukkah as a "working holiday", changing very little of their daily routines for this day.

The word holiday has differing connotations in different regions. In the United States the word is used exclusively to refer to the nationally, religiously or culturally observed day(s) of rest or celebration, or the events themselves, whereas in the U.K. and other Commonwealth nations, the word may refer to the period of time where leave from one’s duties has been agreed, and is used as a synonym to the US preferred vacation. This time is usually set aside for rest, travel and/or the participation in recreational activities, with entire industries targeted to coincide or enhance these experiences. The days of leave may not coincide with any specific customs or laws. Employers and educational institutes may designate ‘holidays’ themselves which may or may not overlap nationally or culturally relevant dates, which again comes under this connotation, but it is the first implication detailed that this article is concerned with.

Holiday is a 1930 American Pre-Code romantic comedy film which tells the story of a young man who is torn between his free-thinking lifestyle and the tradition of his wealthy fiancée's family. It stars Ann Harding, Mary Astor, Edward Everett Horton, Robert Ames and Hedda Hopper. It was produced and released by Pathé Exchange.

The film was adapted by Horace Jackson from the play by Philip Barry. It was directed by Edward H. Griffith.

"Holiday" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album American Idiot. The song is in the key of F minor. Though the song is a prelude to " Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Holiday" was released as a single later on, in the spring of 2005. The song achieved considerable popularity across the world and performed moderately well on the charts. In the U.S., it reached number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. It debuted at number eleven in the UK and at number twenty-one in Canada. The song has been featured in the 2006 comedy film, Accepted. The Vancouver Canucks of the NHL once used it as their goal song.

"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her eponymous debut studio album Madonna (1983). Sire Records released it as the album's third single on September 7, 1983. "Holiday" later appeared remixed on the remix compilation You Can Dance (1987) and the greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection (1990), and in its original form on the greatest hits album Celebration (2009). Written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens of Pure Energy, the track was offered to Madonna by her producer John "Jellybean" Benitez when she was looking for a potential hit track to include in her debut album. After accepting the song, she and Jellybean worked on it and altered its composition by the addition of a piano solo performed by their friend, Fred Zarr.

"Holiday" features instrumentation from guitars, electronic handclaps, a cowbell, and a synthesized string arrangement, while its lyrics speak about the universal sentiment of taking a holiday. Universally acclaimed by critics, the song became Madonna's first mainstream hit single in the United States, reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. It also became her first top-ten single in several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Madonna has performed "Holiday" on most of her tours and it is generally included as a part of the encore. Different performances of the song are included in the recorded releases of her tours. Cover versions by a number of artists have been released, and it has also appeared in the soundtrack of sitcoms like Will & Grace.

Holiday is the fourth studio album by American indie pop band The Magnetic Fields. The album was originally released in 1994 by record label Feel Good All Over. It was later reissued by Merge Records in 1999.

Holiday or the Holiday Killer is a fictional character appearing in the Batman story The Long Halloween (1996-1997) by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale. The character is a serial killer who kills members of Gotham City's mobsters and corrupt officials on major holidays. The true identity of the killer is never definitively revealed in the story itself; both Alberto Falcone and Gilda Dent confess to being Holiday, with Gilda claiming she committed the first three murders and that her husband Harvey took over subsequently.

Holiday is a long-running UK television programme on BBC One, and was the oldest travel review show on UK television. It was aired on the channel from 1969 until 2007.

Holiday is a 1938 film directed by George Cukor, a remake of the 1930 film of the same name. The film is a romantic comedy that tells of a man who has risen from humble beginnings only to be torn between his free-thinking lifestyle and the tradition of his wealthy fiancée's family. The movie was adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart and Sidney Buchman from the play by Philip Barry and stars Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant and features Doris Nolan, Lew Ayres, and Edward Everett Horton, who played the same role he had played in the 1930 version.

Although Hepburn had been Hope Williams' understudy in the original production of the play on Broadway, she only played the part for one performance. Screenwriter Donald Ogden Stewart had also appeared in the original stage version as Nick Potter.

A holiday is a day of observance.

Holiday may also refer to:

• Holiday (employment) or annual leave, time off from a job
• Christmas and holiday season or "the holidays", an annual festive period that surrounds Christmas and various other holidays
• Vacation or holiday, a trip or leave of absence for the purpose of recreation or rest

"Holiday" is a song released by the Bee Gees. It was not released as a single in their native United Kingdom as Polydor UK released the single " World" from their next album Horizontal, but was released in the United States in September 1967. It appeared on the album Bee Gees' 1st.

The song was prominently featured in the Korean films Nowhere to Hide and Holiday.

One of the robots sung this song in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode " Mitchell".

"Holiday" is an episode of the award-winning British comedy television series The Goodies.

This episode is also known as "Holidays" and as "The Holiday" and as "Holiday in Dunsquabbling".

This episode was made by LWT for ITV.

Written by The Goodies, with songs and music by Bill Oddie.

Holiday is the fourth original studio album by the American folk rock band America, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in June 1974. The album was produced in London by noted record producer George Martin.

The album was a big hit in the US, reaching number 3 on the Billboard album chart and being certified gold by the RIAA. It produced two hit singles: " Tin Man" reached number 4 on the Billboard singles chart and went to number 1 on both the adult contemporary chart as well as the Radio & Records chart; and " Lonely People" which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard singles chart and also hit number 1 on the adult contemporary chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks, including "Baby It's Up To You" and "Another Try".

"Holiday" is an original song written by Dilana, about how her life has changed after appearing on Rock Star: Supernova. On February 20, it was released with "Ring of Fire" as a B-side track, exclusively on digital download websites such as iTunes and MySpace (through Snocap), where fans can also listen to the full version for free. It is the first single from her U.S. debut album, Inside Out, which was released on November 17, 2009.

Holiday is an independent English-language newsweekly published on Fridays in Bangladesh. Founded by the late eminent journalist Enayetullah Khan in 1965, it was one of the most influential newspapers in East Pakistan and was known for its outspoken stance against successive Pakistani regimes. In newly independent Bangladesh, it was a staunch critic of the government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and was briefly banned in 1975. Since the 1990s, however, the paper has seen a significant decline in circulation. It enjoys close ties with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Holiday is a Booker Prize-winning novel by English writer Stanley Middleton.

Holiday is a Bollywood film produced and directed by Pooja Bhatt and starring Dino Morea, Gulshan Grover and Onjolee Nair. It is a remake of the 1987 American film Dirty Dancing.

Holiday is Roberta Flack's second holiday album, although it is just a re-release of her previous Christmas album from 1997, minus the song, "As Long as There's Christmas".

Holiday is officially the 2nd full-length release from Alaska in Winter.

"Holiday" is a song by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, released as the third single from his fourth studio album, Tongue n' Cheek. It was produced by Calvin Harris, with chorus vocals by R&B singer Chrome. Harris originally wrote the song for girl group, The Saturdays, but it was rejected. The song was released digitally on 23 August 2009, with a physical copy that followed on 31 August 2009. The single debuted in the UK at number-one upon initial release, bringing Dizzee's total of number-one singles to three (four including charity singles), as well as marking the fourth top ten hit and twelfth top forty hit from the rapper.

"Holiday" is the fourth and final single released from Naughty by Nature's fifth album, Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury. It was released on October 20, 1999 and was the final release that Naughty by Nature released during their short-lived tenure at Arista Records. The song narrowly missed the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, instead making it to #1 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles. The song went Top 10 in Australia, becoming the group's biggest selling single there.

The song is built entirely around a dramatically slowed down sample of Change's 1980 #1 US Dance hit single A Lovers Holiday.

Holiday is a 1928 play by Philip Barry which was twice adapted to film. The original play opened in New York on November 26, 1928 at the Plymouth Theatre (now known as the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) and closed in June 1929, after 229 performances. It was directed by Arthur Hopkins, set design by Robert Edmond Jones, and costume design by Margaret Pemberton. It was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1928-1929.

"Holiday" is Vampire Weekend's third single from their album Contra. The video premiered on MTV.com on May 27, 2010. The song was featured in Christmas-themed television advertisements for Tommy Hilfiger and Honda during the 2010 holiday season. The single's b-side, "Ottoman", originally appeared on the soundtrack for the 2008 romantic comedy film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

"Holiday" is the fourth single from Vanessa Amorosi's fourth studio album Hazardous (2009). It was digitally released on 13 August 2010.

On Sunday, 22 August 2010 Amorosi performed the song as special guest live on the Australian light entertainment reality show " Dancing with the Stars" on Channel Seven.

"Holiday" is one of her favourite tracks on the album: "Holiday is inspired by a fantasy of escaping to a far off island, warm weather, with sand at my feet, partying all night and dancing till dawn", Amorosi explains. The accompanying video was shot in the UK and directed by Dan Ruttley.

Holiday was an American travel magazine published from 1946 to 1977. Originally published by the Curtis Publishing Company, Holiday's circulation grew to more than one million subscribers at its height, mainly through the genius of the former advertising man, Ted Patrick. They were famous for employing the world's best writers, such as Graham Greene, Jack Kerouac, Arthur C. Clarke, and Truman Capote, who published his autobiographical essay "Brooklyn Heights: A Personal Memoir" in the magazine. Holiday also used many leading photographers, and giving them a free hand (and a generous budget) to interpret the subject separately in whatever way they wished.

Holiday (foaled in 1911) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1914 Preakness Stakes. Owned by Mrs. A. Barklie, he was sired by Broomstick. Holiday was out of the mare Leisure, a daughter of Meddler.

Holiday is a Christmas album and the fourth studio album by Jennifer Paige, released digitally in 2012 and later limited physical copies on her official website.

Holiday is a Christmas music by American guitarist Russ Freeman. The album reached #5 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart.
Russ Freeman also serves as leader and frontman for the Rippingtons.

Holiday is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Billie Holiday (1915–1959), American singer
• Bob Holiday (born 1932), played Superman in the 1966 Broadway musical
• Carlyle Holiday (born 1981), American football wide receiver
• Clarence Holiday (1898–1937), American musician and the probable father of singer, Billie Holiday
• Eugene Holiday, first Governor of Sint Maarten
• Fredrick William Holiday (1920–1979), British journalist, angler, cryptozoologist, and wildlife specialist
• Harry Holiday (1924–1999), world record holder in the backstroke in the 1940s and a president of steelmaker American Rolling Mill Co. (Armco)
• Henry Holiday (1839–1927), English artist
• Hope Holiday (born 1938), born in New York, NY
• J. Holiday (born 1982), American R&B singer-songwriter
• Joe Holiday (born 1925), American jazz saxophonist born in Sicily
• Johnny Holiday (1912–2009), American actor
• Philip Holiday (born 1970), professional junior middleweight boxer
• Tasha Holiday, R&B singer who was signed to MCA Records in the 1990s
• Tony Holiday (1951–1990), German pop singer and songwriter
• A family of American sportspeople, made up of three brothers and the wife of one of the brothers:
  • Lauren Holiday (born 1987), soccer player
  • Justin Holiday (born 1989), basketball player
  • Jrue Holiday (born 1990), basketball player; husband of Lauren
  • Aaron Holiday (born 1996), basketball player

Holiday is a 2010 French comedy crime film directed by Guillaume Nicloux.

Holiday is the 21st album from R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire, and was released on October 21, 2014 for the holiday season. According to co-founder Verdine White, "We never thought about doing a holiday album before, but Legacy/Sony asked and so have our fans, so we hope the audience likes it." It was the final album to feature co-founder Maurice White prior to his death in February 2016.

Along with a number of traditional Christmas songs, Holiday includes two Earth, Wind & Fire songs that were re-worked just for this release:

• "Happy Seasons" (originally Happy Feelin' from That's the Way of the World, 1975)
• "December" (originally September from The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, 1978)