Festivities - Holidays



There are many fun holidays and
celebrations that we observe.

Below is a brief and interesting history
of the origin of the 'holiday'.

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HOLIDAYS:

The word holiday comes from the Old English for the words meaning 'holy day'.  The word originally referred only to special religious days.

In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work or school.

Can be secular, religious, national, or cultural.

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 has most 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.


Other 'darker' reasons for holidays as they are celebrated today:

Witches' Sabbath 2:  Any of eight neo-pagan religious festivals commemorating phases of the changing seasons

Day of the week set aside for worship and observance of religious duties in Judaism and Christianity. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until sunset the next day, during which time no ordinary work or act of labor is performed.

For most Christian denominations, the Sabbath is on Sunday; prescribed conduct varies considerably, but attendance at worship services is a feature common to all. In Islam, Friday is the day of worship.




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