A holiday is a time outside the normal weekly routine, when there is a religious event, a public event (such as a bank holiday) or a longer break (a vacation).

Holidays have changed over the ages. Centuries ago the working year was very different to what it is toady in the developed world. In order to get enough food to eat, people had to work very hard in the planting, growing and harvesting times of the year. They had to hope that the weather would be good, and that pests would not ruin their crops. The time of year when people could relax was mid winter, because nothing could be done in the fields. So this was a time when many fairs were held. Visiting a fair was a time away from normal life - what we would understand as a vacation. But even so, only a few people were able to afford the time off because getting from one place to another was on foot and so very slow.

But the world was also ruled by religious events. These required people to make special celebrations, fastings, pilgrimages and so on at specific times of the year. Everyone understood that normal life would have to come to a halt on these religious days (far more than is the case today). These were Holy Days - holidays. The word holiday has since come to be used much more loosely than that.

In the 19th century some people began to earn enough money to be able to do something else in their free time. The coming of the railway was important in this, because it meant that people could go on a trip, even if it were just a day, or a weekend to the seaside, for example. They could leave (vacate) where they normally lived and go somewhere else, hence the world vacation to mean a longer holiday.

By the late 19th century, governments were putting in place rules concerning workers, and among these rules were times when everyone should stop work if possible. These became known as Bank Holidays in the UK and some other countries. Workers were then given paid time off. At first it was a week, and then two weeks, and now it is commonly 20 working days a year.

So increasing paid time off, together with cheaper and faster travel, meant that people could go farther and stay longer. Thus a week or two away is often called a vacation - a longer holiday away from home.