Holidays “Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!”
Amanda Bradley
Holidays on The Infostarbase

Holiday is a contraction of holy and day, holidays originally represented special religious days. This word has evolved in general usage to mean any extra special day of rest (as opposed to regular days of rest such as the weekend). Countrywide, Holidays stands for when everybody plans for holidays or a break. Under many belief systems, days of rest are necessary for ritual or spiritual rejuvenation.

Holidays on the InfoStarBase offers a wealth of information about holidays, including their history and holiday-related activities.

Please enjoy our collection of holiday celebrations and stories.


Holidays


Holidays

  • Christmas Stories from Around the WorldChristmas, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 or January 7 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival.
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr DayMartin Luther King Jr. Day is a United States holiday marking the birthdate of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, January 15. It is one of three United States federal holidays to commemorate an individual person.
  • St. Valentine's DayValentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine.
  • The Easter Page - Traditions and HistoryEaster is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead two days after his crucifixion, and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, or Easter Sunday, two days after Good Friday.


Holidays


Saturnalia, or the festival of Saturn, was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of the vintage and harvesting to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture. As part of the festivities, masters served their slaves--an acknowledgment of the equality of rank and lack of class distinctions which existed during the golden age (supposedly ruled over by Saturn). Other observances included the exchanging of gifts, offering of sacrifices, and unrestrained merrymaking.


Santa Claus


Holidays Santa ClausIt is believed that the real St. Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. According to legend, his extraordinary kindness led him to give away all of his inherited wealth as he traveled the countryside helping the sick and poverty-stricken. Admiration for his philanthropy eventually grew into the legend of Santa Claus.


Holidays


Did you know that?


  • St. Valentine's Day evolved from the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia.

  • Halloween is generally considered to have evolved from Celtic festival known as Samhain, or the Celtic New Year.

  • The day after Thanksgiving begins the Christmas shopping season and is sometimes known as "Black Friday".

  • In 1981 the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 36/67 declaring an International Day of Peace.

  • The very first Father's Day celebration took place in Spokane, Washington in 1910.

  • Every year, the United States President is presented with at least one live turkey & two dressed turkeys by the National Turkey Federation.




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