Ask Difference

Holiday vs. Vacation — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 5, 2023
Holiday" generally refers to a day of observance or celebration. "Vacation" usually means a period one takes off from work or school for relaxation.
Holiday vs. Vacation — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Holiday and Vacation

ADVERTISEMENT

Key Differences

The term "Holiday" primarily signifies a specific day or period designated for celebration or remembrance, often recognizing religious, national, or cultural events. In contrast, "Vacation" refers to an extended period of leisure, typically taken to relax, travel, or take a break from work or school.
In different global contexts, "Holiday" may also imply a period of leave from work or study, similar to "Vacation" in American English. However, "Vacation" in the U.S. context doesn’t typically allude to any special commemorative or celebratory connotations, as "Holiday" might.
"Holiday" usually conveys a collective or universal timeframe, where many people simultaneously engage in similar celebratory activities or observances. "Vacation," on the other hand, is generally a personal or family event, with the timing chosen by the individual or group taking it.
A "Holiday" may often be a statutory requirement, where organizations and institutions observe closures or reduced hours. However, a "Vacation" is usually at the discretion of the individual, who decides when to take it, often based on work, school, or personal considerations.
While a "Holiday" might have traditional, prescribed, or customary activities associated with it, a "Vacation" is often a blank slate, where the individual or group decides how to spend the time. Both terms bring in connotations of leisure and relaxation, yet "Holiday" often carries additional social, cultural, or religious significance.
ADVERTISEMENT

Comparison Chart

Basic Meaning

A day of celebration or observance
An extended period of leisure and relaxation

Usage

Often collective and widely observed
Generally individual or family-specific

Work Relevance

Might be a day off work for many
Time off work, usually planned and approved

Cultural Connotation

Often has cultural, religious, or national significance
Primarily associated with leisure, no cultural significance

Example Usage

Christmas is a public holiday.
She took a two-week vacation to Hawaii.

Compare with Definitions

Holiday

A period of exemption from work or duty.
He’s on holiday and will return next week.

Vacation

An act or an instance of vacating.
During his vacation from work, he avoided checking his emails.

Holiday

A statutory time of rest from work.
Banks and offices are closed during the holiday.

Vacation

A fixed holiday period between school terms.
The university closes for winter vacation.

Holiday

A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tradition of cultural or religious significance.

Vacation

A scheduled period during which activity is suspended.
Schoolchildren are on vacation in July and August.

Holiday

An extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling.
I spent my summer holidays on a farm
Fred was on holiday in Spain

Vacation

A period of suspension of work, study, or other activity.
She is currently on vacation and will return next month.

Holiday

A short period during which the payment of instalments, tax, etc. may be suspended
A pension holiday

Vacation

A vacation (American English), or holiday (British English), is a leave of absence from a regular job, or a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances, or for specific festivals or celebrations.

Holiday

Spend a holiday in a specified place
He is holidaying in Italy

Vacation

A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.

Holiday

A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event.

Vacation

A holiday.

Holiday

A religious feast day; a holy day.

Vacation

A fixed period of holidays, especially one during which a school, court, or business suspends activities.

Holiday

Chiefly British A vacation. Often used in the phrase on holiday.

Vacation

The act or an instance of vacating.

Holiday

To pass a holiday or vacation.

Vacation

To take or spend a vacation.

Holiday

A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed.
Today is a Wiccan holiday!

Vacation

Freedom from some business or activity.

Holiday

A day declared free from work by the state or government.

Vacation

(obsolete) Free time given over to a specific purpose; occupation, activity.

Holiday

A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.

Vacation

A period during which official activity or business is formally suspended; an official holiday from university, law courts etc.

Holiday

A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
I want to take a French course this summer holiday.

Vacation

(North America) A holiday; a stretch of leisure time away from work or duty and devoted to rest or pleasure.

Holiday

(finance) A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.
A mortgage payment holiday

Vacation

An extended period of time away from work or school.
Spring vacation offers a good opportunity to travel.

Holiday

A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.

Vacation

The act of vacating something; moving out.
The Conservative Party’s vacation of the centre ground gave an opportunity to its opponents.

Holiday

(intransitive) To take a period of time away from work or study.

Vacation

The act of making legally void.

Holiday

To spend a period of time in recreational travel.

Vacation

(intransitive) To spend or take a vacation.
This year, we’re vacationing in Mexico.

Holiday

A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event. See Holyday.

Vacation

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

Holiday

A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.
And young and old come forth to playOn a sunshine holiday.

Vacation

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.

Holiday

A day fixed by law for suspension of business; a legal holiday.

Vacation

Intermission of judicial proceedings; the space of time between the end of one term and the beginning of the next; nonterm; recess.

Holiday

Of or pertaining to a festival; cheerful; joyous; gay.

Vacation

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.

Holiday

Occurring rarely; adapted for a special occasion.
Courage is but a holiday kind of virtue, to be seldom exercised.

Vacation

The time when an office is vacant;

Holiday

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

Vacation

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

Holiday

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

Vacation

The act of making something legally void

Holiday

Spend or take a vacation

Vacation

Spend or take a vacation

Holiday

A day of celebration, often of religious or national significance.
Independence Day is a national holiday in the United States.

Vacation

A period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation.
They went on a vacation to the mountains.

Holiday

A time marked by a specific occasion or festivity.
Over the holiday, families often gather and celebrate together.

Holiday

A period during which a break is taken from work or studies for rest and relaxation.
We’re thinking of going to Spain for our summer holiday.

Common Curiosities

Do schools have vacations?

Yes, schools typically have vacations, like summer or winter break.

Can "Vacation" refer to a single day?

Typically, no. "Vacation" usually indicates a period, whereas a single day off might simply be a "day off."

Can any celebratory day be a holiday?

A "Holiday" usually refers to widely recognized and often legally established days of celebration or observance.

Is "Holiday" always a non-working day?

Not always. Some holidays are non-working days, but others aren't universally recognized, depending on the country and employer.

Can "Holiday" refer to a period, like "Vacation"?

In British English, yes. In American English, "Holiday" typically refers to specific days.

Can a "Vacation" be a staycation?

Yes, a "Vacation" where one stays at home is often referred to as a "staycation."

Can a "Holiday" be unofficial?

Yes, some holidays, like Valentine’s Day, are celebrated but not official public holidays.

Is "Holiday" the same as "Vacation"?

In the U.S., "Holiday" refers to a day of observance, while "Vacation" is a leisure period. In the U.K., "Holiday" can mean "Vacation."

Is "Vacation" only a leisure trip?

Not always. "Vacation" refers to taking a break from regular work or duties, which may or may not involve travel.

Can "Vacation" refer to a public day of rest?

Not typically. "Vacation" usually refers to personal time off, not public days of rest, which would be "Holidays."

Share Your Discovery

Share via Social Media
Embed This Content
Embed Code
Share Directly via Messenger
Link
Previous Comparison
Aliphatic vs. Aromatic
Next Comparison
Claw vs. Jaw

Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

Popular Comparisons

Trending Comparisons

New Comparisons

Trending Terms