Holiday vs. Vacation — What's the Difference?

A period of exemption from work or duty.

An act or an instance of vacating.

A statutory time of rest from work.

A fixed holiday period between school terms.

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.

A scheduled period during which activity is suspended.

An extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling.

A period of suspension of work, study, or other activity.

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

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.

Spend a holiday in a specified place

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

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.

A holiday.

A religious feast day; a holy day.

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

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

The act or an instance of vacating.

To pass a holiday or vacation.

To take or spend a vacation.

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

Freedom from some business or activity.

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

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

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

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

A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).

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

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

An extended period of time away from work or school.

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

The act of vacating something; moving out.

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

The act of making legally void.

To spend a period of time in recreational travel.

(intransitive) To spend or take a vacation.

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

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

A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.

Intermission of a stated employment, procedure, or office; a period of intermission; rest; leisure.

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

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

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

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.

Occurring rarely; adapted for a special occasion.

The time when an office is vacant;

Leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure;

Leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure;

A day on which work is suspended by law or custom;

The act of making something legally void

Spend or take a vacation

Spend or take a vacation

A day of celebration, often of religious or national significance.

A period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation.

A time marked by a specific occasion or festivity.

A period during which a break is taken from work or studies for rest and relaxation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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."

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

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