Easter ~ Saint Patrick's Day
A holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observation is warranted. It is generally an official (more common) or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations or festivities.
The word holiday derived from the notion of "Holy Day", and gradually evolved to its current form. The word holiday comes from the Old English word haligdag. 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 (source: wikipedia.org)