A holiday is a specific trip for the purpose of recreation or tourism. It is considered to be a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official (more common) or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations or festivities.
Through the whole world and all the religions out there, there is at least one holiday that is very and widely celebrated. Some are religious, some are secular… The holiday everyone celebrates (but maybe not at the same time) is The New Year’s Eve, of course. Depending on the time zone, it comes to each country within a day, except for China, where it depends on the moon and comes in February. Other two, also big holidays are Christmas in the Christian world and Eid (Eid ul Fitar and Eid ul Adha) in the Muslim religion.
What Are Some of the Most Celebrated Holidays in the World?
There are many holidays throughout the world that are celebrated with great pomp and circumstance. Some of the most celebrated holidays include Christmas, New Year’s, Hanukkah, Easter, and Fourth of July. Each of these holidays has a different tradition and is celebrated in a different way. However, they all have one thing in common – people from all around celebrate them with family and friends.
There are much more holidays around the world, so let’s take a close look at top 10 most celebrated annual holidays out of them.
10 Most Celebrated Holidays You’ve Never Heard Of:
10. Spring Bank UK
Spring Bank Holiday in United Kingdom, also known as the late May bank holiday, is a time for people in the United Kingdom to have a day off work or school. It falls on the last Monday of May but it used to be on the Monday after Pentecost. For many people the spring bank holiday is a pleasant day off work or school.
Some people choose to take a short trip or vacation. Others use the time to walk in the country, catch up with family and friends, visit garden centers or do home maintenance. However, in some parts of the United Kingdom, there are some customs associated with this day.
9. Basant
Vasanta or Basant is one of the six ritus (seasons) corresponding to spring. In Punjab India Vasant is celebrated as most auspicious festival than any other. People from all over India gathered here to feel the purity of this spring season.
Vasant Panchami has its own joy and pleasure. Every year Kite Festival is celebrated in many states of India. This is cultural festival and commonly celebrated in India and Pakistan on same days.
8. Easter
Easter is a Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament. It is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday, commemorating Maundy and the Last Supper, as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday.
7. Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally ran from Chinese New Year’s Day itself, the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar.
Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar. The Chinese New Year is often referred to as the “Lunar New Year”.
6. Diwali
Deepavali (Diwali) known as the “festival of lights,” is primarily a five day Hindu festival which starts on Dhanteras, celebrated on thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin and ends on Bhaubeej, celebrated on second lunar day of Shukla paksha of the Hindu calendar month Kartik.
In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.
5. Valentine’s Day
This is a holiday everyone knows and celebrates, but not many know its origins. We’ve some informative articles on Valentine’s Day. What are most amazing facts about Valentine’s Day? and what are best ways to celebrate this romance full day?
Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them. It is one of the most celebrated holiday around the world second to New Year’s Day. Also Valentine’s Day is the second most popular card-giving holiday (only Christmas is more popular).
4. Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha (the Greater Eid, Bakrid), is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honor the willingness of the prophet ʾIbrāhīm (Abraham) to sacrifice his young first-born son Ismā’īl (Ishmael) as an act of submission to God’s command and his son’s acceptance to being sacrificed, before God intervened to provide Abraham with a Lamb to sacrifice instead.
In the lunar Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days. In the international Gregorian calendar, the dates vary from year to year, drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.
3. Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). The religious Eid is a single day and Muslims are not permitted to fast that day.
The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. This is a day where Muslims around the world try to show a common goal of unity. It’s third most celebrated holiday around the world.
2. Christmas
This is an annual and widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world. It is the day when Jesus was born, so it is celebrated as a very happy holiday. Because according to Christianism, Jesus came to save people’s souls from hell and help them repent and gain the redemption of the soul.
Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world’s nations. Also it is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.
1. New Year
New Year is definitely the oldest celebrated holiday, though it wasn’t always beginning on the 1st of January. The celebration of the New Year began with people from Babylon, 4000 years ago! They celebrated it during the New Moon.
However, with most countries now using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, New Year’s Day is the closest thing to being the world’s only truly global public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts.
Which Holidays are the Biggest Causes for Celebration?
Christmas and New Year’s are two of the most celebrated holidays in the world. Other popular holidays include Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Fourth of July. Interestingly, each of these holidays has a different origin story. Christmas is based on the biblical story of Jesus being born to a virgin and his disciples celebrating his birth while New Year’s is based on the ancient Norse tradition of honoring the new year. Valentine’s Day celebrates love between two people, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Fourth of July celebrates America’s independence from Britain.
Most Celebrated Holidays in US: Santa Claus, Easter, and Thanksgiving
The most celebrated holidays in the United States are Santa Claus, Easter, and Thanksgiving. These holidays are enjoyed by many people of all ages and backgrounds. For many, these holidays represent a time of joy and celebration. Santa Claus is celebrated on December 25th, Easter is celebrated on April 16th, and Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 27th.
The Most Patriotic holidays: 4th of July and Memorial Day
There are many patriotic holidays celebrated throughout the year. However, two of the most celebrated holidays in America are the 4th of July and Memorial Day. These holidays commemorate important events in American history, and they are enjoyed by people of all ages.
The 4th of July is known as Independence Day, and it celebrates the day on which the United States became a free and independent nation. Memorial Day is commemorated every year on May 25th to honor those who have died in service to their country. These two holidays are among the most celebrated in America, and they are enjoyed by people from all walks of life.
The Most Wacky Holiday Parties: 4th of July Picnic, Hanuk
When it comes to celebrations, the Fourth of July is definitely no slouch. Americans have been celebrating this patriotic holiday for well over 200 years now, and it’s still one of the most celebrated holidays in the country. From barbecues to picnics, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this national holiday. Here are five of the wackiest Fourth of July parties we’ve come across.
1) The 4th of July picnic that takes place in a replica of The Oval Office. This event features a live band playing patriotic music, as well as President Barack Obama himself making an appearance! Guests can sit in on presidential interviews or just enjoy some delicious BBQ food while taking in a view straight out of history.
2) The Hanukkah Picnic at Rockefeller Center is always a hit.
