A holiday is a day set apart by law or custom, where normal daily activities, particularly work or school including social work, are either suspended or significantly reduced. In general, public holidays are designed to let people celebrate or honor an occasion or tradition of historical or cultural importance. There are many reasons why people celebrate holidays. It may be to commemorate the past or the future, it may be as a social obligation or as an exercise of free will. Holidays are also associated with religious observances.
Holidays like Christmas are celebrated in many countries around the world. The days are usually very busy with Christmas shopping and parties, and New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. In many parts of the United States, federal holidays are observed on December 24, January 1, and February 14. Many states have official state-wide holidays. Some local communities also have their own holiday namesakes or symbols, such as Christmas trees.
To ensure that employees have enough holiday pay, some employers give holiday pay to employees who take vacation days off. For instance, if an employee takes two days of vacation and is then hired for a special two-day Christmas Eve shift, they would still receive holiday pay. In these cases, the employer would not need to make up for the missed holiday by making up for the vacation hours, and would thus save money in holiday pay. This saves the company money because employees do not need to be paid for vacation days off. However, an employee may be able to get extra vacation pay for exceptional circumstances.
Under federal law, holiday pay does not include regular vacation or sick leave. For employees covered by federal law, overtime pay and continuation benefits are also not included in holiday pay. Overtime pay is usually paid after the conclusion of the workday, which can be in any calendar month, including weekends. Federal overtime laws usually state that workers must wait a minimum of one workday before they are eligible for overtime pay, while other states allow employers to pay immediately.
Because employers are not allowed to pay vacation and regular rate holiday pay at the same time, some employees have little motivation to go on vacation when they know they will not be able to get holiday pay. In addition, some employees who wish to go on vacation dread the expense of traveling to work and waiting in airport lines. They therefore choose to work over the holiday rather than taking off for vacation. This, however, is not good for the employer because it decreases productivity and results in reduced profit. To encourage employees to take vacation days, employers can provide travel benefits in the form of mileage points, car rentals, hotel expenses, and airline tickets.
Some people celebrate birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries with traditional parties and food. If you are planning to host an anniversary party or similar event, it is important to observe proper holiday etiquette when putting together the details. Holiday greetings cards and thank you notes are usually sent in advance of the actual event. The same goes for gifts and presents given to guests as well as family members on the anniversary date. It is important to note that, for the most part, it is rude or expected to give something more than the gift is worth to a guest (including the bill).