A holiday is a day designated by government or custom where most normal activities, particularly work or school involving study, are halted or completely reduced for that day. In general such holidays are designed to let people celebrate or commemorate an occasion or belief of special cultural or religious importance. For example, Christmas is a public holiday observed in many parts of the world during the Christmas season. On that day, family and friends visit one another and share gifts. In most places, the celebration ends with the giving of Christmas trees, decorated with lights, twigs, ornaments. However, in some countries like Singapore, Malaysia, China and some other nations, the celebration continues even after the Christmas tree has been cut down or the gifts have been exchanged.
As mentioned, such a holiday is usually planned by the government or by local municipalities. The duration of such a holiday usually varies, with some times available for public holidays lasting only a couple of days and others lasting several weeks. In some countries like Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan or Hong Kong, a public holiday is celebrated for a longer period of time. Some cultures celebrate a national holiday as early as January, while others wait till the end of March or the beginning of April. This, however, depends on the jurisdiction of the country concerned.
A holiday can be expensive for families. Usually, hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, theme parks and other forms of tourism offer packages for holidaymakers to help them plan and manage their expenditures. These packages involve booking rooms, meals, sightseeing and so on for holidaymakers. In return, the accommodation providers give money-saving discounts and special offers to families. For families who want to take advantage of these offers, they must book holiday packages before going on a holiday so as to secure discounts.