The word “holiday,” not surprisingly, derives from “holy day,” which was originally “a day of dedication to religious observance.”  Since those earlier times, it has come to mean both religious and secular observances.  Here at HGP, however, we’ve come to interpret “holiday” as any excuse to have a party.  Therefore, we wholeheartedly encourage Ms. Mary Ann Joblonski to continue her research on the history of anything that could even be remotely considered a holiday.