Vacation

For other uses, see Vacation (disambiguation).

Vacationers at the beach in Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom
Average number of vacation days over time in various countries

A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or school or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for specific festivals or celebrations. Vacations are often spent with friends or family.[1] Vacations may include a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism.

A person may take a longer break from work, such as a sabbatical, gap year, Holiday entitlement[2] or career break.

The concept of taking a vacation is a recent invention, and has developed through the last two centuries. Historically, the idea of travel for recreation was a luxury that only wealthy people could afford (see Grand Tour). In the Puritan culture of early America, taking a break from work for reasons other than weekly observance of the Sabbath was frowned upon. However, the modern concept of vacation was led by a later religious movement encouraging spiritual retreat and recreation. The notion of breaking from work periodically took root among the middle and working class.[3]

  1. ^ Swanson, Emily; Harpaz, Beth J. "This is the No. 1 thing Americans want to do on vacation". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  2. ^ Government Digital Service (10 October 2024). "Holiday entitlement".
  3. ^ All Things Considered (17 June 2009). "The History of the Vacation Examined". NPR. Retrieved 2 February 2015.