According to the dictionary, the word "holiday" comes from "holy day." Some holidays we celebrate in the U.S. come from holy days that were set by the Christian church long ago -- Christmas is a good example. Every religion has days or times of the year that are especially important and are called holidays. Many cultures set aside time to celebrate seasonal and historical events too. Governments can also declare a day as a holiday to honor important events or people. In 1986, the U.S. Congress created Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday on the third Monday of January.

- Answer provided by Yahooligans' Ask Earl