Well, we’re a week out from break.  I imagine your mind is tempted to head off to vacation early, though there is much to do before we’re done.  Let me encourage you to stay focused for just a bit longer.

But, if you do find yourself thinking about the upcoming holiday season, you might at least think about what it even means to be a holiday season.

The word holiday itself comes from the Old English, hāligdæg, meaning‘holy day’.  Holidays were originally sacred days, dedicated or consecrated to God.  But today, the standard definition of a holiday is a day of festivities or recreation when no work is done.  In Britain, it is often the word they use simply to mean, “vacation”—like, “we’re on holiday at the beach.”

Notably, as the meaning of the word has changed, there’s been quite a change in its usage as well.  The word “holiday” is used about six times more frequently today than it was in 1800; while the word “holy” is used about four times less frequently.  Our holidays, it seems, are much less holy than they used to be.

This week, I hope you’ll be thinking a great deal about math, and science, and history, and literature—that is our present task.  But if you find yourself thinking about the holidays, pause for a moment and consider: Are you looking forward to a day of recreation or consecration?  Are you looking forward to a holiday…or to a holy day?