School holidays are days during the school year when students recognize and participate in national and cultural celebrations. They can occur when schools are open as well as when they are closed. When schools are closed for more than a day for holiday celebrations, such as Christmas or Easter, the closure is often called a vacation or a school break. When holiday celebrations, such as Halloween and Valentine's Day in the United States, are held when schools are open, instructional time is typically refocused on classroom parties and holiday activities.

School holidays vary throughout the world. For example, students in Kenya celebrate All Saints Day and students in China celebrate Children's Day. Neither of these holidays is generally celebrated in U.S. public schools. Even when the ...