When we in NYC talk about 'the Holidays', we mean the period
from late November to New Year's Day. 'Holiday' in the singular
can refer to anything from Easter to 'Talk Like a Pirate Day',
depending on the person. 'Vacation' usually means a trip of at
least a week away from your home base. As I understand it, the
term came into being during the 19th century. During the hot
months, wealthy people would close down their town houses. Women
and children would be sent off to cooler, relaxing places such
as the Catskills or Eastern end of Long Island. men continued to
see to business. During the week they boarded at their Clubs and
visited their families on the weekends. This was the time that
major repairs and cleaning could be done to the city house
without discomfort to the family. Because the house was vacated.
The summer became known as 'Vacation' and the term filtered into
general use.