holiday season

American  

[hol-i-dey see-zuhn] / ˈhɒl ɪˌdeɪ ˈsi zən /

noun

1. a period of days or weeks in which two or more annual observances occur, especially in the United States, where it most often refers to the approximately 5–6 weeks from Thanksgiving in November to New Year’s Day in January.

   The kids will be singing Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa songs for the holiday season.

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Usage

What is the holiday season? The holiday season is the period that starts on Thanksgiving and continues until New Year’s Day. It includes the holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. The holiday season is sometimes called the holidays. These terms are typically used to refer collectively to all of the holidays that occur during this time, regardless of whether the person using the term celebrates them or not. In contrast, the terms Christmas season and Christmastime specifically refer to the period leading up to Christmas. People often wish each other a happy holiday season by saying happy holidays. Example: I start feeling all warm and fuzzy as soon as the holiday season begins.

Etymology

Origin of holiday season

First recorded in 1840–45

Example Sentences

Some of the Rock's 230 monkeys in frequent contact with tourists were observed to eat more dirt, and dirt-eating rates were seen to be higher during peak holiday season.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

His BattleBots team Seems Reasonable confirmed in a January Instagram tribute that Marks died over the holiday season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Macy’s wrapped up the holiday season on a strong note, posting an unexpected rise in same-store sales in the fourth quarter as its Bloomingdale’s brand propels its turnaround.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Shares had risen 40% over the last 12 months but had dropped 17% since Dec. 2, when the company issued a disappointing forecast for the holiday season.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of happiness that you can spend with your family, but this year turned out to be tragic.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers