high days and holidays special occasions. informal

☞ In the Church's calendar a high day was the day of an important festival. A holiday (originally holy day) was similar but less specific. Holiday now refers to any day off, without any sacred significance, and so holy day is used if a specifically religious occasion is intended.

2013Gloucestershire Echo One of the tasks delegated to me was … to purchase cakes on colleagues' birthdays and other high days and holidays.