Although the words “leave” and “holiday” can and are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two.
A “leave” is something that you take on your own; it is something that you apply for and when it is granted you are allowed to be away from work for some time. Someone usually authorises your leave. And when you take “leave” it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be sitting at home enjoying yourself. You could be working. For example, we have “duty leave”, “study leave”, and “leave of absence”. In these cases, the person may not be coming to office, but he will be doing his work elsewhere.
The word “holiday” comes from “holy day”; originally, it was a day of rest from work for everyone. Nowadays, there’s nothing holy about a holiday. If you say that tomorrow is a holiday, what you are saying is that everyone, not just you, is getting the day off. Unlike “leave” one needn’t apply for “holiday”. We have national holidays, state government holidays, and what not. The word “holiday” usually suggests that there is no work involved. It is going to be a day or a period of time when you are going to enjoy yourself, usually away from home.
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