The church boxes does make sense.
As to working through the "holidays", I have a husband who barely takes any time off at all and he works through the lot to give the other men a day off -farm life is terribly tying.
In fact he has only taken 3 days off all year apart from 2 days after having a carpal tunnel op. in March instead of the prescribed 3 weeks total rest...then he wondered why is took longer to be right again.
(Oops forgive me - sounding off about workaholic husband again!)
For the PC brigade -insn't holiday another way of saying Holy Day?