The term 'short holiday' can refer to a few different types of holidays. The two crossword solutions for this term are 'BREAK' and 'XMAS'. A BREAK is a period of time away from work or school, usually lasting a few days. XMAS is an abbreviation for Christmas, a Christian holiday celebrated on December 25th each year. Both of these holidays are relatively short compared to other holidays, such as summer vacation or Easter.