HOLIDAY, aka California Holiday, dinnerware introduced to market 1948.  Designed 1947 by Edith Kiertner Heath, (who later started her own pottery). 

Spicy colors:  All glossy speckled, rich complex shades: Cinnamon Brown, Ginger yellow (a complex ochre shade - Laurel made a bright yellow glaze too, but not for Holiday),  Nutmeg Pink (a muted beige pink), Sage Grey, (Laurel seems never to spell it Gray), Mint Green (a dark green I guess not unlike a fresh mint leaf, but certainly nothing like the pastel shade many of us now consider mint), and, introduced much later: Citron aka Moss Green (an avocado/guacamole shade complex hue of yellow green).  It may be important for you who are learning Laurel to note that these exact same glazes are used again on later lines, notably SeaSide (aka Seaside aka California Seaside). You cannot identify Holiday by its' glazes alone!  And incidentally, though the colors/glazes are the same, the color names evidently did not apply to Seaside, at least not so much as we've seen. 

Sage Grey, Spicey Turquoise, Nutmeg Pink, Ginger Yellow, Citron. Mint Green, Cinnamon Brown.

Although Citron pieces marked Holiday are found they seem more scarce...and no ads or ephemera we've seen mentions this one color, excepting a kitchen accessory advertisment for Laurel's Pie Plate available (also in) "Citron" - the only source we yet have for the name.

Let me digress and ramble a bit: additional colors were available in Seaside, do view Seaside guide for addtl. info.  Citron, (at least) has also been found on shapes considered California Living (though without backstamp naming line).  Seaside is not marked as such! Usually something like "Laurel Potteries" or such, but never to date with pattern name.  Living may or may not have pattern name, and Holiday may or may not have pattern name in backstamp.  Actually Holiday often or ussually is stamped.  Laurel had several glossy speckled glazes, and many (but not all) of these were interchanged between several lines.  To confound things Laurel was inconsistent or poor about identification by backstamping, and they also made a few patterns or groups of pieces glazed in shiney speckled glazes that  to date still elude identification.  However many of those are found in shades not quite the same as used on Holiday. Whew!  Still, because of shared glazes confusing lines is too easy with Laurel.  (And beware that Santa Anita, Redwing, and other companies might have unmarked pieces in very similar glazes that novices easily mistake to be Laurel.)

Holiday serving pieces often have a distinctive pedestal, unique to Holiday, (though some redesigned pieces do not):   (Photos: Three gravies footed; Creamer and Sugar, Mint Green and Ginger Yellow - with and without pedestal; some of the bowls in Ginger and Cinnamon -the largest is 9.5inches across:)

The berry bowl is 5.25 inches dia.; the deep cereal is 6.25 inches in dia.; the Serving bowl is 9.5 inches dia.  There is another deep (soup?) c. 7 inches if I recall rightly, and one or two other serving bowls of unremembered size (sorry - I dont trust my memory but maybe 8.5 inches and maybe 11.5 inches...I don't rememebr. sorry.)  (see another bowl photo lower down)

10" welled snack plate with typical Cup. Mint Green:

The handles you see are also distinctive: helping to identify unmarked pieces.  Both on lids, and loop handles, which have a little thumb rest atop; you will not see these on other patterns,

Edith put a chip resistant band around the rims of her bowls and cups.  In an interview with employee who trimmed, she said Plant manager Reardon was often barking at the trimmers not to trim the rim band off, "we paid alot of money for that design!"  This is a distinguishing feature and helps identify Holiday.  The photo of these serving bowls  adequately reveals this rim treatment.  (Sage, Nutmeg, Turquoise)

This band is subtle.  It is also on dinnerplates, well, actually all plates. On plates it is quite subtle.  But this subtle difference can distiguish it from Seaside (and Living and other lines) upon close comparison.  These other lines used a footed coup plate with no subtle rim re-inforcement/band, but again, they are very easy for less experienced to confuse.  (Esp. when both glazes and  diameters are the same as Holiday, too.)  So you sellers, take note!

Originally distributed by N.S. Gustin this good design award winning dinnerware line was later (by 1952) sold in Montgomery Wards catalogues.

12 inch chop plates are commonly found.  10 inch Dinner Plates.  7 inch Sides Plates.  8.5inch Plate has been seen by me ONCE.   

I wish I still had the photos I had made.  They got destroyed by unfortunate circumstances.  Someday I might haul all this out of the attic, rephotograph it, etc...but no time soon.  Meanwhile look in Mike Pratt's book (see my reviews): Several photos of it are in that.  He lists the pieces shapes in appendices. 

I'm sorry I not longer have photos to show and discuss for a more coherant overview.  Just a couple more random bits of information follow:

Nesting Kitchen bowls were available:  (cinnamon, turquoise, sage grey, nutmeg pink, citron.)  It is not believed these were designed by Edith Heath, but Laurel made them as accesory to other Holiday and Seaside, (and in other glazes to complement most other lines, also).

Holiday has the distinction of being the first entire line designed for Laurel.  However Heath designs only this one line.  Many lines were designed by Ted Scarpino (LIFE, SeaSide, Cerama-Stone, probably Parade).  At least one line is credited to Caleb Jackson (California Living).  The Plant had gone through a series of events and ownership changes, and was now in the hands (allowing for shifts and position adjustments) it would remain more or less until Sylvan comes along.  Nancy Ann relinquished her interest in the plant (and other plants) after quitting production of dolls from clay (fired right alongside dinnerwares!)  NS Gustin, (who commisioned ceramic products from several sources), commissioned another line (California Living) from Laurel, but Edith went on to do her own thing (with much assistance from Gustin), starting Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, CA.  and making some most excellent wares right on into current history, including another line she designed in '48 which has been continually produced to this day.

Though we consider Holiday a distictive line, easy to ID by shape, generally, an exceptional few cups and plates we  have been found in glazes we normally see on Mariposa, and backstamped USA ware, CALIFORNIA WARE, or CALIFORNIA USA all in a circle such as this one:

The non speckled glazes (right stack) are Mariposa Glazes, (Gray, Turquoise, Delph Blue, Coral, Yellow)  on Edith's SHAPE for Holiday, but I've never found one marked Holiday.

Restyling of flatware occured.  Note these saucer varients (smaller foot on Cinnamon Brown). 

I am terribly sorry I no longer have all the wonderful photos I once had.  What a pity.