First and foremost, let’s start by wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all our US friends wherever you may be celebrating in the world. Most of you don’t need reminding that the fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving in the United States while the second Monday in October is when Canadians celebrate. However, do you know what makes Thanksgiving a holiday? And, when is a holiday a vacation?
A Simple Question of Semantics
Let’s start with an example. For some, Thanksgiving is the most important “holiday” of the year, with many US citizens turning the long weekend into a “vacation” by heading off to sunnier climes with family and/or friends. In this context, the term “holiday” in the United States refers to the specific date and festivity as first proclaimed by George Washington in 1789 and made nationwide by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863.
On the other hand, “vacation” describes the act of traveling or taking an extended period for recreation and leisure activities. Whether you choose to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at home with family or use the time off for a vacation is up to you.
So far so good…
A Closer Look at Holidays
Holiday in the US and Canada is the name given to what were traditionally seen as “holy” days as defined by the Christian calendar. These were days dedicated to festivities of recreation when no work was done. Traditionally these would be times of prayer and celebration. Nowadays, official public “holy-days” in North America refer to Christian observances such as Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving. Therefore, in North America, one would only use the word “holiday” when referring to such dates. Hence, the “Happy Holidays!” Christmas greetings.
Cousins Across the Atlantic Don’t take Vacations!
Before you begin to worry about the Brits not getting any vacation time, in the UK and Ireland, (also in Australia and New Zealand) the common vernacular for “vacation” is “holiday”. People would rarely say, “I’m taking a vacation to Mexico.” Rather, they would say “I’m going on holiday to Mexico.” A holiday to Mexico would probably involve a couple of weeks laid out on the sand, drinking margaritas until the skin has turned a hot Mexican pink color. It could happen any time of the year, not just during the “holy-days”.
Likewise, schools and universities break up for the summer holidays, the Christmas holidays and Easter holidays, not spring break or the summer vacation. To confuse matters more, holiday is often referred to as “hols”: “I’m off on my hols…!”
Now there’s no need to be confused when you hear about people going on holiday in the middle of summer. Any day can be a holiday!
Want to turn your holidays into a vacation to Mexico? Email us today, or call:
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