holiday

[English4everyone]

Could you tell me the difference between holiday and holidays? When do we use either? Please explain it with some examples.
And what is vacation? Is it the American word for holiday(s)?

 

[bhaisahab]

Could you tell me the difference between holiday and holidays? When do we use either? Please explain it with some examples.
And what is vacation? Is it the American word for holiday(s)?

How would you use them?

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

holiday - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online

 

[SoothingDave]

In America, "holidays" are publicly recognized/celebrated days. On important holidays, people are usually off from work. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day are major holidays.

A "vacation" is personal time taken from work. I get 12 holidays a year (where the entire office is closed) and 15 vacation days. The number of vacation days varies according to the company you work for and how much seniority you have.

"Vacation" also refers to the act of traveling to some destination for fun. I took the family to Florida this year for vacation.

 

[emsr2d2]

And here is the BrE explanation:

A holiday (noun) is a time when you travel away from home for rest and relaxation, either in your own country or abroad, alone or with family and friends. Holidays is the plural.

I have booked a holiday to Italy in August with my boyfriend.
How many holidays are you going on this year?!
Only two. We went to France on holiday in March and then it's Italy in August.

A national holiday (what Dave referred to as recognised/celebrated days) is called a "Bank Holiday". Normally they fall on a Monday but over Christmas and Easter they can be other days of the week.

The two-week (approximate) period over Christmas is sometimes referred to as "the Christmas Holiday" or the "Christmas and New Year Holiday" because most people take leave from their job over that time.

The periods when children don't have to attend school are referred to as the school holidays. The Easter holiday is normally about 10 days long, the summer holiday is about six weeks long and the Christmas holiday is about two weeks.

We don't use the word "vacation".

 

[Rover_KE]

Could you tell me the difference between holiday and holidays?

See also the Similar Threads below.

Rover

 

[SoothingDave]

And here is the BrE explanation:

A holiday (noun) is a time when you travel away from home for rest and relaxation, either in your own country or abroad, alone or with family and friends. Holidays is the plural.

I have booked a holiday to Italy in August with my boyfriend.
How many holidays are you going on this year?!
Only two. We went to France on holiday in March and then it's Italy in August.

A national holiday (what Dave referred to as recognised/celebrated days) is called a "Bank Holiday". Normally they fall on a Monday but over Christmas and Easter they can be other days of the week.

The two-week (approximate) period over Christmas is sometimes referred to as "the Christmas Holiday" or the "Christmas and New Year Holiday" because most people take leave from their job over that time.

The periods when children don't have to attend school are referred to as the school holidays. The Easter holiday is normally about 10 days long, the summer holiday is about six weeks long and the Christmas holiday is about two weeks.

We don't use the word "vacation".

What do you call it when you take days off from work, but don't travel anywhere? I can be "on vacation" from work, but just stay at home.

 

[emsr2d2]

What do you call it when you take days off from work, but don't travel anywhere? I can be "on vacation" from work, but just stay at home.

You're on leave. We get a certain number of days' leave at our job. When we take a day, we take a day's leave. We are on leave [from work].

- Where's John today?
- He's on leave.
- Oh. Is he on holiday?
- No. He just took one day off to decorate his kitchen.

Line 2 of the dialogue shows that he has taken annual leave but it doesn't specify how much. Line 3 questions whether he has gone away somewhere on his leave. However, line 4 then explains that he has not taken leave to go on holiday, simply to do some DIY.

Really, it's no surprise that learners get confused over this. I take leave to go on holiday. You take holiday to go on vacation.

 

[JMurray]

In Aust/NZ the usage is similar to BrE as posted by emsr2d2, but a few differences come to mind.
An official single day off work and school (Anzac Day, Australia Day etc) is called a public holiday. Anything involving multiple days is normally referred to in the plural: Christmas Holidays, Easter Holidays, the school holidays.
We can have a holiday without leaving home.
a) So you took last week off work?
b) Yep, I felt like a holiday.
a) What did you get up to?
b) I played with the dog, worked in the garden, took it easy.

I don't think I've ever heard "vacation" in general conversation, but it does crop up in advertising, corporate brochures etc.

not a teacher