Why do British say holiday instead of vacation?

Vacation comes from the French vacances (in French the word is always plural) whereas British English uses a word that derives from Holy Day. Americans use “holiday” to mean an officially recognized day of significance, whether religious or not: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day (!!), etc.

What do the British call a holiday?

bank holiday
In American English, a holiday is a single day or group of days when people do not work, often to commemorate an important event. In British English, a day like this is called a bank holiday or a public holiday.

Why are vacations called holidays?

The word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg (hālig “holy” + dæg “day”). The word originally referred only to special religious days. In North America, it means any dedicated day or period of celebration. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, holiday is often used instead of the word vacation.

Do Brits call Christmas a holiday?

The word Christmas is no exception; some Brits will informally call it Chrimbo. In Britain (and several Commonwealth countries), Boxing Day is the day following Christmas which serves nowadays as a bank/public holiday.

What’s the difference between holiday and holidays?

Holiday, without an S, is a singular noun that generally refers to a specific celebrated event or day. You say the word holiday because it’s a commonly recognized day of celebration. Holidays, with an S, is a plural noun that refers to a specific span of celebrated time that’s often socially recognized.

How do you use the word holiday?

We often refer to the summer (especially August) as the “holiday period”. This phrase (or the “holidays”) can also apply to Christmas. “Holiday” can also be used as an adjective, as in “holiday period”. Other examples are “holiday clothes”, “holiday mood”.

What do British call ornaments?

Word forms: baubles A bauble is a small, cheap ornament or piece of jewelry. Christmas trees decorated with colored baubles.

Do Americans eat figgy pudding?

Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood. In America, Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.