‘Holiday’ vs ‘Vacation’
People who are working at jobs that require them to report to the office from 9 o’clock in the morning to 5 o’clock in the afternoon, Monday to Friday, are always watching out for holidays. It is the only time that they could spend with their friends and family, a time to go to the beach and just hang out and talk about things.
Of course, they can always take time off from work for a vacation or a leave of absence, but it would mean a decrease in their earnings when they retire. This is why a holiday is such a welcome break for them.
In some places, particularly in the UK, Canada, and Australia, the word ‘holiday’ is used to refer to time away from work or school. This is referred to in other parts of the world, like the United States, as a vacation which is a word that is seldom used in the UK and Australia.
In the U.S. and most other nations, a holiday is a day that is set aside to commemorate, celebrate, or observe religious and national events. Businesses and schools are usually closed during a holiday.
There are several types of holidays, namely:
‘¢ Religious, which comprise most of the holidays that are observed. Each Catholic religious patron has a feast day which is celebrated by the faithful. Islam has several holidays, the biggest and two of the most important of which are the Eid ul-Fitr that follows immediately after Ramadan and Eid al-Adha which comes after the Hajj. Hindus and other religions likewise have holidays.
‘¢ Northern hemisphere winter holidays, which is Christmas and the holiday season that starts at Thanksgiving in November and ends at New Year’s Eve.
‘¢ National holidays, which are based on a nation or country’s significant events in history.
‘¢ Secular holidays such as Earth Day and Labor Day which are internationally celebrated.
During holidays, especially those that fall on the day immediately before and after a weekend, most people take the time for a vacation and spend 2-3 days at a resort or in other places for recreation and rest.
This would be a short vacation, but then you can always take a long one with your friends and family. A long vacation would allow you to go to another country and see other places, have fun, play, and enjoy it with your loved ones.
Summary:
1. A holiday is a day set aside for commemoration, celebration, and observance of a religious or national event while a vacation is a day or a number of days set aside for the purpose of recreation and rest.
2. A holiday is a short period of time that you spend away from work while a vacation can be short or long depending on the availability of time.
3. In the UK, Canada, and Australia, a holiday has the same meaning as a vacation while in the US and other parts of the world a holiday and a vacation can refer to two different things.
4. A holiday usually involves celebrations and feasts while a vacation does not.