MAY DAY AND HOLIDAYS

Good morning everyone.

Tomorrow, May 1st, is May Day, so it is a holiday. Therefore, tomorrow there will be no Essential Weekly Vitamin for Spanish-speaking students of English.

Today we look at a Daily Vitamin that was originally sent in August of 2004.

What is the difference between these two questions?

1) Did you have a nice vacation?

2) Did you have a nice holiday?

They both translate to Spanish as vacaciones, but (1) is more common in the US and (2) is more common in the UK.

Holiday or Holidays (UK): A period of time when you don't have to go to school or to work (for example, the summer holidays).

Vacation (US): A period of time when you don't have to go to school or to work (for example, summer vacation).

Holidays or Holiday Season (US): The period of time around Christmas and New Year's.

Holiday (US): a single day when people don't go to school or work. It is sometimes referred to as a public holiday.

Bank Holiday (UK): This is the equivalent of holiday or public holiday in the US, a day off from work. In the UK public holiday is also sometimes used.

Remember that there can be a lot of variation with these dialectical differences. These are only tendencies that I have observed myself.  

If you have any questions about today's Daily Vitamin, please post them in the Daily Vitamin Plus! forum section on our website (www.ziggurat.es).

Have a great long weekend!