What does 'Holiday/s' mean?

[oz diva]

What does that mean to you?

It means a time off work/school for me. Can be Easter/Christmas or it can be a time to go away during the year.

I realised in another thread that it probably doesn't mean that to some Ehellions.

[RingTailedLemur]

It means time off work, or flying/driving off somewhere to sit in the sun/visit another place etc for a week or two.

[Nikko-chan]

Stress. It means time with family and awkward conversations where I don't get a word in edgewise. And it's going to be even more awkward this year...

[perpetua]

'Holiday' to me is like the OP - time off work, the time when you go away somewhere, what US folks would call a 'vacation', ie, 'I'm on holiday'.

Christmas/Easter etc are just referred to by their names rather than being called 'the holidays': ie, 'what are you doing for Christmas?'

[camlan]

Holiday in the US can have a couple of meanings.

In general, "the holidays" is the time between Thanksgiving at the end of November to New Year's Day.

"Have a happy holiday!" or "Happy Holidays!" are generic greetings/sayings when you don't know what religious holiday someone celebrates, Christmas or Hanukkah or the Winter Solstice or nothing at all. Most people in the US celebrate Thanksgiving and New Years, so it tends to fit a variety of people without offending.

"Tomorrow is a holiday," usually refers to a day off from work, one of the scheduled Federal holidays, such as Christmas or Labor Day or the Fourth of July.

However, having several days off work, when you might go somewhere else, is a "vacation." Most jobs allow employees two weeks of vacation a year, sometimes more the longer you work there. When school lets out for the summer, it's "summer vacation." There's a short gap for schools, usually a week, when they are closed for Christmas and New Year's. When I was a kid, that was Christmas vacation. Now it is usually called "winter vacation" or something similar.

[Yvaine]

However, having several days off work, when you might go somewhere else, is a "vacation." Most jobs allow employees two weeks of vacation a year, sometimes more the longer you work there. When school lets out for the summer, it's "summer vacation." There's a short gap for schools, usually a week, when they are closed for Christmas and New Year's. When I was a kid, that was Christmas vacation. Now it is usually called "winter vacation" or something similar.

Yup, and then "break" is another word that is sometimes used when it's from school--spring break, Thanksgiving break, winter break.

[WillyNilly]

Holiday in the US can have a couple of meanings.

In general, "the holidays" is the time between Thanksgiving at the end of November to New Year's Day.

"Have a happy holiday!" or "Happy Holidays!" are generic greetings/sayings when you don't know what religious holiday someone celebrates, Christmas or Hanukkah or the Winter Solstice or nothing at all. Most people in the US celebrate Thanksgiving and New Years, so it tends to fit a variety of people without offending.

"Tomorrow is a holiday," usually refers to a day off from work, one of the scheduled Federal holidays, such as Christmas or Labor Day or the Fourth of July.

However, having several days off work, when you might go somewhere else, is a "vacation." Most jobs allow employees two weeks of vacation a year, sometimes more the longer you work there. When school lets out for the summer, it's "summer vacation." There's a short gap for schools, usually a week, when they are closed for Christmas and New Year's. When I was a kid, that was Christmas vacation. Now it is usually called "winter vacation" or something similar.

This ^

In general people in the US don't "go on holiday" or have a "summer holiday" from school - that's "vacation".  A holiday is a specific date (Christmas, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving), when plural its usually referring to close together specific dates - Thanksgiving/Christmas/Chanukah/New Years are often squished into being called "holidays" as one solid group ("what are you doing for the holidays?" "happy holidays" "holiday meal planning" etc).  It can also mean Easter/Passover ("any holiday plans for the weekend?") when speaking to someone who's religion you aren't familiar with.

We do have minor holidays, like Presidents Day, and major ones like Memorial Day and some are Federal holidays (Veteran's Day) where really only government (local or national) employees get a day off of work versus everyone holidays (New Years Day) where just about everyone except 'can't take off' jobs (hospital staff, police, etc) get a day off.

[QueenfaninCA]

The meaning depends on which side of the pond you live:

In British English holiday means not working or actually traveling. In American English that's called vacation.

In American English holiday means days like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[Luci45]

Central US. 'Holidays' means Thanksgiving thru Jan2.
 
'Holiday' means like a Federal Holiday with or without days of work off: all the usual ones plus Flag Day, Valentine Day, Columbus Day - not your birthday, type stuff.

I love that I finally figured out in my British-authored novels that 'Holiday' means 'Vacation'. That took even longer than 'jumper' for pullover sweater.

[Yvaine]

Central US. 'Holidays' means Thanksgiving thru Jan2.
 
'Holiday' means like a Federal Holiday with or without days of work off: all the usual ones plus Flag Day, Valentine Day, Columbus Day - not your birthday, type stuff.

I love that I finally figured out in my British-authored novels that 'Holiday' means 'Vacation'. That took even longer than 'jumper' for pullover sweater.

And Ron Weasley threatening to "go starkers" rather than wear his hideous dress robes meant he'd go naked, not that he'd go crazy. 

[RingTailedLemur]

I was really confused for a while by the "holidays" board on EHell - I couldn't work out why a period spent sitting in the sun or skiing etc would need a separate type of etiquette!

[becky4201]

To me it just means Christmas.

[violinp]

We refer to the last three months of the year in our house as "The Holidays" because of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Advent and Christmas, plus New Year's stuff.

[Auntie Mame]

 Mountains of stress, bickering divorced parents, gifts I don't want or need (Mother refuses to stop buying me piles of usless crap), forced family time and presents for ungrateful nieces and nephews.

Yeah.  Fun times.

[oz diva]

Central US. 'Holidays' means Thanksgiving thru Jan2.
 
'Holiday' means like a Federal Holiday with or without days of work off: all the usual ones plus Flag Day, Valentine Day, Columbus Day - not your birthday, type stuff.

I love that I finally figured out in my British-authored novels that 'Holiday' means 'Vacation'. That took even longer than 'jumper' for pullover sweater.

A funny off topic story for you. When my niece was a baby her family lived in Mozambique. One day her Dad took her for a walk and they met another Dad and his baby. "What is your baby's name?" asked the man "Jessie" said my BIL. The man roared with laughter because a jessie is a jersey or sweater over there. "Well" said my BIL "what is your son's name?" "Cupoftea" said the man.