Aug 1, 2011 22:29
12 yrs ago
14 viewers *
English term
marianarauch (X)
holiday or holidays
English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
general
Hola! cuál es la diferencia entre "holiday" y "holidays"?
Gracias!
Gracias!
Responses
Change log
Aug 1, 2011 23:45: Lydia De Jorge changed "Language pair" from "English to Spanish" to "English"
Responses
+2
9 hrs
Selected
holidays - often school holidays
I don't think anyone has yet mentioned the important point that in BE "holidays" (in the plural) often refers to school holidays - the periods when children aren't at school. Thus "during the holidays" may mean "outside the school term" while "during your holiday" would mean "while you were away on holiday" or "while you were taking annual leave from work". It is thus perfectly possible to "go on holiday during the holidays" (to go away from home while the children are off school) or even to "not go on holiday during the holidays".
I'm not claiming that this is a full explanation but it is an aspect that shouldn't be overlooked.
I'm not claiming that this is a full explanation but it is an aspect that shouldn't be overlooked.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
5 mins
teresa quimper
Peru
Peru
Works in field
Peru
Native in: Spanish 
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, French to Spanish
feriado o feriados
Así lo entiendo yo. Holiday es el día feriado, en que no se trabaja. Holidays puede referirse a varios feriados seguidos, o a las vacaciones de una persona.
12 mins
Elda Munguia
IT, Quality, Processes, Business
Native in: Spanish (Variants: Latin American, Mexican) 
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, Spanish
Asueto/Vacaciones (varios días)
Holiday es un día de Asueto o feriado, Holidays se usa para varios días es el equivalente a Vacations en los Estados Unidos. Te dejo una referencia.
+1
8 hrs
holiday = national, local "bank" holiday; holidays = personal vacations (US) /holiday(s) (UK)
In the US, a holiday is strictly an official public holiday (Christmas Day, Fourth of July, etc.). Some of the lesser holidays vary from State to State. The word is never used for personal days off from work (as is the case in the UK and other BR English speaking countries). I have seen and heard both holiday and holidays used by BR English speakers for personal days off. Of course, in referring to more than one official public holidays, the plural "holidays" is used.
+1
11 hrs
holiday = short or personal, holidays = public or widely shared
In UK English, the plural "holidays" implies that lots of people are off work or school during that time, hence: the Christmas holidays, the summer holidays (school), school holidays. "Holiday" in the singular is personal, or a short public holiday: a bank holiday, going abroad on holiday, taking a holiday.
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