Feb 21, 2006 07:09
18 yrs ago
7 viewers *
English term
what do you say to someone on a public holiday?
English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
one can wish a Merry Xmas, a Happy New Year ... but what do I say to a person on a public holiday in general? do I actually congratulate him? greet him? wish him all the best? say, if Feb 20 is the Day of Thingamummy, do I say to my friend: I congratulate you on/with the Thingamummy Day? or ..
I would appreciate any comments, TIA
I would appreciate any comments, TIA
Responses
| 4 +7 | Depends. |
Kurt Porter
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| 4 +5 | nothing really |
Mihailolja
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| 3 | Enjoy / Have a nice .... |
Ioana Costache
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Responses
+7
7 mins
Kurt Porter
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
Experienced translator/interpreter
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
7
Selected
Depends.
Christmas/New Years/Hannakha - All wrapped up into:
Happy Holidays....unless you know someone is celebrating it...then an inidvidulized contratulations...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, ect.
Americans don't congratulate on holidays...it's Happy Saint Valentines Day, Happy Thanksgiving...or "Best wishes," "Have a nice holiday."
Happy Holidays....unless you know someone is celebrating it...then an inidvidulized contratulations...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, ect.
Americans don't congratulate on holidays...it's Happy Saint Valentines Day, Happy Thanksgiving...or "Best wishes," "Have a nice holiday."
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jack Doughty
: And no-one congratulates "with" holidays.//No, come to think of it, we don't. Congratulations on your birthday, silver wedding, passing your exam etc., but not on public holidays.
44 mins
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Thank you, Jack. Do the British say "congratulations" on holidays?
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| agree |
Lori Dendy-Molz
: For most non-religious holidays, "enjoy your day off" or plain ol' "have a nice day" are sufficient. I'd usually say "Happy Valentine's Day" and leave off the "Saint."
1 hr
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Thank you idwerk.
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| agree |
sergey (X)
: happy ... (whatever) even xmas ...
1 hr
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Thank you, Sergey.
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| agree |
SirReaL
: Season's greetings! :)
4 hrs
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Very nice...don't know if works any other time other than the December holidays? But nice.
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| agree |
Brie Vernier
: Happy (belated) President's Day! And Groundhog Day, for that matter ...
6 hrs
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Thank you, Brie...and you too!
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| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
20 hrs
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Thank you, Alexandra.
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| agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
3 days 3 hrs
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Thank you, Marju.
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3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Kurt, it helped)"
4 mins
Ioana Costache
Romania
Romania
Romania
Degrees in linguistics & clinical trials
Native in: Romanian (Variant: Romania) 
Works in: English to Romanian, Romanian to English
Enjoy / Have a nice ....
How about "Enjoy Thingamummy Day / Have a nice Thingamummy Day"? :)
+5
1 hr
Mihailolja
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Путін хуйло = Putler is a dickhead
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
, Ukrainian
Works in: Ukrainian to English, Croatian to English, Bosnian to English, and 10 more.
nothing really
I know it sounds pretty pathetic but in reality we don't say much at all, "Have a good bank holiday" or "Have a good day off" are about all you are likely to hear. This is interesting because in other countries most public holidays have some religious/traditional/cultural origins and there are countless sayings ( in Greece for example ). In the UK you don't use "Happy Holidays" which as Kurt mentions above is in the US. I think people here are just happy to have the time off work because we have the longest working hours in the E.U. ;-)
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Note added at 1 hr (2006-02-21 08:33:12 GMT)
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P.S No you don't congratulate anyone on a public holiday, when you say goodbye then you might use the phrases above.
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Note added at 1 hr (2006-02-21 08:33:12 GMT)
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P.S No you don't congratulate anyone on a public holiday, when you say goodbye then you might use the phrases above.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Refugio
16 mins
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Thanks Ruth
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| agree |
Dave Calderhead
1 hr
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Thanks Dave
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| agree |
SirReaL
3 hrs
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Thanks Mikhail
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| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
18 hrs
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Thanks Alexandra
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| agree |
Romanian Translator (X)
1 day 10 hrs
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Thanks Awana
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Discussion
Mr. Brown wishes all Enron employees happy holidays.....or a happy holiday, whatever the case may be...especially if it involves time off. :) :)
my concern, however, as I have just understood, is rather the 3-rd person I have to put my phrase in (sorry, I should have mentioned this at once..)
can I say "XYZ wishes all the ABC happy hoidays" ? (I realise I am an even worse asker than an answerer 8))