You go on Holiday in Canada, not a Vacation

It’s summer. People are taking time off, except in Canada they say “going on holiday.” Makes me think of the clay animation chicken movie whose title escapes me.

Holiday.

It occurred to me that, in the States, “holiday” is generally associated with a federally mandated day off, like Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Federally mandated day off. How’s that for an oxymoron? Anyway, there is a distinction between “holiday” and “vacation” in the States. That doesn’t seem to be the case in Canada.

Holiday is quite the British, European term. The States clearly declared its independence and I never noticed before, but we declare it every time I say “vacation” instead of “holiday.”

How interesting.