What are your Holidays

[Chloe11111]

So, it's quiet in Canada today. We are so tied to the USA and they are off for Thanksgiving ... well their Thanksgiving. Canadians celebrate thanksgiving at the beginning of October closer to when the harvest is done.

What are the big holidays in your country?
In Canada the big ones are
- the winter holiday season (which could be Christmas, Hanukkah or others),
- Thanksgiving (in October)
- Canada Day (anniversary of confederation) unless you are in Quebec in which case they celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day one week before.

What are the odd holidays?
- Halloween where kids get dressed up and go trick or treating (begging neighbours for candy)
- Victoria Day ... Queen Victoria's birthday. We call it May 2-4 weekend. It's not always on 24 but around then and 2-4 just happens to represent the number of cans/bottles in a big case of beer. The holiday weekend is generally considered the beginning of summer (although the weather doesn't always cooperate). Adults get dressed up in their favorite summer clothes and drink all night ... often by a campfire ... but almost always in shorts and a light tshirt when the temperature is probably 5C. And we pretend we aren't cold.
- oh and Civic Holiday (not in all provinces) which is just a long weekend at the beginning of August to make sure Canadians have a long weekend in (almost) every month of our very short summers.

 

[Mario's Dad]

In the UK I would say that main ones are:
- Good Friday & Easter Monday
- Christmas Day & Boxing Day

The others:
New Years Day (Recovery from night before)
Early May Bank Holiday
Spring Bank Holiday (Also in May)
Summer Bank Holiday (August)

 

[Chloe11111]

In the UK I would say that main ones are:
- Good Friday & Easter Monday
- Christmas Day & Boxing Day

The others:
New Years Day (Recovery from night before)
Early May Bank Holiday
Spring Bank Holiday (Also in May)
Summer Bank Holiday (August)

Boxing Day, yes. My American colleagues don't understand this concept.

 

[CRK]

the Netherlands with (dutch names)

March or April: Easter (Pasen) The Dutch have a two-day holiday, called Eerste Paasdag on Sunday and Tweede Paasdag on Monday (lit. First Easter Day and Second Easter Day)
27 april King's Day (Koningsdag) If 27 April falls on a Sunday, King's Day is celebrated on the 26th.
5 May Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) This is a national holiday, but not a mandatory paid holiday for everyone. It is custom for many employers to grant a paid holiday every 5 years on this day. Public offices and schools are closed on this day every year, though.
40 days after Easter: Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) The subsequent Friday is a popular day off for many people, though it is not a paid holiday.
7 weeks after Easter: Pentecost (Pinksteren) A two-day holiday (Whitsunday and the subsequent Monday), called Eerste Pinkstersdag and Tweede Pinksterdag (lit. First Pentecost Day and Second Pentecost Day)
4 december Saint Nicholas' Eve (Sinterklaasavond) Saint Nicholas' Eve (the eve of Sinterklaas, also called Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond) on 5 December is not a national holiday, however it is widely celebrated. While Saint Nicholas's traditional name day is on 6 December, it is Saint Nicholas' Eve the day before which is the focus of celebrations in the Netherlands.
25&26 december: Christmas (Kerstmis) Like Easter and Pentecost, the Dutch have two days of Christmas, called Eerste Kerstdag and Tweede Kerstdag (lit. First Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day)

februari: Carnaval - In the South of the Netherlands carnival is celebrated. Though not an official holiday, many people in the South take the week off to celebrate. Schools schedule their spring holiday at the same time. There has been some debate over whether the Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Suikerfeest in Dutch) should be a national holiday. This was met by opposition from right-wing political parties. For now, Eid ul-Fitr is not an official national holiday, but it usually justifies a day off for Islamic employees. Those opposed to this proposition say that there are enough national holidays as it is. Schools are allowed to give additional days off anyway.

 

[Harcourt]

Boxing Day, yes. My American colleagues don't understand this concept.

My Sister spent most of her working life I the USA.

Over time she persuaded her employer, an insurance agency in Yuma, AZ, to take on board this British custom.

Regards
Harcourt

 

[Chloe11111]

februari: Carnaval - In the South of the Netherlands carnival is celebrated. Though not an official holiday, many people in the South take the week off to celebrate. Schools schedule their spring holiday at the same time. There has been some debate over whether the Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Suikerfeest in Dutch) should be a national holiday. This was met by opposition from right-wing political parties. For now, Eid ul-Fitr is not an official national holiday, but it usually justifies a day off for Islamic employees. Those opposed to this proposition say that there are enough national holidays as it is. Schools are allowed to give additional days off anyway.

Not the same as religious holidays but in Canada, people working in Ontario near Quebec can choose which day they take - Canada Day or St. Jean Baptiste day. They are a week apart.

I think choices are the best solution.

 

[TimP]

A bit overview for Germany. Some are similar what CRK already wrote for the Netherlands, but for a few we have differences:

Official public holidays:
- January 1st: New Years Day
- Easter in March/April: We have three official holidays, Good Friday (Karfreitag), which is a silent holiday where nearly everything is closed and also for example no sporting events are allowed (you are even not legally allowed to move on this day). Then on the same Weekend Easter Sunday + Easter Monday are also holidays, so everyone has a very long weekend. Also schools are closed around easter in all states for either a week or two and a lots of people take this time for either late ski vacations or other holidays.
- May 1 is our Labour day (Tag der Arbeit), where traditionally the unions make events in many cities. Also it is a popular day for especially young people to meet with friends and go for a walk (Maigang) with some beers etc. And as May 1st is a holiday for everyone also on April 30th are many popular public events in cities often branded as "Dance into May" (Tanz in den Mai).
- 40 days after Easter: Ascension Day (Himmelfahrt) Also "Fathersday" in Germany, so expected to meet a lot of drunk people when you go outside Friday is also taken off for most working people for a long weekend.
- 7 weeks after Easter is Pentecost, with both Sunday + Monday public holidays. In some states there after is also the Tuesday or the whole week off for school, so that you have again a long weekend for a short vacation.
- 60 days after Easter is "Feast of Corpus Christi", but only in western + south German states with a more catholic population. Again many people take the Friday after off for a long weekend.
- October 3rd: Day of the German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit), our National Holiday celebrated since 1990 and the Reunification of East and West Germany after nearly 51 years of separation into two states after WW2.
- 31st October: Reformation Day (Reformationstag) - observed only in more Protestantic States. Halloween however is not an official holiday, but over the last years it is also more and more celebrated the way Chloe was writing for Canada with the kids going around.
- November 1st: All Saints Day (Allerheiligen) - only in more Catholic States; since two years all states have either Oct. 31 or Nov 1st as a public holiday, before some have neither one.
- Christmas is officially December 25 + 26 (1. bzw. 2 Weihnachtsfeiertag), however we exchange Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). While Dec. 25+26 are official public holidays, Christmas Eve is not but most companies are closed but you have to take a day off when it falls in the week (often combined with New Years Eve as combined 1 day).
The time between Christmas and New Years Eve is often called "Zeit zwischen den Jahren" (Time between the years), where many companies are closed and schools are on vacation.

Not an official holiday, but "Carnival" is also widely celebrated especially in the western parts of Germany in the big cities along the river Rhein (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Mainz for example). Carnival season starts 11/11, and ends on "Ash Wednesday" (six weeks before Easter), with the highlight of the "Street Carnival" starting on the Thursday before with "Weiberfastnacht" (Carnival for the Woman) and then with the big parades on the streets depending of the town in the days after. In the main areas most companies and offices are closed during this days (as nearly everyone there would take vacation either), and also schools are closed at least on the Monday also overall in Germany.

 

[Chloe11111]

A bit overview for Germany. Some are similar what CRK already wrote for the Netherlands, but for a few we have differences:

Official public holidays:
- January 1st: New Years Day
- Easter in March/April: We have three official holidays, Good Friday (Karfreitag), which is a silent holiday where nearly everything is closed and also for example no sporting events are allowed (you are even not legally allowed to move on this day). Then on the same Weekend Easter Sunday + Easter Monday are also holidays, so everyone has a very long weekend. Also schools are closed around easter in all states for either a week or two and a lots of people take this time for either late ski vacations or other holidays.
- May 1 is our Labour day (Tag der Arbeit), where traditionally the unions make events in many cities. Also it is a popular day for especially young people to meet with friends and go for a walk (Maigang) with some beers etc. And as May 1st is a holiday for everyone also on April 30th are many popular public events in cities often branded as "Dance into May" (Tanz in den Mai).
- 40 days after Easter: Ascension Day (Himmelfahrt) Also "Fathersday" in Germany, so expected to meet a lot of drunk people when you go outside Friday is also taken off for most working people for a long weekend.
- 7 weeks after Easter is Pentecost, with both Sunday + Monday public holidays. In some states there after is also the Tuesday or the whole week off for school, so that you have again a long weekend for a short vacation.
- 60 days after Easter is "Feast of Corpus Christi", but only in western + south German states with a more catholic population. Again many people take the Friday after off for a long weekend.
- October 3rd: Day of the German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit), our National Holiday celebrated since 1990 and the Reunification of East and West Germany after nearly 51 years of separation into two states after WW2.
- 31st October: Reformation Day (Reformationstag) - observed only in more Protestantic States. Halloween however is not an official holiday, but over the last years it is also more and more celebrated the way Chloe was writing for Canada with the kids going around.
- November 1st: All Saints Day (Allerheiligen) - only in more Catholic States; since two years all states have either Oct. 31 or Nov 1st as a public holiday, before some have neither one.
- Christmas is officially December 25 + 26 (1. bzw. 2 Weihnachtsfeiertag), however we exchange Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). While Dec. 25+26 are official public holidays, Christmas Eve is not but most companies are closed but you have to take a day off when it falls in the week (often combined with New Years Eve as combined 1 day).
The time between Christmas and New Years Eve is often called "Zeit zwischen den Jahren" (Time between the years), where many companies are closed and schools are on vacation.

Not an official holiday, but "Carnival" is also widely celebrated especially in the western parts of Germany in the big cities along the river Rhein (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Mainz for example). Carnival season starts 11/11, and ends on "Ash Wednesday" (six weeks before Easter), with the highlight of the "Street Carnival" starting on the Thursday before with "Weiberfastnacht" (Carnival for the Woman) and then with the big parades on the streets depending of the town in the days after. In the main areas most companies and offices are closed during this days (as nearly everyone there would take vacation either), and also schools are closed at least on the Monday also overall in Germany.

Wow - lots of easter recognition

 

[TimP]

@Chloe11111 : Well, with easter it is just the way the Christian Calendar of "Events" work out. Technically Easter is the most important holiday of the Church Calendar, so all other holidays follow along with a defined scheme, that is the reason we wrote down all those easter recognitions.

You see that all but three holidays (1st January, 1st May and 3rd October) have a religious background, also Carnival has it back to the foundation times (but maybe not the way the church wanted it to have^^).

 

[Chloe11111]

In the UK I would say that main ones are:
- Good Friday & Easter Monday
- Christmas Day & Boxing Day

The others:
New Years Day (Recovery from night before)
Early May Bank Holiday
Spring Bank Holiday (Also in May)
Summer Bank Holiday (August)

BTW, those are boring holiday names - early may bank holiday, spring bank holiday.

I thought the british were more creative than that

 

[@Tito]

In the United State the 4th of July is our biggest holiday. It's our Independence Day. Our biggest unofficial holiday is Super Bowl Sunday. In America, we also celebrate Mexican and other countries' holidays like Cinco de Mayo and Dias de Los Muertos and St. Patrick's Day. I think Thanksgiving is unique to our nation because it is a day of of giving thanks for all that we have. It represents English pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and having a gathering with native people over dinner.

Tito

 

[Chloe11111]

In the United State the 4th of July is our biggest holiday. It's our Independence Day. Our biggest unofficial holiday is Super Bowl Sunday. In America, we also celebrate Mexican and other countries' holidays like Cinco de Mayo and Dias de Los Muertos and St. Patrick's Day. I think Thanksgiving is unique to our nation because it is a day of of giving thanks for all that we have. It represents English pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and having a gathering with native people over dinner.

Tito

We celebrate thanksgiving in Canada as well although we do it in October - closer to when the pilgrims celebrated. Incidentally, my family came to Canada in 1795 but came from the US where they landed in Plymouth in 1640

 

[@Tito]

We celebrate thanksgiving in Canada as well although we do it in October - closer to when the pilgrims celebrated. Incidentally, my family came to Canada in 1795 but came from the US where they landed in Plymouth in 1640

Thanks Chloe, I learned that actually when I was a student in Germany and France. I met some Canadians and they told me about their Thanksgiving. To boot, most American women are in love with your P.M..

 

[Nayeon]

In the United State the 4th of July is our biggest holiday. It's our Independence Day. Our biggest unofficial holiday is Super Bowl Sunday. In America, we also celebrate Mexican and other countries' holidays like Cinco de Mayo and Dias de Los Muertos and St. Patrick's Day. I think Thanksgiving is unique to our nation because it is a day of of giving thanks for all that we have. It represents English pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and having a gathering with native people over dinner.

Tito

I would say though that Thanksgiving is more spiritually important than July 4th. July 4th is just a BBQ day and many treat it as a nice day off but without much significance personally, whereas *everyone* goes home for Thanksgiving with family. If you only go "home" (or have your family come "home") once a year, it will be Thanksgiving.

 

[Chloe11111]

Thanks Chloe, I learned that actually when I was a student in Germany and France. I met some Canadians and they told me about their Thanksgiving. To boot, most American women are in love with your P.M..

I guess they aren't following the things that he is doing and are easily swayed by marketing around "because it's 2015"

 

[Brummelisa]

In Sweden I would say the most important holidays is Christmas and midsummer (swedish midsummer is actually much more celebrated than our national day)

 

[Jenn B]

There are many other holidays celebrated regionally in the US. Just based on where I have lived...
In Hawaii there are holidays for King Kamehameha and Prince Kuhio. There are more fireworks on Chinese New Year than on the 4th of July.
In Arizona, there is a week off for the rodeo. Plus parades for Dia de los Muertos.
In Louisiana, there are several days off for Mardi Gras! 🍹🍹🍹

 

[Maverick68]

My Sister spent most of her working life I the USA.

Over time she persuaded her employer, an insurance agency in Yuma, AZ, to take on board this British custom.

Regards
Harcourt

Never heard of boxing day before but I don't require much persuasion to watch football <g> lol. American that is, versus soccer which I do occasionally too. 😀

 

[Chloe11111]

Never heard of boxing day before but I don't require much persuasion to watch football <g> lol. American that is, versus soccer which I do occasionally too. 😀

Boxing Day is that FANTASTIC day, the day after Christmas, where all of my American colleagues are working and I get a paid day off to recover

 

[@Tito]

I would say though that Thanksgiving is more spiritually important than July 4th. July 4th is just a BBQ day and many treat it as a nice day off but without much significance personally, whereas *everyone* goes home for Thanksgiving with family. If you only go "home" (or have your family come "home") once a year, it will be Thanksgiving.

Spiritually yes, but the 4th is a day to celebrate Independence and gratitude for our freedom. All the pomp and circumstances are celebrated with fireworks and displays of bunting and the Star Spangled banner we cherish so much. It's a day of pride of being an American. I lived in France and in Germany where I went to school, and the only place i can see the pride in one's nation is France. But I could be wrong, I am sure other countries have something they celebrate that makes them proud of their nationality.