Vatican bank holiday, Pope’s holiday, Madonna’s “Holiday” and Pope’s holy day. All these holidays…I need a vacation from my vocation…

In English the word “Holiday” can refer both to a vacation one takes personally at some convenient time, as well as a Public Holiday, where banks and shops close, aka. Bank Holiday. A “public holiday” is not the same as a “personal holiday”, but of course they are used interchangeably in everyday English. In Danish we have two different words for those: “ferie” is what I do when I need a vacation and “helligdag” is when the banks close.

So, when things get mixed up we get these funny translations:

Send money as a holiday gift ==> Send penge som en feriegave  [Meaning: Send money as a vacation present. Should be: Send penge some en helligdagsgave, lejlighedsgave]

(Bank) Payment Holidays ==> Betalt Ferie [Meaning: paid vacations! 🙂 Should be: Bankhelligdage]

….And speaking of Holiday and cultural and linguistic adaptations….
These were the US promotional pictures for Madonna’s 1991 single “Holiday”:

 And these were the ones used in UK and France…:
Vive la difference! 🙂

1 thought on “Vatican bank holiday, Pope’s holiday, Madonna’s “Holiday” and Pope’s holy day. All these holidays…I need a vacation from my vocation…

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