holiday
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public holiday
A legally designated day on which people generally do not work because of a religious, national, or cultural occasion.
Weihnachten ist ein christlicher Feiertag, an dem die meisten Geschäfte geschlossen sind.
Christmas is a Christian holiday on which most shops are closed.
special day
A day that is personally a reason for special joy or celebration for someone.
Der Tag, an dem ich meine Zusage für den Job bekam, war für mich ein echter Feiertag.
The day I got the job offer was a real holiday for me.
'Der Feiertag' (holiday) is a compound noun made up of 'feiern' (to celebrate), or 'die Feier' (celebration), and 'der Tag' (day). So literally, it is a day on which people celebrate.
Der 3. Oktober ist in Deutschland ein nationaler Feiertag.
October 3rd is a national holiday in Germany.
On public holidays in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, most shops are closed and most people do not have to work. It is important to take this into account when planning shopping or appointments.
Morgen ist Feiertag, also müssen wir heute noch einkaufen gehen.
Tomorrow is a holiday, so we still have to go shopping today.
To express that something takes place on this day, you use the preposition 'an' (on). In spoken language, this is often shortened to 'am' (an dem).
An Feiertagen schlafe ich gerne lange.
On holidays, I like to sleep in.
Common adjectives that describe holidays more precisely are 'gesetzlich' (statutory/public), 'kirchlich' (church/religious), or 'national' (national). These words clarify the type and origin of the holiday.
Ostern ist ein wichtiger kirchlicher Feiertag.
Easter is an important church holiday.
The figurative meaning of a personal day of joy is often signaled by words like 'echt' (real), 'persönlich' (personal), or 'für mich' (for me). The context makes it clear that it is not about an official holiday.
Als mein Buch veröffentlicht wurde, war das ein echter Feiertag für mich.
When my book was published, that was a real holiday for me.
commemorative day
Both words refer to an officially designated special day. „Feiertag“ emphasizes that the day is legally established and is generally a day off work, while „Gedenktag“ emphasizes remembering a historical event or a person. A commemorative day is therefore not automatically a public holiday.
Am gesetzlichen Feiertag bleiben die meisten Geschäfte geschlossen.
Most stores remain closed on the public holiday.
Am Gedenktag erinnern wir uns an die Opfer des historischen Ereignisses.
On the commemorative day, we remember the victims of the historical event.
