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Ask for help > Prepositions with Halloween and Thanksgiving
Prepositions with Halloween and Thanksgiving
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yolprica
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Prepositions with Halloween and Thanksgiving
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Does anybody by any change know why we preferably say "on Halloween" and "at Thanksgiving"?. Both are celebrated on a determined day and are festivities, aren �t they? Shouldn �t they be considered the same kind of words?
Thanks in advance
Yolanda |
25 Oct 2010
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severanceb
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My guess:
Halloween is a one-day event. Thanksgiving, although it is one specific day, is part of a four-day weekend for many, thus referring to a general period of time and not the day itself ("on Thanksgiving" is perfectly acceptable when referring to the day).
A counterexample would be "the weekend", as Americans would mostly say "on the weekend". A counter-counterexample is that Brits say "at the weekend".
Another example: "We plan to travel a lot at Christmas." <----- Christmas season "We will open presents at Grandma �s on Christmas." <----- Christmas Day |
25 Oct 2010
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ldthemagicman
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Dear Yolanda Yolprica,
I say �at Halloween�; �at Thanksgiving�; �at Christmas�; �at Easter�; �at Whitsuntide�; �at New Year� ... �at the period of the year called Halloween�, etc.
I say �on Halloween Night�; �on Thanksgiving Day�; �on Christmas Day�; �on Easter Monday�; �on Whit Sunday�; �on New Year�s Day� ... �on the specific day called Halloween�, etc.
Others may say differently.
Les |
25 Oct 2010
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yanogator
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Les,
I assume that you �d also say "on Thanksgiving" (without "day") when referring to the day itself. In that case, I agree with you completely.
Bruce
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25 Oct 2010
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ldthemagicman
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Vanogator,
"The Oxford Dictionary of English"
On = preposition.
"Indicating the day or part of a day during which an event takes place: reported on September 26 | on a very hot evening in July".
As you know, the Brits don �t normally celebrate Thanksgiving, because it is a beautiful American Festival, so it doesn �t normally occur in our conversation.
However, if I were recounting an event in the USA, I would still say: "At Thanksgiving, my aunt always has a party on Thanksgiving Day".
I don �t expect you to �agree � or �disagree �. It is just a question of what is normally used in that area.
All the Best.
Les |
25 Oct 2010
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pilarmham
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I would say AT Thanksgiving, but ON Thanksgiving day; AT Christmas, but ON Christmas day. For some reason, the day takes over everything else, for example: "I met him in July", BUT "I met him on July the 2nd". |
26 Oct 2010
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