origin of the term dog days of summer
Dog days The English name is a calque of the Latin dies caniculares (lit. "the puppy days"), itself a calque of the Greek kynádes hēmérai (κυνάδες ἡμέραι, "dog days").[1] The Greeks knew the star α Canis Majoris by several names, including Sirius (Σείριος, Seírios, "Scorcher"), Sothis (Σῶθις, Sôthis, a transcription of Egyptian Spdt), and the Dog Star (Κῠ́ων, Kúōn).[2] The last name reflects the way Sirius follows the constellation Orion into the night sky.[3]
Summer vacation Summer vacation or break lasts for about 12 weeks, starting anywhere from late May to late June, and ending anywhere from late August to Labor Day, the first Monday in September. This often depends on the region - for example, most schools in the Northeastern United States end in June and start the day after Labor Day, while the majority of schools in the Southern United States have schools end in May and start again in August.