Europeans work to live and Americans live to work.  I heard that repeated today in a podcast about the history of Americans and vacations.  I do think it is by and large true although the reasons for still confusing me somewhat.  I know that the saying doesn’t apply to me. I don’t think it is right to blame the Puritans for it – the corporate world of America was created in a time when the population was much more diverse.  People in both Europe and America had to work hard to survive for decades; vacations are a more recent development.