What is the difference between 过 and 度 in their meanings "to spend/pass (time)"?

Question

Is there a general difference between the two?

There are two examples I have found:

度假

Is this interchangeable with 过假?

And the second

这个假期你打算怎么过？

Can this be exchanged with "...怎么度"?

If so why/why not? And if you other examples, please provide.

Answer 1

Even as a native speaker, I don't know why we can 度假 or 度暑假 or 过暑假 but not 【过假】. I guess it's because if you put the word "过假" on paper, it might be interpreted as "too false".

暑假怎么过 and 暑假怎么度 are both correct expression with the difference that 过 is more common in spoken while 度 prefers written context.

Chinese is a written language after all, and words that cannot be written on paper will gradually decline in spoken Chinese.

This

Answer 2

Neither can be replaced by the other character in your examples.

The 「pass」 meaning of 「度」 is a literary usage. So, it is used in compound words or in rather formal or classical style writing.

The 「pass (in time)」 meaning of 「过」, however, is often used in oral language.

e. g. 度假/度日如年/秋月春风等闲度/年华虚度/

e. g. 过苦日子/这段时间怎么过的？/暑假过得怎么样？/过了几个小时

Note a word 度过