festival

Word family

• festive
  adjectiveB1
• festivity
  nounB2
• festally
  adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Festival, holiday, celebration, and feast all refer to special occasions, but differ in emphasis and scope. A festival is a community or cultural event tied to a fixed time, often religious or seasonal, with prescribed activities — for example, the Lunar New Year festival or Diwali. A holiday is a day when people do not work; it may or may not involve celebration (a national holiday could be solemn). A celebration is the broadest term, covering any joyful event from a birthday party to a victory parade. A feast specifically highlights abundant food and drink and is often part of a larger festival. For example: 'The village held a three-day harvest festival.' 'We had a feast of roast meats and pies to mark the occasion.' 'New Year's Day is a public holiday in most countries.'

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'festival' traces back to the Latin adjective 'festivus', meaning 'joyful, merry, festive'. This gave rise to the Latin noun 'festum' (a feast or holiday), which passed into Old French as 'festival'. English adopted it in the 14th century, initially referring to a church feast day such as Christmas or Easter. By the 16th century the meaning had expanded to include any time of public celebration, and by the 20th century to programmed cultural events like music and film festivals.