Empire Day
- noun
- Archaic
:
Día del Imperio
- On Empire Day, schools traditionally hold ceremonies to honor the legacy of the British Empire.
Examples
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Some of you may feel that the cormorant does not play... ...an important part in the life of the school, but I would remind you... ...that it was presented to us by the corporation of the town of Sudbury... ...to commemorate Empire Day, when we try to remember... ...the names of all those from the Sudbury area... ...who so gallantly gave their lives... ...to keep China British.
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They reminded Schmidt of the Empire Day fireworks he'd watched as a boy.
Fiction book (1991) -
Children learn about the significance of Empire Day in history classes, celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday.
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Many communities organize parades and festivities to commemorate Empire Day on May 24th every year.
Synonyms
1
8.1
A day when people celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday on 24 May
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally transparent at the core: a B1 learner who knows 'empire' and 'day' can infer it denotes a day relating to or commemorating an empire (i.e., an observance/celebration). However, the specific historical British meaning (the tie to Queen Victoria and the fixed date) is cultural knowledge not derivable from the constituents, so full understanding requires extra background.
Etymology
Empire Day began as a day to mark Queen Victoria's 'birthday' and to celebrate the British 'Empire'. The words Empire and Day make a simple picture: a special Day for the Empire, with parades and songs in schools and towns. That's why Empire Day came to mean a public celebration of the 'Empire'.