Feast of the Circumcision
- noun
- The Feast of the Circumcision is celebrated on January 1st.
Examples
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The Feast of the Circumcision is traditionally celebrated on January 1st in some Christian denominations.
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Many churches hold special services on the Feast of the Circumcision each year.
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During the Middle Ages, the Feast of the Circumcision was observed with various rituals and liturgies.
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Many churches hold special services for the Feast of the Circumcision.
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Many churches hold special services on the Feast of the Circumcision each year.
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The Feast of the Circumcision is traditionally celebrated on January 1st in some Christian denominations.
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During the Middle Ages, the Feast of the Circumcision was observed with various rituals and liturgies.
Synonyms
A Christian feast on January 1 that remembers a religious ceremony for baby Jesus
Surface Forms
Morphology
feast + of + the + Circumcision
The phrase is a literal composition: 'feast' (a celebratory meal/holiday) + 'of' + 'Circumcision' (the event being commemorated), so its meaning — a religious feast commemorating a circumcision — is directly derivable from the parts. Cross-linguistically many languages name liturgical days in the same way, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the basic meaning (even if they do not know the specific liturgical date or details).
Etymology
Feast of the Circumcision comes from early Christians marking the moment when baby Jesus received a circumcision, because Jewish rule said this should happen eight days after a boy was born. Since Christmas is on December 25, the eighth day falls on January 1, so many churches kept that day as a special feast to 'remember' the event.