Golden Week
1
3.9
- noun
:
Semana Dorada
- And even with the greatest efforts in the promotion of the "Golden Week" period, genuine discounts will not be less than sevenfold.
- Golden Week holiday
Examples
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Yes, next week is Golden Week, and we've been invited to several friendlies, so today, when the main players are off, was the only day.
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During Golden Week, many families travel to popular destinations across Japan to enjoy the holiday.
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Chinese markets closed for Golden Week.
Blog text (29) -
On the last day of "golden week" here—so named because it is the week in which you can register to vote and then vote at the same time and place—
Blog text (11) -
This year, the Mid-Autumn Day, a traditional Chinese harvest festival based on the Chinese lunar calendar, happens to fall on September 30, one day before the Chinese National Day, which means the usual seven-day Golden Week celebration for the National Day is prolonged by one more day.
Blog text (7) -
In Japan, Golden Week is a time when people participate in various festivals and celebrations.
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Most businesses close for Golden Week, allowing employees to relax and spend time with their families.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'golden' (valuable/special) and 'week' (seven-day period) make it likely that a B1 learner would infer this refers to a specially notable or fortunate week (e.g., a holiday period). However, the full meaning — a specific cluster of public holidays in Japan with particular dates and cultural practices — is culturally specific and cannot be fully derived from the constituents alone.
Etymology
Golden Week may come from the idea that the word golden means 'very valuable' and the week is a short time when several holidays fall together. One popular story says movie theaters first used the name because the holidays brought big crowds and good business, so today Golden Week means the long holiday period in Japan when many people travel and take time off.