St John's Day
- noun
- UK
:
Día de San Juan
- Traditionally, St John's Day is one of the quarter days when rents were paid in England.
Examples
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Did you know that St John's Day is on June 24th?
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Many European countries light bonfires to celebrate St John's Day.
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Church services are held across the UK to mark St John's Day.
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Many people celebrate St John's Day with bonfires.
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Church services are held across the UK to mark St John's Day.
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Many European countries light bonfires to celebrate St John's Day.
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Traditionally, St John's Day is one of the quarter days when rents were paid in England.
Synonyms
3
4.4
A traditional day on June 24 when people pay rent and other yearly payments
1
3.7
A day when people celebrate the middle of summer on 24 June
A traditional day around June 24 marking the middle of summer, often celebrated with bonfires and fairs
Surface Forms
Morphology
St + John's + day
The phrase is compositionally built from 'St' (abbreviation of 'Saint'), the possessive name 'John's', and 'day', following the common pattern 'Saint X's Day' which denotes a day dedicated to that saint. A B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer it is a day/feast associated with Saint John (though specific date or historical details require cultural knowledge).
Etymology
St John's Day comes from a Christian feast on June 24 that remembers the birth of St John the Baptist. People in many countries light large bonfires and hold midsummer celebrations on that day, and in England it became one of the 'quarter days' when rent was paid, so the name now brings to mind both the saint's feast and the old yearly payments.