Christian holy day
- noun
- Many families celebrate Christmas, a significant Christian holy day, by gathering for a festive meal.
Examples
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Many schools close for major Christian holy days such as Christmas.
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She attends church regularly, especially on significant Christian holy days.
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Easter is one of the most important Christian holy days celebrated around the world.
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Christmas is a significant Christian holy day.
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Many families gather to celebrate Christian holy days together.
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Easter is one of the most important Christian holy days, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus.
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On Sundays, which some consider a Christian holy day, many Christians attend church services.
Synonyms
A day when many people do not work to celebrate or show respect for a religion
A day for special celebration and big meals, often for religious or cultural reasons
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a religious holiday observed by Christians' is directly derivable from the constituents: 'Christian' (relating to Christianity) + 'holy' (sacred) + 'day' (a calendar day). This straightforward adjective-noun composition follows regular English patterns and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will readily understand it.
Etymology
Christian holy day comes from the simple idea of a day set apart for God. Holy means 'special for God' and day means time for rest or worship, so the phrase today names religious holidays like Christmas and Easter when Christians stop normal work to pray and remember important events.