Ember Day
- noun
- /ˈɛmbər deɪ/
:
Día de las cenizas
- The church celebrates special services during the Ember Days to encourage fasting and prayer.
Examples
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In many denominations, the Ember Days are observed to foster spiritual reflection and renewal.
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Every Friday in the year, the Rogation days, Ember days, and the forty days of Lent were appointed fast days.
Academic text (2007) -
People often use the Ember Days to deepen their faith and engage in communal worship activities.
Synonyms
4
2.2
A day when people of a faith have ceremonies and celebrate
1
5.9
A day when people do not eat for religious or spiritual reasons
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ember + day
The phrase 'Ember Day' names a specific set of Christian liturgical fast days; a B1 learner who knows 'ember' (a glowing coal) and 'day' would not be able to infer this specialized, historical religious meaning from the parts. The term is etymologically and culturally specific (not a straightforward composition) and is expressed by different, non-transparent labels in other languages, so its meaning is unpredictable from its constituents.
Etymology
Ember Day may come from an old word meaning 'turn' or 'season'. These were special church days kept at each season for 'fasting and prayer', so the name helps you remember they mark the regular turns of the church year.