Lee's Birthday
- noun
- /liːz ˈbɜrθdeɪ/
- US
:
Cumpleaños de Lee
- Several southern states used to observe Lee's Birthday as a public holiday in January.
Examples
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The school was closed in honor of Lee's Birthday this year.
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Debate continues over the celebration of Lee's Birthday in some communities.
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Many people celebrate Lee's Birthday in Virginia.
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Is Lee's Birthday a public holiday in your state?
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Many schools are closed in observance of Lee's Birthday on January 19.
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In some southern states, Lee's Birthday is still recognized as a holiday.
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Commemorative events are held every year to celebrate Lee's Birthday.
Synonyms
1
3.9
A day when some southern U.S. states honor the birthday of General Robert E. Lee
A public holiday on January 19 in some southern US states honoring Confederate general Robert E Lee
A holiday in some southern United States on January 19 to remember the birth of Confederate General Robert E Lee
Surface Forms
Morphology
Lee's + birthday
Formally the phrase is compositionally 'the birthday of Lee' so a learner who knows possessive forms and 'birthday' can infer it refers to someone's birthday; however, the specific sense as a named public holiday commemorating Confederate General Robert E. Lee (and its cultural/political background) cannot be derived from the words alone and requires extra world knowledge. Because the basic referential meaning is clear but the full, culturally specific interpretation is not, this is best rated semi-transparent.
Etymology
Lee's Birthday comes from celebrating the birth of General Robert E. Lee on January 19. People in many southern U.S. communities held events and closed schools and offices to 'honor' him, so the name became the term for that public holiday.