[fes-tuh-vuh
l] 
| 1. | a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances: the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival. |
| 2. | a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration: an annual strawberry festival. |
| 3. | a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment: a music festival. |
| 4. | gaiety; revelry; merrymaking. |
| 5. | festal: a festival atmosphere of unrestrained joy. |
| fes·ti·val (fěs'tə-vəl) n.
[From Middle English, festive, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fēstivālis, from Latin fēstīvus, from fēstus; see dhēs- in Indo-European roots.] |
festival
day or period of time set aside to commemorate, ritually celebrate or reenact, or anticipate events or seasons-agricultural, religious, or sociocultural-that give meaning and cohesiveness to an individual and to the religious, political, or socioeconomic community. Because such days or periods generally originated in religious celebrations or ritual commemorations that usually included sacred community meals, they are called feasts or festivals.
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