kermis

[ kur-mis ]

/ ˈkɜr mɪs /

(in the Low Countries) a local, annual outdoor fair or festival.

a similar entertainment, usually for charitable purposes.

Origin of kermis

1570–80; < Dutch, earlier ker(c)misse ( kerc church + misse Mass); originally a fair at the dedication of a church

The Kermess, or literally, “Church mass,” so famous in “Faust.”

Elizabethan England |William Harrison
Uncle John really had more fun out of the famous Kermess than anyone else.

Aunt Jane's Nieces in Society |Edith Van Dyne
Then the attention quickened, as every bar of the Kermess chorus brought them nearer to the moment for Valentine's coming.

The Dominant Strain |Anna Chapin Ray
Indeed, the girl was very happy this especial evening, although tired with her duties at the Kermess.

Aunt Jane's Nieces in Society |Edith Van Dyne

They had persuaded me to take one of the booths at Kermess in the Villa, and he appeared quite unexpectedly.

A Lady of Rome |F. Marion Crawford

kermis

/ (ˈkɜːmɪs) /

(formerly, esp in Holland and Northern Germany) an annual country festival or carnival

US and Canadian a similar event, esp one held to collect money for charity

C16: from Middle Dutch kercmisse, from kerc church + misse Mass; originally a festival held to celebrate the dedication of a church