red-letter day


noun

a memorably important or happy occasion

Word Origin for red-letter day

C18: from the red letters used in ecclesiastical calendars to indicate saints' days and feasts

Example sentences from the Web for red-letter day

Cultural definitions for red-letter day

red-letter day

A special or memorable day; the expression refers to the old custom of printing holidays in red on calendars: “John got promoted and engaged to be married yesterday; it was truly a red-letter day for him.”

Idioms and Phrases with red-letter day

red-letter day

A special occasion, as in When Jack comes home from his tour of duty, that'll be a red-letter day. This term alludes to the practice of marking feast days and other holy days in red on church calendars, dating from the 1400s. [c. 1700]