Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
What does it take for a holiday earn an "Eve" status? We have the biggies of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, but you don't hear about Thanksgiving Eve? Why not "Easter Eve"?
There is "The eve of the election" but does really count as "eve" status?
And is "eve" the night before or is it the whole day? You hear the phrase, "Christmas Eve day" but wouldn't that be "The Day Before Christmas"?
Oh Well, Happy Black Friday Eve Eve.
UPDATE: I just hear someone on TV use "Thanksgiving Eve!" But I didn't check to see if he meant tonight (Wed. night) or the evening of Thanksgiving (Thursday night).
4 comments:
Ben, it actually comes from the Hebrew notion that a new day begins at sunset. Thus the "eve" of any day begins at sunset the night before the day breaks. (Very opposite the modern western concept of the day beginning at "daybreak" and followed by its own "evening"). The ancient Christian church adopted this practise in its celebrations. Thus fasting for a "feast" ended at sunset before the day of the feast.
As for Easter Eve, yes, the Great Vigil of Easter in the Western Church originally began at sunset Saturday and the "vigil" was kept all night until the breaking of the new victorious dawn. We modern wimps cut it down to an hour-long service on Saturday night or a "sunrise service" early Sunday morning.
Yes, exactly! And, (from the Anglican perspective) just how early may the Eve of a feast begin? 3 pm. That's the earliest you can have tea!
I'm just saying.
Oh, and, by the way . . . . In the picture, what exactly is Eve up to? Or been up to? hmmmm. . . .
Lemuel beat me too it
The only secular 'eve' holiday is New Year's Eve.
I love the feeling of the eve of a holiday - often more thrilling than the day itself.
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