It being nearly Christmas, let us be mindful of our wise government’s advice. The official guidance on “Christmas bubbles” opens: “The festive period is an important time for many people of all faiths and none who come together over the holidays” – which apparently means that the festive period is not important for people who come together, but to carp thus is to be un-festive.
The Latin festum means a festival or holiday, and “festive” hungrily enters the English language in the 17th century to mean, particularly, pertaining to a feast. (Eating and celebration go together, of course, in “feast day”.) Thereafter “festive” can mean simply convivial or cheerful, an attitude not confined to the darkest time of year. (Wordsworth, 1815: “Where lies the Land to which yon Ship must go? / Festively she puts forth in trim array”.)
The phrase “festive season” has described yuletide since the early 19th century, but it needn’t, since it just means any season in which feasting is a good idea. In honour of those who will be alone this month, why not nominate next Easter, when many more will be vaccinated, as the real festive period?
• Steven Poole’s A Word for Every Day of the Year is published by Quercus.
