Know Your English (Aug 2001)

Know your English

WHAT IS the meaning and origin of "red letter day"?

When you refer to something as being a "red letter day", it implies that it's a very important or a very special day. As far as you are concerned, it's a day on which something memorable happened or will happen. Here are a few examples.
* The day the school won the championship was a red letter day for us.
* Even after twenty-five years, Vasu considers his wedding day a red-letter day.
* The days I spent with Raja Rao were red-letter days.
The expression comes from the practice that was followed in religious calendars. In the old days, saints' birthdays, festivals and other holy days were marked in red. The other days of the month, which were not special, were marked in black. So, the original "red letter day" had a religious significance. It was only during the 18th century that the expression began to take on a general meaning - namely any memorable or important day in an individual's life. You can now refer to the day of graduation as a red-letter day. The day you meet Amitabh Bachchan or Sachin Tendulkar could also be called a red letter day! By the way, this practice of marking special days in red continues even today. For the modern man, Sundays and second Saturdays have become red-letter days as well!


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, August 07, 2001