festival

Etymology

From Middle English festival (adjective), from Old French festival (“festive”), from Late Latin fēstīvālis, from Latin fēstīvus (“festive”). Displaced native Old English frēols. The noun is shortened from festival day, from Middle English festival dai, festiuall day (“feast day, festival”).

adj

1. Pertaining to a feast or feast day; festive. (Now only as the noun used attributively.)

noun

1. (biblical) A feast or feast day.
   All your males are to appear three times a year before the Lord your God in the place He chooses: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. No one is to appear before the Lord empty-handed. 2009, “Deuteronomy 16:16”, in Holman Christian Standard Bible
2. An event or series of special events centred on the celebration or promotion of some theme or aspect of the community, often held at regular intervals.
   The Reading and Leeds festivals take place on the August bank holiday.
   A Welsh eisteddfod is a literary festival.
3. In mythology, a set of celebrations in the honour of a god.
4. (Caribbean, Jamaica, uncountable) Fried cornbread.