Last Sunday, I was inspired by the Queen tribute concert ‘It’s a Kinda Magic’, not only a sterling performance but a literary delight afforded by some of the lyrics.
The phrase ‘Red Letter Day’ was one such treat and comes from the song ‘Friends will be Friends’.
My association with red, idiomatically speaking, has tended to be negative. Ergo,’ your account is in
the red’ means you’ve got no money – and that’s never a good thing.
A day to remember
I was pleased to learn that a Red-Letter Day is cause for celebration.
A Red-Letter Day is a day that’s special, memorable, or significant. It’s the day you:
• got the job (after more than 100 applications)
• signed the deal
• passed the exam
• moved into your new place
• met someone new and interesting
• got gifted a lost puppy
In short, it’s a day worth remembering, and so you paste smiley faces all over that page in your diary.
Major holidays
The idiom dates back to the mid-17th century, when calendars marked important days in red ink.
Religious festivals, saints’ days and major holy days were often printed in red, while regular days were left in plain black. So if you spotted a date in red, you knew it wasn’t just another ordinary Tuesday. It mattered.
Highlights
Over time, the phrase moved away from the church calendar and into everyday language, but it kept the same idea: a day important enough to be highlighted.
Now with Valentine’s Day this Saturday, I’m reminded of another red – the red of roses and all things signalling love on this day to get drunk on pheromones and sentiment – albeit commercial.
Here’s wishing you something red on Valentine’s Day – and if not, treat yourself to the audio of ‘Friends will be Friends’ – that’s the love that counts.
