Festive: The Adjective That Belongs to a Feast
Festive means cheerful and suited to a celebration. In Britain the festive season is a way of saying Christmas without saying it.
Festive describes the mood and the trimmings of a celebration: festive lights, a festive atmosphere, festive food. In British English *the festive season* is the standard neutral phrase for the weeks around Christmas and New Year, useful because it includes everyone.
- Cheerful and celebratory. *A festive mood.*
- Belonging to a festival. *Festive decorations.*
- The festive season — the Christmas and New Year period. *Closed over the festive season.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | festive | A festive table. |
| Adverb | festively | Festively decorated. |
| Noun | festivity | An air of festivity. |
| Plural | festivities | The festivities began. |
| Related | festival | A music festival. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The office closes over the festive period.Festive period and festive season are interchangeable.
- The square looked festive under the lights.Describing appearance.
- The festivities went on until midnight.Festivities means the events themselves.
The family of feast
- Feast — a large celebratory meal, or a religious day
- Festival — an organised celebration, often annual
- Fete — an outdoor event, usually to raise money
- Fiesta — a Spanish festival, borrowed whole
- Festoon — a hanging garland, from the same root
From Latin *festivus*, festive, from *festum*, a feast or holiday. The same root runs through *feast*, *festival*, *fete* and, further away, *fair*.
Is *festive season* only about Christmas?
In Britain it usually means Christmas and New Year, and it is chosen precisely because it does not name one religion's holiday.
Festive or festal?
Festal is the older and rarer word, kept for religious or ceremonial contexts. Festive is the everyday choice.