red-letter day
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A lucky day; a day to be recalled with delight. In almanacs, saints* days and holidays are printed in red ink, other days in black; and only the former have special services in our Prayer Book.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “red-letter day” mean?
A lucky day; a day to be recalled with delight. In almanacs, saints* days and holidays are printed in red ink, other days in black; and only the former have special services in our Prayer Book.
Is “red-letter day” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.