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 #2 (permalink) Mon Jan 01, 2007 16:33 pm New Years Eve... |
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Hi Michael! :)
As I know, this is just a fixed expression in English - for the last day (evening) of the year. No logic :). Just a tradition.
Saving you from my tangled explanation, I can just refer you to Wikipedia ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_Eve
Have a (the?) nice New Year Day's Eve :)
Tamara
P.S. Just a(n off-topic) smile about the expression used in the above article:
| Quote: |
| Within many cultures the use of fireworks and other noise making is a major part of the celebration in cities... |
Did you produce enough noise to have a successful celebration last night? We did... perhaps...:)
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Tamara
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| #3 (permalink) Mon Jan 01, 2007 16:49 pm New Years Eve... |
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That's an interesting question, Michael -- amazing how our brain works!
Theoretically, 'eve' means 'the night before', so New Year's Eve is the 31st December and belongs on the old year's calendar. Now, could we say it 'belongs' to the new year, too? Well, I should think so, and grammar is on our side here, in that we have a Saxon genitive (not that I'm terribly sure of all this, though!). |
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Conchita
Language Coach
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| #4 (permalink) Wed Jan 03, 2007 21:14 pm New Years Eve... |
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Hi Conchita! Hi Tamara!
Thank you for your replies! In German it?s much more easy: The 31st of December is called Sylvester and the evening is the Sylvester-eve and of course belongs to the finishing year!
Michael
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Foah
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:43 am New Years Eve... |
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Hi Tom
This is a question of similiar words that have been some how put together.
The route of the word eve, means the very edge or the brink (just before the start of sth) The modern meaning is mainly for special celebratory events such as birthdays, Christmas, New Year. However consider this phrase:
e.g. On the eve of the War many children were displaced as they all had to move from their family and city homes to a place of relative shelter.
So it means this happened just before the start of the war.
As opposed to evening which in a pure sense is a time period during a day.
However now there is a cross over and confusion of the two similiar terms.
to clarify
Evening = abend in German
on the eve of = am Vorabend von
on the eve of = am Tag / Tage vor
You just have to delve a bit deeper into the English as well as the contextual not literal translation ; )
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Stew.t.
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Jan 04, 2007 20:47 pm New Years Eve... |
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Hi Axel! :D
| stew.t. wrote: |
This is a question of similiar words that have been some how put together.
to clarify
Evening = abend in German
on the eve of = am Vorabend von
on the eve of = am Tag / Tage vor |
Stew. thanks for that explanation. Now I know that "eve" not only means a particular part of a day but also the day before another certain one. 8)
| stew.t. wrote: |
| You just have to delve a bit deeper into the English as well as the contextual not literal translation ; ) |
And this is the basic reason I joined this site some month ago and I?m sure to delve much more deeper into the English with the support of all you proficient here. 8)
Michael
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Foah
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| #7 (permalink) Fri Jan 05, 2007 0:17 am New Years Eve... |
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To a bard, "eve" could also actually signify "evening".
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Prezbucky
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