Red Letter Day

Have you ever heard of the phrase that Today is a Red Letter Day?   It used to be quite common but now is just one of those sayings we vaguely remember from school.  It may well be for you and you’d don’t even know it.

The origins of this saying go right back to the Roman Republic which lasted for almost 500 years before it evolved into the Roman Empire over 2,000 years ago.  It was their habit to mark important days in their year by marking them in Red on their calendar.  It’s something we still do today either to mark national holidays, religious festivals or simply the weekend for those of us at work spending all week waiting for a few days of freedom.  In the U.K. some state officials such as Judges or University academics wear special gowns on these days.

Today, weekends are often highlighted in…