Where does the term "red-letter" come from?

Question

...as in "red letter day" or Aladdin's "every moment red letter"?

Answer 1

General explanation (from the Mavens' Word of the Day):

"Red-letter means simply 'memorable or important, esp. in a happy or favorable way'.

"The expression comes from the long-established practice of using red ink to indicate holy days in ecclesiastical calendars. A red-letter day--literally a day written in red letters--was a holy day, or church festival, and thus came to mean 'any memorable or happy day'."

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19970814



More specifics:

The pratice goes back to at least 1490, when it was referred to in Willim Caxton's 'The boke of Eneydos' --

"We wryte yet in oure kalenders the hyghe festes wyth rede lettres of coloure of purpre."

The term came to be more widely used after the first Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549, and included a calendar with holy days marked in red ink
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/red-letter-day.html

Answer 2

It comes from the use in the New Testament of red printing for the words of Jesus. There were some Medieval hand-written manuscripts that were the first to do this. When printing came along, it became popular for the more high-quality Bibles to include this. It became popular in 19th century mass-market Bibles in the United States. So a "red letter" day means that it is more important than the surrounding days because in the New Testament the words of Jesus are in red.

Answer 3

It comes from the Catholic Church. The calendar has a different feast or mass for every day of the year. Special, important days were printed in red ink. They were usually extra long masses or feasts for saints and stuff... Holy days

Answer 4

Red letter ment something very speshal

Beleave it came from when people use to stamp a (red) wax seal with there famely ring wich usaly had the first letter of there sir name on it.

there is also the fact callenders have holidays in red.... but thats more a red number day than letter... lol