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kermesse

village fair, charity fête

noun kehr-MESS Rare
Arts & Culture Festivals

Origin: Dutch kermis, from kerk (church) + mis (mass)

Also means

school fundraiser event

Usage Note

Kermesse traditionally refers to an outdoor fair tied to a local saint's day, but today it most often describes a school or parish fundraising fête with games and food stalls. The plural kermesses follows the regular pattern.

Examples

"Les enfants s'amusent à la kermesse de l'école."

Natural Translation

The children are having fun at the school fair.

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