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Glossary entry

Dutch term or phrase:

lentefeest

English translation:

spring ceremony

Added to glossary by Anja Thys
Jan 7, 2009 15:39
15 yrs ago
8 viewers *
Dutch term

lentefeest

Dutch to English Other Religion secular, non religious
The so-called lentefeest, what word would be used for it in English, I have absolutely no clue! Could it be spring party or secular party or secular communion? Thank you so much!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 spring ceremony?
4 +1 spring festival / (spring party)
5 -1 Spring Festivals
4 May Day festivities
4 Springfeast
3 spring fair
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): writeaway

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Discussion

Anja Thys (asker) Jan 8, 2009:
thank you for your contribution I do realise that sometimes it is better to 'not translate' a word when it is unknown in the target country but this time it is for Belgium where half of the children do their communion and the other half have a lentefeest, so my question really was to the point as I had no clue how to go about describing it, finding the wording spring festival, or spring party too broad! and by the way, church communion is communie and lentefeest is the secular communion!
Ken Cox Jan 7, 2009:
FWIW With such a culturally specific term, you have to ask yourself whether the context and purpose of the text justify the effort of finding a 'faithful' translation and the associated risk of unintentionally confusing the reader or distorting the significance of the term in the context. For instance, organised secular humanists are rather few and far between in the USA, so specific mention of their spring ceremony in lieu of Catholic communion might only create puzzlement in a US audience -- and if the fact that this ceremony is a counterpart to communion is not essential to the purpose of the text, you might be better off to use some sort of innocuous quasi-paraphrase (such as 'church communion or secular communion' for 'lentefeest of communie') or quietly ignore it.
Anja Thys (asker) Jan 7, 2009:
lentefeest de collectie kleding voor je communie of lentefeest ? so it is the secular kind of the communion celebrations you do as a child of about 8 and 12. how to describe the lentefeest in english. Thank you all!
writeaway Jan 7, 2009:
In a Belgian context? Would you please post the full sentence in Dutch?

Proposed translations

+2
54 mins
Selected

spring ceremony?

It is some sort of ceremony for 7-year-olds which takes place among humanists: vrijzinnig-humanistische plechtigheid. Difficult to translate.
Reference:

http://www.plechtigheden.be/lentefeest.php

Note from asker:
yes, I like this suggestion
Peer comment(s):
agree Kitty Brussaard : I think this is the best option in this case. The holy communion ceremony itself is sometimes also referred to as a 'spring ceremony'. See f.i. http://flowergirloutlet.com/articles/toddler-flower-girl-dre...
5 hrs
Thank you
agree vic voskuil : good option indeed. if there is the need to be more specific: secular spring ceremony
2 days 17 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I think this covers it best! Thank you "
+1
4 mins

spring festival / (spring party)

I would say spring festival, which could include much more than 'spring party' (more private)
Note from asker:
it is the lentefeest as the alternative to the roman catholic first and second communion that I mean, maybe festival is too large a party
Peer comment(s):
agree Christopher Smith (X) : Spring festival covers it without pinning yourself down to a particular date
1 hr
Something went wrong...
11 mins

spring fair

perhaps fair better suits your context. Hope it helps!
Something went wrong...
-1
1 hr

Spring Festivals

As an alternate defition!
Peer comment(s):
disagree vic voskuil : but not a very good one...
2 days 17 hrs
Something went wrong...
8 mins

May Day festivities

This is the MWB definition.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 mins (2009-01-07 15:58:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

By definition, May Day festivities take place on one day only, which is the first day of May and if your lentefeest does not, then it is not May Day.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2009-01-07 15:59:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also, May Day is redolent of pagan ritual and in no way Christian.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2009-01-07 20:34:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As it is not May Day, and with reference to Theodora's answer, as I cannot edit my own answer, I put forward the following:

Spring Ceremony of Dedication
See: www.humanismtoday.org/vol2/hurto.pdf
and www.humanismforschools.org.uk/pdfs/celebrations and ceremon...
for suggested terminology
Note from asker:
but what if it does not take place in May?
thank you for still thinking about it! like the idea, but have come to the conclusion too that it is not easy to translate it!
Something went wrong...
17 hrs

Springfeast

"Feast" is het woord dat het dichtste komt bij "feest"
Daarom zou ik zeggen "Springfeast"
Something went wrong...
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