auspicious occasion; happy event
A somewhat formal or literary term for a celebratory occasion, such as a national holiday, wedding, or New Year. Not used in everyday casual speech.
On this auspicious occasion of the New Year, I respectfully extend my congratulations.
この佳節に当たり、皆様のご健康とご多幸をお祈りいたします。
On this happy occasion, I wish you all good health and happiness.
Standard kanji spelling for 'auspicious occasion'.
Variant kanji form; less common than 佳節.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 佳 (beautiful, good) and 節 (occasion, season) combine to mean 'auspicious occasion'. The variant 嘉節 uses 嘉 (praise, auspicious) with a similar meaning.