noun, adverb
last December; end of last year
Literary or old-fashioned term for the end of the previous year, especially the last month. In modern Japanese, 去年の十二月 or 昨年末 are far more common.
旧臘の候、皆様にはお変わりなくお過ごしのことと存じます。
In this season of last December, I trust you are all doing well. (A formal, old-fashioned seasonal greeting.)
旧臘、当地は記録的な大雪に見舞われた。
Last December, this area was hit by record-breaking heavy snow. (Literary style.)
旧 (old, previous) + 臘 (12th lunar month). The character 臘 is rare and historically referred to the year-end sacrifices and the last month of the lunar calendar. The exact derivation is uncertain, but the compound is a literary Chinese borrowing.