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/bˌækənˈeɪljə/ Listen

noun

Bacchanalia n. pl.

(Myth.) A feast or an orgy in honor of Bacchus.

Hence: A drunken feast; drunken revels; an orgy.

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Etymology of 'Bacchanalia'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Bacchanalia" Quotes from Famous Books

... apply to the pieces of Aristophanes the motto of a pleasant and acute adventurer in Goethe: "Mad, but clever." In them we are best enabled to conceive why the Dramatic Art in general was consecrated to Bacchus: it is the intoxication of poetry, the Bacchanalia of fun. This faculty will at times assert its rights as well as others; and hence several nations have set apart certain festivals, such as Saturnalia, Carnivals, &c., in which the people may give themselves altogether ...

— Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature • August Wilhelm Schlegel

... Bacchanalia. In Latin countries, the three days before Ash Wednesday are given up to boisterous outdoor merriment, which frequently degenerates into coarse and licentious revelry. Hence, the expression "Bacchanalia" Carnival. In order to counteract these abuses, the Jesuits at Macerata in Italy, introduced, in 1556, some special devotions during the three days. The Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held in the church, this custom was adopted by St. Charles Borromeo, in Milan; and it gradually ...

— The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XVII, 1609-1616 • Various