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Literary notes about gala (AI summary)

The term “gala” is often employed to evoke a sense of refined celebration and grandeur in literature. It may refer to lavish or ceremonial attire, as when a character is instructed to wear her “gala dress” for a distinguished encounter ([1]) or is noted for donning “gala attire” to mark a significant event ([2], [3]). At the same time, “gala” is used to describe festive occasions and public spectacles, adding a layer of ceremonial splendor to events such as operatic performances and grand public celebrations ([4], [5], [6]). This multiplicity in meaning enriches scenes by blending images of opulent dress and admirable festivities, thus heightening the overall atmosphere with a celebratory and sometimes even transformative quality ([7], [8]).
  1. Early next day he sent a page to my room to tell me that if I wanted to come with him and kiss the king’s hand I must put on my gala dress.
    — from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova
  2. Lastly, Arina Vlasievna had robed herself in gala attire—that is to say, in a high-peaked cap with yellow ribands and a blue, embroidered shawl.
    — from Fathers and Sons by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
  3. He did not wait long, for in five minutes the queen entered in full gala costume.
    — from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet
  4. Debienne and Poligny, the managers of the Opera, were giving a last gala performance to mark their retirement.
    — from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
  5. In old times here Saturday was a grand gala day indeed.
    — from Roughing It by Mark Twain
  6. The States-General shall open there, if not on the First, then surely on the Fourth of May, in grand procession and gala.
    — from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle
  7. There is to be a grand gala on Tuesday evening in Sydney Gardens, a concert, with illuminations and fireworks.
    — from The Letters of Jane Austen by Jane Austen
  8. They are gala-nights, these last of September; Paris may well dance, and the Universe: the Edifice of the Constitution is completed!
    — from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle

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