The word 节日 (jiérì), meaning "festival" or "holiday", is formed by combining two conceptual ideas into a single, unified meaning. The first character, 节, originally depicted a bamboo joint, carrying the sense of a node, a division, or a point of connection. This evolved to signify a special, marked point in time, a turning point or significant moment. The second character, 日, simply means "sun" or "day". When joined, the concept becomes that of a marked or nodal day, a specific day or period singled out from the ordinary flow of time for observance, celebration, or commemoration, much like a joint stands out along the length of a bamboo stalk.