What is "gala"

Gala \Ga"la\, n. [F. gala show, pomp, fr. It. gala finery, gala; of German origin. See Gallant.] Pomp, show, or festivity.
--Macaulay.

Gala day, a day of mirth and festivity; a holiday.

1620s, "festive dress or attire" (obsolete), from French en gala, perhaps from Old French gale "merriment," from galer "rejoice, make merry" (see gallant). Klein suggests the French word is from Italian gala (as in phrase vestito di gala "robe of state"), perhaps from Arabic khil'a "fine garment given as a presentation." Sense of "festive occasion" (characterized by display of finery) first recorded 1777. Quasi-adjectival use in gala day "day of festivities," etc.

a. celebratory; festive. n. 1 (context uncountable English) pomp, show, or festivity. 2 (context countable English) A showy and festive party.

adj. offering fun and gaiety; "a gala ball after the inauguration"; "a festive (or festal) occasion"; "gay and exciting night life"; "a merry evening" [syn: gala(a), gay, festal, festive, merry]

n. a gay festivity [syn: gala affair, jamboree, blowout]

Gålå is a Norwegian resort in the district of Gudbrandsdalen, catering for both winter and summer leisure activities. It is situated on the Peer Gynt trail, a ~100km cross-country tourist road.

Gala (born Gala Rizzatto, 6 September 1975) is an Italian pop singer and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. Gala has sold over six million records worldwide. Her debut album Come Into My Life included the multiplatinum singles " Freed from Desire", " Let a Boy Cry" and " Come Into My Life" which reached the Top 3 in music charts across Europe, South America, Russia and the Middle East.

'Gala' is a clonally propagated apple cultivar with a mild and sweet flavor. 'Gala' apples ranked at number 2 in 2006 on the US Apple Association's list of most popular apples, after ' Red Delicious' and before ' Golden Delicious', ' Granny Smith', and 'Fuji' (in order). The skin color of the fruit is non-uniform.

Gala or Gaia (; died 207 BCE) was an ancient berber king of the Massylii, an eastern Numidian tribe in the Ancient Algeria of North Africa.

Gala reigned during the Second Punic War of ancient Rome. He was the father of King Masinissa, and the brother of Oezalces.

Greco-Roman authors give his name as "Gala", but an inscription in Dougga indicates it may have instead been "Gaia".

Gala is a convenience store chain in Ireland. Established in 1998, Gala now has 200 stores nationwide, all under franchise. In 2008 they celebrated their tenth year in business. Gary Desmond is the Chief Executive Officer.

Gala sponsor the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship and Gradam Chumarsáide an Oireachtais.

Gala ( Georgian: გალა) is a literary competition founded under the aegis of the Tbilisi Sakrebulo (Tbilisi City Assembly, Georgia). The idea of the competition belongs to writer and member of Tbilisi City Assembly Zaal Samadashvili. The competition presents awards in seven categories.

Winners receive a copy of a Bronze Age axe and prize money (4000 GEL). The idea of Bronze Age axe sketch pertains to sculptor Gogi Ochiauri, whereas the prize itself was elaborated by Tbilisi City Assembly member Khatuna Ochiauri.

GALA (Gay and Lesbian Acceptance) is a non-profit Missouri corporation that is an association of gay, lesbian, trisexuals, bisexual, and transgender persons and their family and friends that are connected with the Community of Christ.

Informally organized in 1984 by Antonio A. Feliz and formally organized in 1987, GALA's stated purpose is to "affirm the dignity and worth of all persons without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation". The organization publishes a newsletter, offer regional retreats and workshops, and sponsors an annual international retreat.

Although GALA is not formally affiliated with the Community of Christ, most of its members have a connection to the Independence, Missouri-based church. The organization sends representatives to Community of Christ jurisdictional and World Church gatherings and conferences. GALA also sponsors the Welcoming Committee Network, an organization that assists LGBT individuals' participation in the Community of Christ.

Gala is the debut compilation album by the English alternative rock band Lush, released in 1990 by 4AD as an introduction to the US and Japanese markets, comprising the band's earliest releases in reverse chronological order, plus two additional tracks.

It was released on 13 November 1990 on 4AD/ Reprise Records in the United States and 21 November 1990 on 4AD/ Nippon Columbia in Japan; the album received a limited-edition release in the United Kingdom on 3 December 1990.

In support of the album, Lush toured in both the US and Japan.

Upon its release, Gala failed to chart, but the album was well received by critics in both the UK and the US. "De-Luxe", which was released as a promotional single in the US, did receive considerable radio airplay and placed in the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The Gala ( Akkadian: kalû) were priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna, significant numbers of the personnel of both temples and palaces, the central institutions of Mesopotamian city states, individuals with neither male nor female gender identities.

Originally a specialist in singing lamentations, gala appear in temple records dating back from the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. According to an old Babylonian text, Enki created the gala specifically to sing "heart-soothing laments" for the goddess Inanna. Cuniform references indicate the gendered character of the role. Lamentation and wailing originally may have been female professions, so that men who entered the role adopted its forms. Their hymns were sung in a Sumerian dialect known as eme-sal, normally used to render the speech of female gods, and some gala took female names. Homosexual proclivities are clearly implied by the Sumerian proverb that reads, "When the gala wiped off his anus [he said], ‘I must not arouse that which belongs to my mistress [i.e., Inanna]’ ". In fact, the word gala was written using the sign sequence UŠ.KU, the first sign having also the reading giš ("penis"), and the second one dur ("anus"), so perhaps there is some pun involved. Moreover, gala is homophonous with gal-la "vulva". However, in spite of all their references of their effeminate character (especially in the Sumerian proverbs), many administrative texts mention gala priests who had children, wives, and large families. On the other hand, some gala priests were actually women.

Gala is a French language weekly celebrity and women's magazine published in Paris, France. The magazine also has international editions.