Merrymaker

A person taking cheerful, active part in a celebration.

Reach for it when describing festive enjoyment without assuming intoxication or unruly conduct

Each merrymaker carried a handmade lantern through the winter parade.

• everyday

  partygoer

  attendance at a social party is the relevant fact

  not when A partygoer may remain passive and need not spread cheer.

• professional

  reveler

  lively public festivity is the setting

  not when Reveler can suggest noisy or intoxicated behavior absent from simple merrymaking.

• formal

  bon vivant

  someone habitually enjoys sociable food, drink, and culture

  not when Bon vivant describes a lifestyle, not participation in one celebration.

• formal

  celebrant

  someone participates in a ceremony or celebration

  not when Celebrant can also mean the person officiating at a rite.

• literary

  carouser

  drinking and noisy celebration are truly part of the scene

  not when Carouser carries a disorderly, alcohol-centered implication.

• killjoy
• mourner
• wallflower
• spoilsport

• costumed merrymaker

  A costumed merrymaker handed paper flowers to children along the route.

• young merrymaker

  The young merrymaker kept perfect time on a borrowed drum.

• crowd of merrymakers

  A crowd of merrymakers gathered beneath the clock at midnight.