Christmas

[kris-muhs]

noun

1. the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and, for many, an occasion for exchanging gifts.

2. Christmastime.

3. Christmastide.

adjective

1. of or relating to Christmas; made or displayed for Christmas: a Christmas movie for the whole family.

   six batches of Christmas cookies;

   a Christmas movie for the whole family.

Christmas

/ ˈkrɪsməs /

noun

1. 1. the annual commemoration by Christians of the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec 25

   2. Also called: Christmas Day. Dec 25, observed as a day of secular celebrations when gifts and greetings are exchanged

   3. ( as modifier )

      Christmas celebrations

2. Also called: Christmas Day. (in England, Wales and Ireland) Dec 25, one of the four quarter days Compare Lady Day Midsummer's Day Michaelmas

3. Also called: Christmastide. the season of Christmas extending from Dec 24 (Christmas Eve) to Jan 6 (the festival of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night)

Christmas

1. A festival commemorating the birth of Jesus, traditionally celebrated on December 25 by most Western Christian churches. Although dating to probably as early as a.d. 200, the feast of Christmas did not become widespread until the Middle Ages. Today, Christmas is largely secularized and dominated by gifts, decorated trees, and a jolly Santa Claus.

Other Word Forms

• Christmassy adjective
• Christmasy adjective
• post-Christmas adjective
• pre-Christmas adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Christmas¹

First recorded before 1050; Middle English cristmas(se); Old English Cristes mǣsse Mass of Christ

Word History and Origins

Origin of Christmas¹

Old English Crīstes mæsse _Mass of _Christ

Example Sentences

Where lines like “don’t give up; don’t stop believing; keep the faith” can transform from overworn platitudes into a chant of quiet confidence and inflate the listener’s heart like the Grinch on Christmas.

From Los Angeles Times

A new coin is set to be released celebrating the board game Monopoly - with a gold version hidden away for one lucky person to find on Christmas Eve.

From BBC

Baroness Amos says she will aim to produce interim findings around Christmas.

From BBC

Gladiator and former athlete Harry Aikines-Aryeetey took part in the last Strictly Christmas special and says it has helped a bit.

From BBC

Covert officers were confident they were watching an organised crime group in action and raided Andrews Jr's house in the early hours of the morning just before Christmas in 2023.

From BBC

When To Use

Spelling tips for Christmas

The word Christmas is hard to spell for two reasons. The letters ch- often make a [ ch ] sound, but in Christmas they represent a [ k ] sound. Also, there is only one s at the end, even though mass is typically spelled with a double s. As a final note, Christmas is a proper noun, and therefore the first letter is always capitalized. How to spell Christmas: Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ (also known as Jesus). Christ was a humble man, so he only needs one s at the end of his birthday (-mas).