Christmas

American  

[kris-muhs] / ˈkrɪs məs /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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)

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Christmas Cultural  

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.

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Usage

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).

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of Christmas

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

Example Sentences

It is part of a larger trend of holiday and event-buying seasons like Christmas and the Fourth of July stretching longer, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

During the Christmas and New Year period, no two rounds of matches will take place within 60 hours of each other in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address congested schedules.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Unwrapping Christmas presents didn’t start until her father read the newspaper to see if a local family needed help celebrating the holidays.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

The term El Niño dates back to the 1600s, when fishermen noticed that warmer ocean conditions often became stronger around Christmas.

From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026

Before Christmas, he asked permission to take his “friend” Maggie and her sister Kate for a sleigh ride in New York City.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock