Christmas Eve

American

noun

the evening or the day preceding Christmas.

Christmas Eve British

noun

the evening or the whole day before Christmas Day

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Christmas Eve

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Police had accepted his alibi and, on Christmas Eve, told McCullagh he was no longer viewed as a suspect.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

My father left my mother with five young children on Christmas Eve 1978.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

My father left my mother with five young children on Christmas Eve in 1978.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

In Polish cuisine, it’s known as Gołąbki, often served for Christmas Eve dinner, weddings, or on dining tables year-round, depending on the region.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026

I liked the way we did everything the same as we had the previous year, including opening one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest before breakfast the next morning.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023