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Synonyms

Christmas Eve

American  

noun

  1. the evening or the day preceding Christmas.


Christmas Eve British  

noun

  1. 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.

See Examples For:

Pearce Quigley, who played Danebury Metal Detecting Club member Russell in “Detectorists” stars as Michael Sleep, whose life has been on pause since his girlfriend, Clea, disappeared on Christmas Eve seven years earlier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Flying on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day tends to be cheaper than flying on the days surrounding the holidays.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

When Ratcliffe agreed on Christmas Eve 2023 to spend £1.25bn to buy a minority stake in Manchester United, his intention was to restore the ailing club to its past glories.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

The highest tides are expected to hit on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Jan. 22.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

When we arrived on Christmas Eve, we put up the tree and strung popcorn chains with cranberries on the pine branches.

From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine

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