Meaning & use
Christmas
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
The yearly Christian holiday on December 25 that celebrates the birth of Jesus, widely kept with gifts and family meals.
Grammar: Capitalized; used without 'the' when referring to the day itself: 'Christmas is on a Tuesday.'
Patterns
- at Christmas
- on Christmas Day
- Christmas Eve
We always spend Christmas at my grandparents' house.
Christmas falls on a Monday this year.
The children were excited about Christmas and the presents under the tree.
nouncountable or uncountable
The period of time around December 25, including the days before and after.
Grammar: Can be used with 'a' or 'the' when talking about a particular year's holiday: 'We had a quiet Christmas.'
Patterns
- a quiet Christmas
- over Christmas
- during Christmas
She's going to Spain for Christmas.
The store is closed over Christmas.
We had a lovely Christmas with all the family.
Common combinations
- Christmas Eve
- We open one present on Christmas Eve.
- Christmas Day
- Christmas Day is the 25th of December.
- Christmas tree
- They decorated the Christmas tree with lights and ornaments.
- Christmas present
- He gave her a beautiful Christmas present.
- Merry Christmas
- She wished everyone a Merry Christmas.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- Christmassy adjective
- Having the festive feeling or typical features of Christmas.
- Christmastime noun
- The period around Christmas.
Commonly confused: Christmas or Xmas?
Christmas vs Xmas
Xmas is just a short way of writing Christmas; it is not a different holiday, but some people avoid it in formal contexts.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'At Christmas' is the standard phrase for the holiday period. 'On Christmas' is not used; we say 'on Christmas Day' for the specific date. 'In Christmas' and 'by Christmas' do not fit the meaning of spending time with family during the holiday.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Christmas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.