Christmas
noun /ˈkrɪsməs/
/ˈkrɪsməs/
[uncountable, countable]- (also Christmas Day)25 December, the day when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ
- Christmas dinner/presents
- What did you get for Christmas?
- For Christmas he gave her a silk blouse.
- to celebrate Christmas in the traditional way
- The children are hoping for a white Christmas (= with snow on the ground).
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- nice
- traditional
- …
- have
- spend
- celebrate
- …
- come
- dinner
- party
- card
- …
- at Christmas
- for Christmas
- over Christmas
- …
- Happy Christmas!
- Merry Christmas!
- wish somebody a happy Christmas
- …
- (also Christmastime)the period that includes Christmas Day and the days close to it
- the Christmas holidays/vacation
- Are you spending Christmas with your family?
- Happy Christmas!
- Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Extra Examples- Did you have a good Christmas?
- The library is closed over Christmas.
- There are lots of parties at Christmas.
- We're going to spend Christmas at home this year.
- We're going up to town to see the Christmas lights.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- nice
- traditional
- …
- have
- spend
- celebrate
- …
- come
- dinner
- party
- card
- …
- at Christmas
- for Christmas
- over Christmas
- …
- Happy Christmas!
- Merry Christmas!
- wish somebody a happy Christmas
- …
Word OriginOld English Crīstes mæsse (see Christ, Mass).
Culture ChristmasChristmasBefore Christmas, in Britain and the US, people who celebrate Christmas send Christmas cards to their friends and family showing traditional Christmas symbols such as Santa Claus, angels, holly and snowmen. Shops are decorated for Christmas from September and in the weeks before Christmas people do their Christmas shopping, buying Christmas presents for friends and family. In schools in Britain at the end of the Christmas term children often sing carols and perform a nativity play representing the birth of Christ, which parents are invited to watch. A few days before Christmas, families decorate a Christmas tree in their home with lights and decorations. Some people go to midnight mass in church on Christmas Eve. Young children believe that Santa Claus (also called Father Christmas) will bring them presents during the night. They leave a Christmas stocking (= a long sock) at the end of the bed in Britain or hanging on the mantelpiece above the fire in the US, which they will find full of small presents when they wake up. Presents wrapped in coloured paper are put under the Christmas tree and on Christmas morning many families open their presents together. Families try to get together at Christmas and celebrate with special food. In Britain people eat mince pies and Christmas cake, and in the US they make Christmas cookies. They share a special meal, Christmas dinner, which in Britain usually consists of turkey or goose and vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding, a rich pudding made with dried fruit that is served with brandy burning on it and eaten with brandy butter. People pull paper crackers which make a loud noise and contain paper hats, jokes and small toys. On the day after Christmas, called Boxing Day in Britain, many sporting events take place, and large shops begin their sales.