Christmas, Xmas, yule

On this page

• Christmas
  • Origins of the word “Christmas”
  • Capitalization
  • Parts of speech
• Xmas
  • Origins of the word “Xmas”
  • Capitalization
  • Parts of speech
• Yule
  • Origins of the word “yule”
  • Capitalization
  • Parts of speech
  • Yuletide
• Phrases, expressions and sayings related to Christmas

Christmas

Christmas has been celebrated as a major Christian festival since the 9th century.

Origins of the word “Christmas”

The first known use of the word Christmas was in the 11th century. The word is originally derived from the Old English Cristes maesse, which became Christemass in Middle English and eventually Christmas. The original meaning of these terms is “Christ’s mass.”

Capitalization

The word Christmas is always capitalized.

• This year, we’re spending Christmas in historic Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Parts of speech

Christmas can function as either a noun or an adjective.

• We exchange gifts at Christmas.
• Have you baked your Christmas cookies yet?

Xmas

The word Xmas is an abbreviated form of the word Christmas and is often used as an informal substitute.

Origins of the word “Xmas”

The term is often thought to be of modern origin, but it actually dates back to the 16th century, when the form X’temmas was used as an abbreviation for the older spelling Christemmas.

The first part of the term Christmas (Christ) is derived from the Greek Christos. Written in Greek (Χριστός), this word starts with the Greek letter chi, which looks just like the English letter x. Use of this letter to abbreviate the name Christ was at one time quite common and is thought to date back to the 11th century.

Capitalization

Xmas is always written with a capital X.

• We always travel to Toronto to visit my parents for Xmas.

Parts of speech

It can function as either a noun or an adjective.

• The shortened form Xmas is often used in marketing ads.
• Andrea loves buying Xmas presents for her nieces and nephews.

Yule

Yule is another word often associated with Christmas. Though it’s frequently defined in dictionaries as a synonym for Christmas, it often refers to the festivities surrounding the Christmas season.

Origins of the word “yule”

Yule was originally a pre-Christian Norse festival called jól, which celebrated the winter solstice. The word first entered the English language through Old English as geol. Over the centuries, the word geol evolved into its modern form, yule, which became associated with Christmas in about the 9th century. Yule is related to the words for Christmas in the Scandinavian languages (Jul) and in Finnish (Joulu).

Capitalization

Most dictionaries lowercase yule, but some capitalize it.

• Evergreens, holly and mistletoe are all examples of yule traditions.

Parts of speech

Yule can function as either a noun or an adjective but is more commonly used as an adjective.

• Yule is a time to celebrate with friends and loved ones.
• A yule log is a traditional Christmas cake decorated to resemble a log.

Yuletide

Yuletide refers to the Christmas period or season and is most often written with a lowercase y.

Yuletide can be used as a noun or an adjective but is more commonly used as an adjective.

• Yuletide is a great opportunity for rest and reflection.
• I think Amelia needs some yuletide cheer this year.

Phrases and expressions related to Christmas

Christmas cheer

The phrase Christmas cheer refers to the festive mood people feel during the Christmas season.

• The streets were filled with Christmas cheer as the Halifax Parade of Lights kicked off the holiday season.

Be in (Get into) the Christmas spirit

The expression be in the Christmas spirit or get into the Christmas spirit refers to feelings of joy and generosity associated with the Christmas season. It also refers to traditions, such as giving gifts, decorating and baking, that people take part in during the Christmas season.

• We’re getting into the Christmas spirit at home: we’ve started decorating the house and baking cookies!
• She was in the Christmas spirit and donated a large sum to the charity.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas is a greeting used at Christmastime.

• I wish you and your family a merry Christmas!

light up like a Christmas tree

The expression to light up like a Christmas tree means that you are very happy and it shows on your face.

• I was so happy when I heard the news: my face lit up like a Christmas tree!

white Christmas

The phrase white Christmas refers to a snow-covered landscape at Christmastime.

• They’ve forecasted 20 centimetres of snow on Christmas Eve. We’re going to have a white Christmas!