Christmas
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: krĭsʹməs
ipa: /ˈkɹɪsməs/
rhymes: -ɪsməs
Forms: form: Christmases
form: Christmasses
form: Christmasing
form: Christmassing
form: Christmased
form: Christmased
form: Christmassed
form: Christmassed
form: Xmas
Etymology: The proper noun is derived from Middle English Cristemasse, Criste-mas (“Christmas Day; season of Christmas; Christmas festivities”) [and other forms], from Old English Cristes mæsse (“Christmas”, literally “Christ’s mass”), from Crist (“Christ”) + -es (possessive marker) + mæsse (“a mass (celebration of the Eucharist)”). The English word is analysable as Christ + -mas (suffix denoting a holiday or sacred day). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kristmisse (“Christmas”), West Frisian Krystmis (“Christmas”), Dutch Kerstmis (“Christmas”), German Low German Karstmis (“Christmas”).
The noun, adjective, and verb are derived from the proper noun.
Adjective sense 1 (“red and green in color”) refers to these colors being traditionally associated with Christmas.
Senses: examples: text: "Then look," said a gardener to me, "what's spent on a Christmasing the churches! Why, now, properly to Christmas St. Paul's, I say properly, mind, would take 50l. worth at least; aye, more, when I think of it, nearer 100l. I hope there'll be no 'No Popery' nonsense against Christmasing this year. I'm always sorry when anything of that kind's afloat, because it's frequently a hindrance to business."
ref: 1851, Henry Mayhew, “Of the Sellers of Trees, Shrubs, Flowers (Cut and in Pots), Roots, Seeds, and Branches”, in London Labour and the London Poor; […], volume I (The London Street-folk. Book the First.), London: [George Woodfall], →OCLC, page 141, column 1:
text: (Moving to the holly boughs.) Come on; let's finish Christmassing the place.
ref: 1966, James Goldman, The Lion in Winter: A Comedy in Two Acts, New York, N.Y.; Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif.: Samuel French, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 17:
text: Haddonfield was completely Christmased deep in December. It was lovely to see the beautifully decorated shops. Huge bows adorned the streetlamps, aerosol snow framed the windows, and people bundled up were moving in and out of the shops as the aroma of spice and clove from holiday candles scented the air.
ref: 2012, Robin S. Shapiro, “It’s Never too Late to Play the Violin”, in Touchstones: Essays on Spirituality and Healing, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 27:
glosses: To decorate (a place) with Christmas (“sprigs of holly and other evergreen plants used as Christmas decorations, or any Christmas decorations”).
examples: text: Her labours feast imperial Night with sports, / Where loves are Christmass'd, with all pleasure's sorts; […]
ref: 1594, George Chapman, “The Shadow of Night. Hymnus in Noctem.”, in Richard Herne Shepherd, editor, The Works of George Chapman: Poems and Minor Translations. […], London: Chatto and Windus, […], published 1875, →OCLC, page 7:
glosses: To bring (someone) Christmas cheer.
examples: text: The 2016 campaign via TBWA Sydney asks the question, ‘How do Australians Christmas?’ with a film to be launched today featuring global superstar and style icon, Cate Blanchett.
ref: 2016 November 3, Ricki Green, “David Jones Asks ‘How do Australians Christmas?’ in New Campaign via TBWA Sydney”, in Campaign Brief, archived from the original on 24 Dec 2023:
glosses: To celebrate Christmas.
examples: text: I've Christmased since those palmy days / In many a varied spot, / And suffered many a weary phase / Of Christmas cold and hot.
ref: 1878, “Ironbark” [pseudonym; George Herbert Gibson], “Christmas in Australia”, in Southerly Busters, Sydney, N.S.W.: John Sands, […], →OCLC, page 73:
text: I have spent Christmas on the Severn, at Sharpness Point; in Paris, under siege, and among scenes of heartrending distress; among the Scotch hills, with Presbyterian severity, and I have Christmased in Normandy, where every tree seems green with mistletoe.
ref: 1878 December, Horace L. Nicholson, “Baulked by a Berry”, in W. J. Morgan, editor, The St. James’s Magazine and United Empire Review, volume XXXIV, London: Charing Cross Publishing Company, […], published 1879, →OCLC, page 1107:
text: Prince Albert Victor on arrival in India will land at Bombay, and travel through Southern India, proceeding from Madras by sea to Calcutta. He will Christmas at Calcutta, and then make a tour through Bengal, and pay a visit to the frontier.
ref: 1889 July 6, “Facts and Fancies”, in St. Stephen’s Review, number 330, London: The Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 9, column 1:
text: Mr. Danby never omitted his annual visits to Penlyon Place. He Christmassed there, and he Eastered there, and he knew the owner of the fine old Tudor house inside and out, his vices and his virtues, his weaknesses, and his prejudices.
ref: 1894, M[ary] E[lizabeth] Braddon, “Prologue”, in The Christmas Hirelings […], London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. […], →OCLC, page 20:
text: André Maurois will be one of the spearheads of the Harold R[eginald] Peat list for the coming season, a result of Mr. Peat’s holiday visit to England, where he Christmassed with H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells.
ref: 1938 January, Program: A Magazine for Program and Entertainment Committees, volume 4, number 4, New York, N.Y.: Program Company, →OCLC, page 7:
text: Christmasing in Khartoum, writing in his Cairo study about the Al Azhar University, overseeing the publication of learned articles about Moslem medievalism, attending conferences and tea parties hosted by his former AUB students, feted constantly in many an Arab capital, and filling up his diary with descriptions of the bazaars of Lucknow and the exotic birds of Asia, [Bayard] Dodge was reaping the bounty of a life devoted to the Arabs and Moslem culture.
ref: 1993, Robert D[avid] Kaplan, “End of the Rainbow”, in The Arabists: The Romance of an American Elite, New York, N.Y.: The Free Press, →ISBN, part I (Dream), page 80:
text: In particular, please keep my brother in your prayers as he Christmases in Afghanistan.
ref: 2012 October 26, Lorrene Desbien, “December 22”, in Losing Sarah: A Mother’s Journey to Peace, Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 64:
glosses: To spend Christmas or the Christmas season in some place.
examples: text: “[…] But there’s only so much joyful, greedy delight you can see in a young child’s eyes before you want to go screaming out for the nearest bar.” He tossed his handstitched, kidskin gloves onto the table top. “I’m about Christmassed-out, if you want to know.”
ref: 2001, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, chapter 17, in Toujours Dead: A Mystery in Provence, Atlanta: Abdale Books, →ISBN, page 342:
text: "The kids claim they are all Christmassed-out and have disappeared in protest."
ref: 2008, Tina-Sue Ducross, No Shadows Left Behind, Galion, Oh.: Harris Innovations, →ISBN, page 204:
text: I had done Christmas in so many ways that I was somewhat ‘Christmassed-out.
ref: 2012, Michael Parker, “Of Loos and Ships and Ceiling Lights, And Cabbages and Kings”, in It’s All Going Terribly Wrong: Organised Chaos at Royal, National and Military Celebrations over 45 years, London: Bene Factum Publishing, →ISBN, page 121:
text: That evening, after the family, Christmased out, went early to bed, Herman brought out his unmailed letters.
ref: 2005 February, Nora Laurie Percival, Herman Gund, “A Taste of Paradise”, in Silver Pages on the Lawn: A True Story of Student Love during the 1930s, Vilas, N.C.: Kent Hollow Press, published November 2009, →ISBN, part III (Fall 1934—Love Learns), page 141:
text: Christmas muzak was pumping out, presumably to get her into the spirit of the thing. Not much chance of that, when she had felt all Christmassed out for months. Bugger off, she felt like shouting as a particularly cheesy version of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ blared out. Look at all these people. Do any of them look bloody merry?
ref: 2009, Julia Williams, “Prologue”, in Last Christmas, London: Avon, →ISBN, page 14:
text: I notice that this is one of the very few buildings in town that hasn’t any Christmas decorations whatsoever. / “We’re a respite from Christmas, I guess,” Suze explains. “Our kids are all Christmassed out.”
ref: 2012, Jon Ronson, “Santa’s Little Conspirators”, in Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, New York, N.Y.: Riverhead Books, →ISBN, part three (Everyday Difficulty), page 157:
glosses: To subject to Christmas celebrations.