partridge

en-noun

partridge (plural partridges or partridge)

/ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/

/ˈpɑɹtɹɪd͡ʒ/

From Middle English partrich, partriche, pertriche, perdriz, from Old French perdriz, partriz, from Latin perdīx (“partridge”), from Ancient Greek πέρδιξ (pérdix, “partridge”), probably from πέρδομαι (pérdomai, “to fart”).

partridge-wood

Andira inermis; Millettia stuhlmannii; Stereum frustulosum

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree.

...and the loudest sound in the lonely fields was when, adventuring too near some late brood, the partridge sought to deceive by a plaintive cry and seeming helplessness, crossing before your very feet, till, when drawn to a sufficient distance, suddenly the air vibrated to the flutter of her active pinions.

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 80:

(ornithology) Any bird of a number of genera in the family Phasianidae, notably in the genera Perdix and Alectoris.

thëllëzë

any bird of the genera Perdix or Alectoris

鷓鴣 /鹧鸪 (zhègū) (francolin, but often translated as partridge)


turtle dove

turtle doves (plural)
turtle-dove (alternative)
turtledove (alternative)

From Middle English turtildove, turteldoufe (cognate with Old High German turtultūba, turtulatūba, turtiltūba, Middle High German turteltūbe, türteltūbe, German Turteltaube; German Low German Turtelduuv, Dutch tortelduif, Faroese turtildúgva, Icelandic turtildúfa), Danish turteldue, Norwegian Bokmål turteldue, Norwegian Nynorsk turteldue, Swedish turturduva. The first element is from Latin turtur (“turtledove”) (compare the archaic synonym turtle (“turtle dove (bird)”); the word is not related to turtle (“reptile with a shell”).

Any of several (species of) birds, called by this traditional name, mainly in the genus Streptopelia, of the family Columbidae (doves and pigeons, which also included the extinct passenger pigeon, dodo, and solitaire).


Christmas

en-proper noun

Christmas (countable and uncountable, plural Christmases or Christmasses)

Christmases (plural)
Christmasses (plural)
Christmass (alternative)
Christmasse (alternative)
Xmas (alternative)
X-mas (alternative)
Xtmas (alternative)

→ Afrikaans: Krismis

desctree

→ Gilbertese: Kiritimati
→ English: Kiritimati

→ Golin: geresma

→ Hawaiian: Kalikimaka

desc

→ Hindi: क्रिसमस (krismas), क्रिस्मस (krismas)

→ Hopi: Kyesmis

→ Japanese: クリスマス (Kurisumasu)

→ Korean: 크리스마스 (Keuriseumaseu)

→ Maori: Kirihimete

→ Marshallese: Kūrijm̧ōj

→ Mon: ခရေတ်သမာတ်

→ Mon: ခရေတ်သမာတ်

→ Burmese: ခရစ္စမတ် (hka.racca.mat)

→ Spanish: Crismes

→ Swahili: Krismasi

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.

cog

Saterland Frisian Kristmisse (“Christmas”)

German Low German Karstmis (“Christmas”)

Do you celebrate Christmas?

This Christmas we’ll open presents, then go to grandma’s for dinner.

Be gladde, lordes, bothe more and lasse, / For this hath ordeyned our stewarde / To chere you all this christmasse / The bores heed with mustarde.

[[15th century] (date written), “A Caroll Bringyng in the Bores Heed”, in [Christmasse Carolles], London: […] Wynkyn de Worde, published 1521, →OCLC; republished in Joseph Ames, Typographical Antiquities: Being a Historical Account of Printing in England: […], London: […] W[illiam] Faden, and sold by J. Robinson, […], 1749, →OCLC, page 96, column 2:

In this Winter was great death in London, wherefore the Terme was adiorned, and the king for to eſchue the plague, kept his Chriſtmaſſe at Eltham with a ſmall number, for no man might come thether, but ſuch as were appoynted by name: this Chriſtmas in the kings houſe, was called the ſtill Chriſtmaſſe.

1569, Richard Grafton, “Henry the Eyght”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, pages 1140–1141:

Kinde Gentlemen, and honeſt Companions, I preſent you here with a merrie conceited Comedie, called the Shoomakers Holyday, acted by my Lorde Admiralls Players this preſent Chriſtmaſſe, before the Queenes moſt excellent Maieſtie.

1599 (first performance; published 1600), Thomas Dekker, “The Shomakers Holiday. Or The Gentle Craft. […]. To All Good Fellowes, Professors of the Gentle Craft; of what Degree Soeuer.”, in The Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker […], volume I, London: John Pearson […], published 1873, →OCLC, page 3:

Hereupon a Peace vvas concluded, vvhich vvas publiſhed a little before Chriſtmaſſe, in the Fourteenth yeare of the Kings Raigne, to continue for both the Kings liues, and the ouer-liuer of them, and a yeare after.

1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC, page 191:

Chriſtmaſſe commeth but once a yeere.

1623, M. N. [pseudonym; William Camden], “Certaine Prouerbes, Poemes or Poesies, Epigrammes, Rhythmes, and Epitaphs of the English Nation in Former Times, and Some of This Present Age”, in Remaines, Concerning Britaine: […], 3rd edition, London: […] Nicholas Okes, for Simon Waterson, […], →OCLC, page 267:

[T]heſe Ships […] meet vvith Privateers, vvho reſort hither in the aforeſaid months [May to August], purpoſely to keep a Chriſtmas as they call it; being ſure to meet vvith Liquor enough to be merry vvith, and are very liberal to thoſe that treat them.

1697, William Dampier, chapter III, in A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, page 56:

[…] I was always grateful for the sum of my week's profit, and at Christmas for that of the whole year.

1712 August 17 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “WEDNESDAY, August 6, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 450; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 220:

The lord chancellor holds his fittings in this hall, and in former days, like the Temple, it had its revels and great Chriſtmaſſes. […] The account of the great feaſt in the hall of the Inner Temple, by the ſerjeants, in 1555, is extremely worth conſulting: and alſo of the hoſpitable Chriſtmaſſes of old times.

1798 July, “Account of Lincoln’s Inn: With a Perspective View of the Hall and Chapel”, in The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure; […], volume CIII, London: […] W[illiam] Bent, […], →OCLC, page 42, column 2:

[A] great deal of revelry was permitted, and even encouraged, by the squire, throughout the twelve days of Christmas, provided every thing was done comformably to ancient usage. […] [T]he Yule clog, and Christmas candle, were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe, with its white berries, hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids.

1820 January 1, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Christmas Eve”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number V, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 379:

“Lawk!” says our old granddam, who has taken the liberty of looking over our manuscript while we were gone to mix a glass of water and something. “Lawk!” says she, “how can you write such stuff? Christmas, indeed! you’ve no Christmas now. Do you call this Christmas? It’s more like a vapour bath. Such weather! Lawk, how times are changed! the Christmasses I remember! the good, old-fashioned Christmasses, when there was snow on the ground six feet deep, and poor people were starved to death by dozens, and you couldn’t go out without having your fingers frost-bitten, and coals were at six shillings a hundred, and canals froze up so that you couldn’t get your goods, and the roads all impassable, and daren’t ask a few friends to merrymake for fear of losing three or four of ’em going home in snow-drifts, and—oh, those were Christmasses! we shall never see such times again!”

1840 January, Sylvanus Swanquill [pseudonym; John Hewitt], “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”, in The New Sporting Magazine, volume XVIII, number 105, London: Walter Spiers, […], →OCLC, page 53:

[I]t was always said of him [Ebenezer Scrooge], that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed this knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Five. The End of It.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 166:

The time draws near the birth of Christ: / The moon is hid; the night is still; / The Christmas bells from hill to hill / Answer each other in the mist.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXVIII, page 45:

Reader have your Christmasses hitherto been marked with happiness? Thank God for it. […] Then mamma died—and later in your college days, dear Herbert, when you were both as tall as men, but as fond of play as ever—and we used to spend such happy Christmasses, till our dear father died, / “That was our first sad winter, the one which followed his death, for you remember how sadly we all missed him, and we were still in mourning—but the next one was a happy day, for Lawry was so full of spirits—and that was our last happy Christmas. Herbert darling, Lawrence has left the last impression of happiness on my memory—he, who has since broken up our domestic peace, and for a long time spoilt our Christmasses—Heaven bless him![…]”

1859, [Florence] Marryatt, chapter XXIX, in Temper. A Novel., New York, N.Y.: Dick & Fitzgerald, […], →OCLC, page 205:

Love came down at Christmas, / Love all lovely, Love Divine, / Love was born at Christmas, / Star and Angels gave the sign.

1885, Christina G[eorgina] Rossetti, “December 29 [Love Came Down at Christmas]”, in Time Flies: A Reading Diary […], London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge […], →OCLC, page 251:

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas / With every Christmas card I write / May your days be merry and bright / And may all your Christmases be white

1942 July 30, Irving Berlin (lyrics and music), “White Christmas”, performed by Bing Crosby, New York, N.Y.: Decca Records, →OCLC:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas / Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight

1943 (date written), “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, in Ralph Blane (lyrics), Hugh Martin (music), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: From the M.G.M. Picture Meet Me in St. Louis, performed by Judy Garland, New York, N.Y.: Leo Feist, published 1944, →OCLC:

The last time I saw her was a week before Christmas, 1980. We took down a fat branch of berried Megginch holly, which we stuck in a pot for a Christmas tree, hung with silver balls and glitters. Aunt Victoria looked at it, smiled and unexpectedly said, “Christmas.” Surely she was sitting there dreaming of Christmasses long past: Christmas in the South China Sea, the Christmas lights of Hong Kong, hot Christmasses so long ago in the Anchises under the Southern Cross stars, or even longer ago of Christmasses at Megginch, singing carols round the lighted Christmas tree in the hall, while Queen Victoria’s goddaughter in her starched white dress and bronze shoes had worn the sparkling pendant given her by the great Queen.

1994, Cherry Drummond, The Remarkable Life of Victoria Drummond, Marine Engineer, London: The Institute of Marine Engineers, →ISBN, page 354:

I don't want a lot for Christmas / There is just one thing I need / I don't care about the presents / Underneath the Christmas tree / I just want you for my own / More than you could ever know / Make my wish come true / All I want for Christmas is you

1994 October 29, Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff (lyrics and music), “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, in Merry Christmas, performed by Mariah Carey, New York, N.Y.: Columbia Records, →OCLC:

This is not the first time a city in China has clamped down on Christmas merriment. Last December, Hengyang, a city in Hunan province, issued a stern notice asking Communist Party officials and their relatives to “resist the rampant Western festival.” The China Communist Youth League in Anhui wrote on social media last year that “Christmas is China’s day of shame” and represents a latter-day invasion by the West.

2018 December 19, Tiffany May, “Chinese City Bans Christmas Displays Amid Religious Crackdown”, in The Washington Post, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-12-19, Asia Pacific:

Western Christianity
Western Christianity

(originally Christianity) A festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian, pagan, and secular customs, which in Western Christianity is celebrated on December 25 (Christmas Day) in most places.

Kersfees

festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ which in Western Christianity is celebrated on December 25 in most places

ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܡܵܘܠܵܕܵܐ

ˁēdā dmāwlādā

The last three Christmases have been good for retailers.

Christmas shoppers spent less this December than last year, but our store will probably see just as many returned items during the twelve days of Christmas.

There'll be parties for hosting / Marshmallows for toasting / And caroling out in the snow / There'll be scary ghost stories / And tales of the glories / Of Christmases long, long ago

1963 October 14, Eddie [i.e., Edward] Pola, George Wyle (lyrics and music), “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, performed by Andy Williams, New York, N.Y.: Columbia Records, →OCLC:

Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year / Christmas, it's the season of good cheer / […] / Christmas is love, Christmas is love / The love of God, oh that's the marvelous thing

1981, John W[illard] Peterson (lyrics and music), “Christmas is Love”, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Singspiration, →OCLC:

Christmas season
Christmas season#English

(often marketing) Short for Christmas season (“the period of time before and after Christmas Day, during which people prepare for and celebrate Christmas”); Christmastime.

Christmas season

if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas

like turkeys voting for an early Christmas

think all one's Christmases have come at once

A number of places in the United States:

An uninhabited mining community of Gila County, Arizona.

An unincorporated community in Au Train Township, Alger County, Michigan.

An unincorporated community in Bolivar County, Mississippi


merry Christmas

→ Hawaiian: mele Kalikimaka

→ Japanese: メリークリスマス (merī Kurisumasu)

→ Korean: 메리 크리스마스 (meri Keuriseumaseu)

desc

မာရေဝ်ခရေတ်သမာတ်

→ Mon: မာရေဝ်ခရေတ်သမာတ်

→ Mon: မာရေဝ်ခရေတ်သမာတ်

เมอร์รี่คริสต์มาส

→ Thai: เมอร์รี่คริสต์มาส (məə-rîi krís-mâas)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-merry Christmas.wav

Merry Christmas, Jack. / Same to you. And a happy New Year.

Have a merry Christmas, Jack. / Merry Christmas to you and your family.

I am aſhamed to talk of theſe Trifles, but to make you ſenſible by the Way, that the Spaniards are not ſo ungrateful as you repreſent them, I ſhall tell you, that the Money ariſing out of the Sale that was made of the Wine and Chocolate belonging to the Cardinal at his Departure, was more than ſufficient to defray the Expences of his Journey, and had he continued fifteen Days longer at Madrid, he would have received by the Poſt a Bill of 1000 Piſtoles, with which a Friend wiſhed him a merry Chriſtmas, which Sum was paid by the King’s Orders to the Government of Madrid to be employed for the Benefit of the Publick.

1722, The Hiſtorical Regiſter, volume VII, № XXVIII, “An Anſwer from the Marqueſs of ———— to the Letter of a Prelate, concerning Cardinal Alberoni”, pages 291–292

Used to express good wishes on or before Christmas Day.

შობას გილოცავთ

addressing 2nd-person pl. or 2nd-person sg. politely

ბედნიერ შობას გისურვებ (bednier šobas gisurveb, literally “wish you a happy Christmas”)


Christmas tree

Christmas trees (plural)
Christmas's tree (alternative)
X-mas tree (alternative)
Xmas tree (alternative)

PIE word
 *dóru
[[File:Emoji u1f384.svg|thumb||200px|The emoji for Christmas tree: see the entry at 🎄.]]
From Christmas + tree, a calque of German Weynacht Baum (obsolete, 17th c.), Weihnachtsbaum, from Weynacht, Weihnacht (literary or poetic variant of Weihnachten (“Christmas”)) + -s- (genitive interfix) + Baum (“tree”). The custom of Christmas trees was adopted in the United Kingdom from Germany in the 19th century, having been popularized by their use by the royal family during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.
Sense 3 (“Christmas party”) refers to the fact that there is usually a Christmas tree (sense 1) at the event.

joulukuusi

something which resembles a Christmas tree in appearance or shape

"I and your mother," he wrote, "sit in the evenings, and gild apples and nuts, because we intend to dress up a Christmas tree,[…]["]

1807, Augustus von Kotzebue, chapter XI, in [anonymous], transl., The Pastor’s Daughter, with Other Romances. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 220:

At the head of every table there was a sheep roasted whole, the horns gilt, and the nose tipped with silver. All the fruits were hung upon Christmas trees.

1856 September 20, “The Grand Coronation Dinner”, in The Illustrated London News, volume XXIX, London: William Little […], →OCLC, page 296, column 3:

It was in 1840 that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had a Christmas tree and so it became fashionable in England.

1934, John N[icholas] Then, “Christmas Customs in Other Lands”, in Christmas: A Collection of Christmaslore, Milwaukee, Wis.: The Bruce Publishing Company, →OCLC, part 2 (Christmas Customs), pages 45–46:

Rockin' around the Christmas tree / At the Christmas party hop / Mistletoe hung where you can see / Every couple tries to stop / Rockin' around the Christmas tree / Let the Christmas spirit ring / Later we'll have some pumpkin pie / And we'll do some caroling

1958 October 19 (date recorded), Johnny Marks (lyrics and music), “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree”, performed by Brenda Lee, [Santa Monica, Calif.]: Decca Records, published 24 November 1958:

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, / Your branches green delight us! / O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, / Your branches green delight us. / They're green when summer days are bright; / They're green when winter snow is white. / O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, / Your branches green delight us.

1960, “O Christmas Tree”, in Ann McGovern, editor, Treasury of Christmas Stories, New York, N.Y.: The Four Winds Press, Scholastic Magazines, →OCLC, page 78:

At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.

1994, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Hippopotamus, London: Quality Paperbacks Direct, page 25:

1994 August (date recorded), Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff (lyrics and music), “All I Want for Christmas is You”, in Merry Christmas, performed by Mariah Carey, Nashville, Tenn.: Columbia Records, published 29 October 1994, →OCLC:

In 1958, it was reported that for "the fourth year in succession, staff of four South London stations have combined to decorate the booking hall at Peckham Rye station". They installed a nativity scene, models of Father Christmas, and a sleigh driven by huskies, and Christmas trees were placed around the station.

2023 December 27, David Turner, “Silent Lines …”, in Rail, number 999, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 29:

An evergreen tree (usually a conifer), or an artificial tree made to resemble this, which is typically decorated with lights and ornaments and often an angel or star at its tip, and used as a decoration during the Christmas holiday season.

kersboom

evergreen tree used as a decoration during the Christmas holiday season

The existing ramp, the part that the B-52 used, a great amount of it was out in the alert area, on what we call a christmas tree^([sic]) stub at the end of the runway, in a dispersed posture.

1968 May 1, Colonel Fenlon, witness, “Statement of Maj. Gen. G. H. Goddard, Director of Civil Engineering, U.S. Air Force—Resumed”, in Military Construction Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1969: Joint Hearings before the Subcommittees on Military Construction of the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, Ninetieth Congress, Second Session on H.R. 18785, an Act Making Appropriations for Military Construction for the Department of Defense for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1969, and for Other Purposes […], Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 350:

At the eastern tip of the runway-taxiway lay the alert area for about nine aircraft, along with an alert building for the airmen to live. This area, called the "Christmas Tree" as a result of the Christmas tree shape of the runway pattern for alert aircraft, had compacted gravel base for concrete, but had not been paved.

1975, Robert Herman Kelting, The Great Bong Bungle, volume I (unpublished dissertation), Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin–Madison, →OCLC, page 21:

The current alert area consists of a "Christmas Tree" configuration with alert parking stubs angled at 45° off of a central taxiway.

1983 April 19, Norman G. Delbridge, Jr., witness, “Questions Submitted by Senator Strom Thurmond, Answers Supplied by Gen. Norman G. Delbridge, Jr., Assistant Chief of Engineers, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army”, in Military Construction Authorization Fiscal Year 1984: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Military Construction of the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, First Session on S. 720, a Bill to Authorize Certain Construction at Military Installations for Fiscal Year 1984, and for Other Purposes […] (S. Hrg. 98-448), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 252:

(by extension) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.

(US, aviation, historical) An alert area at an air base with aircraft parked in stubs arranged at a 45-degree angle to a central taxiway to enable them to move rapidly to a runway; these were constructed by the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force during the Cold War (generally 1947–1991).


Christmas Eve

From Middle English Cristemasse eve, from an assumed Old English *Cristes mæsseǣfen.

This Collect is to be repeated every day with the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas-Eve.

1681, Church of England, The book of common prayer:

With trembling fingers did we weave
The holly round the Chrismas hearth;
A rainy cloud possess’d the earth,
And sadly fell our Christmas-eve.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXX, page 48:

Why was the cock supposed to crow all Christmas Eve ("The bird of dawning singeth all night long")?

1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 27:

The family celebrated Christmas Eves together in the military stockade, sleeping on mattresses on the floor of Ninoy’s cell.

1986, The Philippine Journal of Education, volume 65, page 38, column 1:

Brad led Matthew into the family room where they celebrated Christmas Eves and told Matthew, “Papa’s gone. He’s in heaven, and we’ll never see him again.”

2015, Rhoda G. Penny, chapter 7, in An Extra Ordinary Life, Mustang, Okla.: Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC, →ISBN, page 62:

And I was mourning the future, too. That Wally wouldn’t spend Christmas Eves with both of his parents, dressed up like a Santa or a Christmas pudding, overindulged in the morning.

2017, Gillian McAllister, Everything but the Truth, London: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 294:

In 1965, all Coventry's banks closed at noon on Christmas Eve for the first time, to "enable bank staff to get away at a reasonable time". […] On Christmas Day itself there will be no trains, for recent experience has shown that few wish to travel then, even on services which had been drastically reduced: earlier closing of shops and offices on Christmas Eve is the chief reason for this change in the pattern of travel.

2023 December 27, David Turner, “Silent lines...”, in RAIL, number 999, page 30:


decennial

From Latin decennialis, from decennium (“10-year period”) + -ālis, from decennis (“10-year”) + -ium (“-ium”, suffix forming abstract nouns), from decem (“ten”) + annus (“year”) + -is (suffix forming compound adjectives).

Roman coins mentioning the vota publica for Macrinus are RIC IV.1 5–13; on vota publica for the decennials and vicennials of emperors in the 2nd and 3rd c. ad, see Chastagnol 1984.

2022, Martin Hallmannsecker, Roman Ionia..., p. 110

(historical) Synonym of decennalia, the festival and religious ritual held in the 10th year of a Roman emperor's reign.


mince pie

A pie, traditionally served around Christmas time, having a filling of mincemeat (now usually in the sweet sense) and sometimes also containing alcohol or other ingredients.

коледен пай

mincemeat-filled pie served around Christmas


Santa

Mohe, known as China's Arctic Town, holds the record for its lowest-ever temperature of minus 52.3 Celsius (minus 62.1 Fahrenheit), on Feb. 13, 1969.
For most visitors, the highlight of a trip is the fulfilment of a long-held wish to meet Santa.
"I've achieved my childhood dream," said Huang Liwen, 30, who had travelled to Mohe from Guangdong province in southern China.
"It's a real Christmas now in Santa village, where we can see the real Santa Claus ... It was really worth the trip."

2020 December 21, Xihao Jiang, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, “Santa welcomes visitors at winter wonderland in China's Arctic Town”, in Karishma Singh, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 2022-05-08, China:


Good Friday

en-noun

Good Friday (countable and uncountable, plural Good Fridays)

From good (“holy”); compare good tide to refer to Christmas or Shrovetide (e.g. Goodtyde and Gudtyde in some British dialects), Good Wednesday, and the Good Book to refer to the Bible. Earlier called Old English Langa-Friġedæġ (“Long Friday”).

inh

But Good Friday soon restored to lord Nelville all those religious emotions, the want of which he so much regretted on the preceding days.

1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D[ennis] Lawler, “[Book X. Holy week.] Chap[ter] IV.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. […], volume III, London: […] Corri, […]; and sold by Colburn, […], and Mackenzie, […], →OCLC, page 43:

(Christianity) The Friday before Easter Sunday, the commemoration of the day on which Christ was crucified.

성금요일

used predominantly in the Roman Catholic church


Easter Sunday

Near-synonym: Easter (often synonymous)

(Christianity) A Christian religious moveable holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.


resurrection

en-noun

resurrection (countable and uncountable, plural resurrections)

/ɹɛzəˈɹɛkʃən/

/ɹɛzəˈɹɛkʃn̩/

From Anglo-Norman resurrectiun, from Old French resurrection (French: résurrection), from Late Latin resurrectionem (accusative of resurrectiō) from Latin resurgō (“I rise again”), from re- (“again”), + surgō (“I rise”). Displaced native Old English ǣrist.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 20:5–6:

(Christianity, Islam, Judaism) The general resurrection.


New Year's Day

The good people of Han-tan were in the habit, every New Year's day, of presenting their Governor, Chien Tzü, with a number of live pigeons.

1912, Lionel Giles, Taoist Teachings from the Book of Lieh Tzŭ, London: John Murray, →OCLC, page 118:

A holiday celebrating the first day of the New Year, celebrated on January 1 in cultures following the Gregorian calendar.

Nuwejaarsdag

holiday occurring on the first day of the year


happy New Year

Happy New Year (alternative)
happy new year (alternative)
Happy New Year's (alternative)

A wish said around the start of a new year to wish someone well for the New Year (holiday) or for the (entire) new year.

ܪܹܝܫ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

rēš šattā brīḵā

良いお年をお迎え下さい

よいおとしをおむかえください


New Year

In particular, January 1 in the Julian and Gregorian calendar (New Year’s Day) and the days following.

Nuwe Jaar

January 1 in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and the days following

újév (strictly speaking, only the first day of the year, as opposed to új év, the year that started not long ago)


New Year's resolution

New Year's resolution (plural New Year's resolutions)

He made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking.

Felt that I had reason, from the stupidity of my heart, to fear that my New-Year's resolutions were made too much in my own strength.

1762 February 26, Seth Coleman, “Journal”, in Memoirs of Doctor Seth Coleman, A.M. of Amherst, (Mass.) […], New Haven, Conn.: Printed by Flagg & Gray, […], published 1817, →OCLC, page 99:

If you direct me, on your authority as a priest of our Church, to renounce these acquaintances as dangerous, and to put by all the books of Dissenters, I am here, ready, from this moment, to obey. It shall be my New Year's resolution.

1850, [Elizabeth Missing Sewell], chapter XXXIV, in [William Sewell], editor, Margaret Percival in America: A Tale. […], 2nd edition, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson & Company, →OCLC, page 245:

Young man—young woman! There [the "book of human character"] is the journal of your daily life; there is the remembrancer that records no compliments, no flatteries, only the plain honest truth; blotted it may be with passages of sin and shame, and let us hope here and there with penitent tears; dedicated, let us pray, for its future pages, with a new year's resolution that shall be answered and blessed in the record.

1869, E[dwin] H[ubbell] Chapin, “The Book of Human Life”, in Providence and Life: Select Sermons Preached in the Broadway Church, New York, Cincinnati, Oh.: Williamson & Cantwell, publishers, →OCLC, page 257:

I never saw but one person who succeeded in keeping a New Year's resolution, and he had pined away so rapidly in his physical and grown so abnormally in his moral man, that it was really painful to look at him.

1869, George P[utnam] Upton, “The New Year”, in Letters of Peregrine Pickle, Chicago, Ill.: The Western News Company, […], →OCLC, page 78:

The public library is safely and surely a blessing to the community. It drives out the dram-shops faster than New Year's resolutions. It is the friend of good manners, clean homes, and sweet reasonableness.

1906 December 19, Benjamin Ide Wheeler, “The Things Worth While for a People”, in Proceedings at the Opening of the Seattle Public Library Building: December 19, 1906: The Gift of Andrew Carnegie, [Seattle, Wash.]: The Ivy Press, published 1907, →OCLC:

The railway department made one unanimous New Year's resolution,—"To work for a reduction of accidents, an improvement in service and an increase in revenue."

1925 December, “In Other Departments”, in Al C. Joy, editor, San Joaquin Power Magazine, volume VII, number 12, Fresno, Calif.: San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation, →OCLC, page 23, column 1:

In a broad sense, New Year's resolutions have accompanied the world's cultures and civilizations for millennia. As far back as ancient Mesopotamia, people were resolved to set their affairs in order, clean their homes, return borrowed items, settle debts, and mend broken relationships before the turn of each year. […] The Puritans of Great Britain, a radical group of Christians born from the Protestant Reformation, have been credited with laying the groundwork for the modern New Year's resolutions in the West.

2008, William D. Crump, “Resolutions”, in Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 207, column 2:

Despite her bad-girl persona, Lex had quickly ferreted out the true Amelia, and he undoubtedly already realized she was the type who would, eventually, want the white picket fence, kids, the whole deal. Despite his New Year's resolution though … would he want all that?

2015, Leslie [A.] Kelly, “No More Bad Girls”, in New Year’s Resolution: Romance! (Harlequin Anthology), Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin Books, →ISBN, chapter 3, page 165:

A 2022 New Year resolution for the industry must be to restore the publication and distribution of timetables.

2022 January 12, Industry Insider, “Treasury demands cutbacks”, in RAIL, number 948, page 68:

A vow that one makes on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day for the coming year.

新年的計劃 /新年的计划 (xīnnián de jìhuà) (may be translated thus; concept does not exist culturally)

нового́днее обеща́ние n (novogódneje obeščánije, literally “New Year promise”)


carol

en-verb

carol (third-person singular simple present carols, present participle (UK) carolling or (US) caroling, simple past and past participle (UK) carolled or (US) caroled)

carols (present singular third-person)
carolling (UK participle present)
caroling (US participle present)
carolled (UK participle past)
carolled (UK past)
caroled (US participle past)
caroled (US past)
carrol (alternative)
carroll (alternative)

From Middle English carole, from Old French carole, from Old Italian carola, from Medieval Latin choraula, a variant of choraulēs (“flute player accompanying a chorus dance”), from Ancient Greek χοραυλής (khoraulḗs, “one who accompanies a chorus on the flute”), from χορός (khorós, “choir; dance”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- (“to enclose”) or *ǵʰoros) + αὐλός (aulós, “flute”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewlos (“tube”)). Compare chorus, terpsichorean.

der

Christmas morning was welcomed by services in some churches. Everyone in the Bingham house, along with other church members, went carolling at five o'clock in the morning, which culminated in the Christmas message at the church, delivered by the pastor. Everyone's heart was blessed.

2012, Patrena Dawkins-Anderson, chapter 8, in Chongtu: Conflict, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Red Lead Press, →ISBN, page 48:

Gather up the neighbor kids and go caroling around the neighborhood … just for the joy of singing together!

2014, Christmas at Grandma’s, Columbus, Oh.: Gooseberry Patch, →ISBN, page 80:

(intransitive) To sing carols; especially to sing Christmas carols in a group.

kòlãdowac

to sing carols; especially to sing Christmas carols in a group


Michaelmas

Michaelmases (plural)
Mihilmas (alternative)

From Middle English Michelmasse, Myghelmesse; equivalent to Michael + -mas.

(UK, Ireland, law, education) Ellipsis of Michaelmas term.


Zumbi Day

The celebration date is from November 20, 1695; the date of Zumbi's death.

November 20, the day of Zumbi's celebration. Usually only celebrated in Rio de Janeiro.


bauble

From Middle English bable, babel, babull, babulle, from Old French babel, baubel (“trinket, child's toy”), most likely a reduplication of bel, ultimately from Latin bellus (“pretty”).

A small shiny spherical decoration, commonly put on Christmas trees.


Yule

Yules (plural)
Yuill (alternative)
Yuille (alternative)

From Middle English yol, youle, from Old English ġeōl (“Christmas, Yule”), either cognate with or from Old Norse jól, from Proto-Germanic *jehwlą. Cognate with Gothic 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (jiuleis); see also Old English ġēola and Old Norse ýlir.

Twelve Days of Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas

Christmastide, the Christmas season, the Twelve Days of Christmas (between December 25ᵗʰ and January 5ᵗʰ).


Santa Claus

Santa Clauses (plural)
Santa Clause (alternative)
Santaclaus (alternative)
Santa Klaus (alternative)
Santiclaus (alternative)
Santy Claus (alternative)
Santeclaus (alternative)

Borrowed from Dutch Sinterklaas (“Saint Nicholas”).


Xmas

en-proper noun

Xmas (countable and uncountable, plural Xmases or Xmasses)

Xmases (plural)
Xmasses (plural)
X-mas (alternative)
Xtmas (alternative)

Attested in this form since 1755, and preceded by earlier forms such as X'temmas (1551) and Old English Χp̃es mæssa (1100), from Cristes mæsse, with abbreviation of Cristes by the symbol X, orthographic borrowing from Ancient Greek Χ (Kh, letter chi), from Χριστός (Khristós, “Christ”). By surface analysis, X (“Christ”) + -mas (“holiday”). In popular use since late 19th century. See Wikipedia for more information.

surf

In ye Xmas and Whitsuntide Vacations, ye Scholars study at a rate of an hour and a Quarter each day & all yt go home have proportionable Tasks set them...

c. 1755, Bernard Ward, History of St. Edmund's college, Old Hall, page 303:

A thousand thanks, merry Xmasses & happy New Years to you for yʳ delightful letter: […]

1774 December 20, David Garrick, “Letters from David Garrick, to George Colman, the Elder”, in George Colman, the Younger, editor, Posthumous Letters, from Various Celebrated Men; Addressed to Francis Colman, and George Colman, the Elder: […], London: T[homas] Cadell and W[illiam] Davies, […]; and W[illiam] Blackwood, Edinburgh, published 1820, page 302:

On Xmas Day I breakfasted with Davy, with the intention of dining with you...

1801 December 31, Samuel Coleridge, “letter to R. Southey”, Ten Letters from Coleridge to Southey, in The Atlantic Monthly, volume 73, number 435, published 1894 January, page 66:

[…]but if you won't come here before Xmas, I very much fear we shall not meet here at all[…]

1811 September 9, George Gordon Byron, “To the Hon. Augusta Leigh”, in Rowland E. Prothero, editor, The Works of Lord Byron, volume 9, London: John Murray, published 1898, page 31:

My dear Wilkie,—we will arrange our Xmas No., please God, under the shade of the Oak Trees.

1861 June 23, Charles Dickens, “Gad's Hill Place, Higham by Rochester, Kent”, in Laurence Hutton, editor, Letters of Charles Dickens to Wilkie Collins, New York: Harper & Brothers, published 1892, page 100:

I should be very glad if you could help me in fixing on a name for my fairy-tale, which Mr. Tenniel (in consequence of your kind introduction) is now illustrating for me, and which I hope to get published before Xmas.

1864 June 10, Lewis Carroll, edited by Morton N. Cohen, The Letters of Lewis Carroll, volume 1, London: Macmillan, published 1979, page 65:

A Xmas card is a pleasant memento of a season of good will and kindly sentiment. It is a reminiscence of Xmas time. With Xmas we associate happy gatherings of friends, wintry skies without and cheerful hearths within, ice and snow to be kept in subjugation by warmth of disposition and genial affection. The Xmas cards ought to embody such traits, physical and mental.

1879 November 13, W. F. C., “Our London Letter”, in The American Stationer, volume 7, number 46, page 2:

They used to keep merry Xmasses with us in the old days when Xmas was merry, and now they come back and we share our Christmas dainties with them against our will.

1884, Louise Chandler Moulton, “John Jay’s Journey. A New Year’s Story.”, in Christian Advocate, volume 31, number 1 (whole 1483), New Orleans, La.: […] [T]he Louisiana, Mississippi and North Mississippi Conferences, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, published 1885 January 1, page 2, column 2:

[…]as well as give the Imperial spree a notice next to reading matter in the Xmas issue[…]

1885 December 10, Carlyle Smith, “Our Xmas at Windsor”, in Life, volume 6, number 154, New York, page 338:

I was greatly pleased at receiving yours, and those of your sisters, and I did not think them at all too late; for as several of the Church Festivals have their ‘Octave’ so the chief mysteries of the Faith carry a glory around their heads that sends their light in a wide circle, like the halo round the head of a pictured Saint; and so I send my ‘Many Happy Xmasses’ and ‘Many Happy New Years’ to you and yours.

1897 January 10, Aubrey [Thomas] de Vere, “[Last Years, 1886-1902] Aubrey de Vere to Walter George Smith”, in Wilfrid Ward, Aubrey de Vere: A Memoir, Based on His Unpublished Diaries and Correspondence, London, New York, N.Y., Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], published 1904, page 400:

1897 December, Standard American Publishing Co., “A Xmas gift for one dollar [advertisement]”, in The American Monthly Illustrated Review of Reviews, volume 16, number 95, page 49:

Don't let us spoil the Xmas holidays by a chore as colossal as it is disagreeable, and as disagreeable as it is unnecessary.

1913 November 18, C. S. Lewis, edited by Walter Hooper, The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis: Family Letters, 1905-1931, New York: HarperCollins, published 2004, →ISBN, page 41:

We’re off to Gstaad today until the sth of Jan. We have chartered a large plane, I’m not quite sure what it is but it seats about 16 and is a turbo-jet. The reason is that we have so many people coming with us: Sarah, Michael, Chris, Liza, Maria, Caroline, John Something-or-other who is Simmy’s boy friend from Hawaii, and our two bad selves. Otherwise it’s going to be one of those quiet, pipe-smoking, slippered, log-fired Xmasses with a well-loved and well-remembered volume of Dickens.

1968 December 21, Richard Burton, journal; quoted in Melvyn Bragg, “1968”, in Richard Burton: A Life, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, 1988, →ISBN, pages 278–279:


Kris Kringle

Kris Kringles (plural)
Kris Kringel (alternative)
Kriss Kringel (alternative)
Kriss Kingle (alternative)
Kriss Kringle (alternative)

/ˌkɹɪs ˈkɹɪŋɡ(ə)l/

Borrowed in a modified form from Pennsylvania German Christ-kinkle, from German Christkindl (“(dialectal diminutive) Christ Child”), Christkind (“Christ Child”), from Christ (“Christ”) + Kindl (dialectal diminutive), Kind (“child”).

der

Now is not "Kriss Kingle" a nice, fat, good-humored looking man. See how eagerly those little boys embrace him, hoping that he will give them some nice little present or other. Mr. "Kriss Kingle" loves good little boys and girls, and if they behave and mind what their parents tell them, they may rest assured that he will pay them a visit, and leave them something nice, as a reward for their good behaviour.

1842, “Introduction”, in Saint Nicholas’s Book for All Good Boys and Girls, Philadelphia, Pa.: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., →OCLC; quoted in Alfred L[ewis] Shoemaker, “[Woodstove Christmases] Christ-Kindel to Kriss Kringle”, in Christmas in Pennsylvania, 50th anniversary edition, Lanham, Md.: Globe Pequot Press, 2009, →ISBN, page 60:

The practice of hanging up stockings in the chimney corner for Kriss Kringle to fill with toys, pretty books, bon-bons, &c., for good children, is being superseded by that of placing a Christmas Tree on the table to await the annual visit of the worthy Santa Klaus.

1847, “Advertisement”, in Kriss Kringle’s Christmas Tree. A Holiday Present for Boys and Girls, Philadelphia, Pa.: Published by Grigg & Elliot, →OCLC:

In the New-Year's days of "the winters long ago," many was the romp I had with little Fanny. Gay and ringing—clear as bells of silver—was her New-Year laugh, as she peered into her stocking, in the early morning, and found the hundred beloved knickknackeries that the fabled Kris Kringle used to put there—so fond of the dear little creature was this bearded old friend of infancy.

1853 February, P. L., “Home and Its Recollections”, in D[avis] W[asgatt] Clark, editor, The Ladies’ Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature and Religion, volume XIII, Cincinnati, Oh.: L. Swormstedt and A. Poe; […], →OCLC, page 74, column 2:

What if that other room, also, had its Christmas tree? What if in every room these evidences of Kriss Kringle’s more enterprising handiwork had already been obtruded?

1878, Leonard Kip, “St. Nicholas and the Gnome”, in Hannibal’s Man and Other Tales. The Argus Christmas Stories, Albany, N.Y.: The Argus Company, printers, →OCLC, chapter III, page 331:

"The symbolic figure of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, or Kris Kringle," he began, "represents a classic expression of the wishful dreaming of all children. He is the omnipotent Giver, the generous Father. Mature adults who seek to perpetrate this myth reveal themselves as incomplete and neurotic personalities. They are clinging to infantile fantasies and show themselves unable to face reality."

1947, Valentine Davies, chapter 10, in Miracle on 34th Street, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC, page 63:

In Germany, Santa has long been known as "Kriss Kringel" (derived from Christ Child). In America, the name is still used by the Pennsylvania Dutch.

1976, Good Housekeeping, volume 183, New York, N.Y.: Hearst Magazines, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 76:

“I find it appalling that Kriss Kringel’s brother could be so cold-hearted about Christmas,” said Bartoli.

2000, E[ugene] F[orrest] Shelby, “The Antisanta”, in Gothic Alaskan and Other Stories: Bad Horror from the Dark Subcontinent, Lincoln, Neb.: Writers Club Press, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 198:

Standing in the reception was a tall older man with a big bushy white beard that looked exactly like Kris Kringel in Miracle on 42nd Street.^([sic – meaning Miracle on 34th Street])

2004, Ballooning, volume 37, San Luis Obispo, Calif.: Balloon Federation of America, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 26:

The mall is brimming over with Christmas spirit. There are forty Santas—short ones, tall ones, smiling ones, and grouchy ones. [...] It's full of crisp jingles and Kris Kringles—and it's only November. Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier every year.

2006, Mike Thaler, “Deck the Mall”, in The Christmas Party from the Black Lagoon (Black Lagoon Adventures; 9), New York, N.Y.: Scholastic, →ISBN, page 16:

[T]he two fat and jolly voice actors, both with beards and beer bellies, sitting on the edge of the fragile wooden stools, miked up and ready-to-go, looking over the script like a pair of disparaging Kris Kringles; [...]

2009 June 19, Tony Esposito, chapter 18, in Don’t Ever Leave This Country, Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 116:


Saint Nicholas

No more passion play / On St. Nicholas avenue / I believe in St. Nicholas / It's a different type of Santa Claus

2004, “Good Friday”, in La maison de mon rêve, performed by Cocorosie:

Santa Claus; a figure derived from traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas who is said to bring Christmas presents to children on Christmas Day.


Father Christmas

en-proper noun

Father Christmas (plural Father Christmases or Father Christmasses or Fathers Christmas)

Father Christmases (plural)
Father Christmasses (plural)
Fathers Christmas (plural)

The old men who had moustaches came with their breath frozen on them, and looked like so many old Father Christmasses: although all seemed poor and were indifferently clad, they almost all looked in good health and spirits.

1879 May, “Famine Relief. Welcome Words from Shan-si in a letter from Mr. James.”, in J[ames] Hudson Taylor, editor, China’s Millions, number 47, London: Morgan and Scott, […], page 63, column 2:

Again Donna Maria’s anger was interrupted by the rising of the curtain; or, rather, diverted from Carlo’s décadent æsthetics to the extreme badness of the mise en scène, to rows of Father Christmasses and ladies in grey waterproofs, who bellowed and gesticulated as unhappy shades at the gates of hell, and the chains of thick thighed and tight waisted furies who capered about in the rose-coloured Bengal light.

1889 June, Vernon Lee [pseudonym; Violet Paget], “Orpheus in Rome: Irrelevant Talks on the Use of the Beautiful”, in The Contemporary Review, volume LV, London: Isbister and Company […], section I, page 833:

The five Father Christmases walked slowly on, oblivious alike of the children who gaped at them and the man-hunt that was taking place under their noses.

1939, Nicholas Blake [pseudonym; Cecil Day-Lewis], The Smiler with the Knife, Harper & Row, page 199:

‘Yeah, I’ve seen those things they think are gnomes,’ said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush. ‘Like fat little Father Christmases with fishing rods …’

1998 July 2, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], “The Burrow”, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter; 2), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

At the beginning of the 1990s, therefore, Bardo moved to the current establishment, and was finally able to house his Father Christmases in the style they deserve.

2003, Piers Letcher, Eccentric France: The Bradt Guide to Mad, Magical and Marvellous France, Bradt Travel Guides; The Globe Pequot Press, →ISBN, page 207:

At Christmas, also in 2004, members processed as Fathers Christmas, employing the slogan ‘Put the fathers back into Christmas’.

2007, Duncan Watts, Pressure Groups (Politics Study Guides), Edinburgh University Press, →ISBN, page 122:

After the confrontation with the fictitious peer’s solution process, namely actually drawing rectangles around the Fathers Christmas’ irregular shapes, in Phase 4, another nine of the remaining 22 students (five 12–13- and four 15–16-year olds^([sic])) exchanged their initial linear answer for the correct nonlinear one.

2007, Dirk De Bock, Wim Van Dooren, Dirk Janssens, Lieven Verschaffel, The Illusion of Linearity: From Analysis to Improvement, Springer, →ISBN, page 103:

I was paid £1.92 an hour to wear a pink tutu and entertain the children waiting to see the two Father Christmases (one on either side of the grotto) as the increasingly irate families inched their way past the hour wait markers.

2011, Clare Hemmings, “Crossings”, in Kathy Davis, Mary Evans, editors, Transatlantic Conversations: Feminism as Travelling Theory, Routledge, published 2016, →ISBN, part I (Becoming a Feminist in a Transatlantic Context), page 29:

The smiling carol singers and the laughing Father Christmasses on the television seemed to make my misery more acute.

2016, Bryony Gordon, “I think I might be dying”, in Mad Girl, London: Headline Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 20:

In 1836, English artist Robert Seymour illustrated Thomas K. Hervey’s Book of Christmas with a couple of boozy, wild-haired Fathers Christmas that set the tone for the next fifty years in which the London newspapers were more likely to emphasize the good father’s drinking than anything else.

2020, Tom A. Jerman, Santa Claus Worldwide: A History of St. Nicholas and Other Holiday Gift-Bringers, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, pages 166–167:

In 1958, it was reported that for "the fourth year in succession, staff of four South London stations have combined to decorate the booking hall at Peckham Rye station". They installed a nativity scene, models of Father Christmas, and a sleigh driven by huskies, and Christmas trees were placed around the station.

2023 December 27, David Turner, “Silent lines...”, in RAIL, number 999, page 29:

(folklore) A mythical figure said to bring presents to people (especially children) at Christmas time.


Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas (canonical)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Twelve Days of Christmas.wav

The season or time made up of the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany; Christmas season, Christmas time, Christmastide, Twelvetide. The Christmas season traditionally ended with the feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

the season or time made up of the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany

اِثْنَا عَشَر يَوْمَا مِن عِيد الْمِيلَاد

བཅུ་གཉིས་ཉི་མའི་ཡེ་ཤུའི་འཁྲུངས་སྐར།

bcu gnyis nyi ma'i ye shu'i 'khrungs skar

An 18th-century English Christmas carol which describes a series of successively grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas.


latke

From Yiddish לאַטקע (latke), from either Russian ла́тка (látka, “pastry, patch”) or Ukrainian оладка (oladka, “pancake, fritter”). In Polish łatka (“patch”) or placek, placki (“fritter, fritters”).

Her favorite Chanukah memories were of eating latkes and sour cream while her mother gossiped with the aunts and cousins.

We do not spend our days huddled in smoke-filled rooms plotting world domination while Jared Kushner plays dreidel in the back with Noam Chomsky and George Soros sneaks the last latke.

2022 January 19, Yair Rosenberg, “Why So Many People Still Don’t Understand Anti-Semitism”, in The Atlantic:

A pancake fried in oil, usually made from potatoes and sometimes also onions, traditionally served on Hanukkah.


Candlemas

Candlemases (plural)
Candlemass (alternative)

From Middle English Candelmasse, from Old English Candelmæsse, equivalent to candle + -mas, following the tradition that the candles to be used in church during the following year are blessed on this day. Compare Old Norse kyndilsmessa (“Candlemas”).

To make Capons […] [S]ome for this Purpoſe make it their Buſineſs after Harveſt-time to go to Markets for buying up Chickens, and between Michaelmas and All-hollantide caponize the Cocks, when they have got large enough to have Stones [i.e., testes] of ſuch a Bigneſs that they may be pulled out; for if they are too little, it can't be done; […] [M]aking a Cut here big enough to put her Finger in, which ſhe thruſts under the Guts, and with it rakes or tears out the Stone that lies neareſt to it. This done, ſhe performs the very ſame Operation on the other Side of the Cock's Body, and there takes out the other Stone; then ſhe ſtitches up the Wounds, and lets the Fowl go about as at other Times, till the Capon is fatted in a Coup, which is commonly done from Chriſtmas to Candlemas, and after.

1750, W[illiam] Ellis, The Country Housewife's Family Companion: Or Profitable Directions for Whatever Relates to the Management and Good Œconomy of the Domestick Concerns of a Country Life, According to the Present Practice of the Country Gentleman's, the Yeoman's, the Farmer's, &c. Wives, in the Counties of Hertford, Bucks, and Other Parts of England: Shewing how Great Savings may be Made in Housekeeping: … With Variety of Curious Matters … The Whole Founded on Near Thirty Years Experience, London: Printed for James Hodges, at the Looking-glass, facing St. Magnus Church, London-Bridge; and B. Collins, bookseller, at Salisbury, →OCLC, page 157:

They held high holiday from Christmas-day until Candlemas (February 2nd ), […]

1890, Algernon Blackwood, Christmas in England, Methodist Magazine Volume 32 1890 pg481

The festival in the Christian year celebrated on February 2nd. It commemorates the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple.


Kwanzaa

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Kwanzaa.wav

Coined by Maulana Karenga from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza (“first fruits”). The additional “a” was added to “Kwanza” so that the word would have seven letters, one for each of the Seven Principles of Blackness.

On Tuesday night at the Club Serene in Brooklyn, Mayor Koch proclaimed Kwanzaa Week in New York. Then he told the crowd of about 400 that he had practiced his Swahili in order to pronounce correctly such exotic-sounding words as kujichagulia (self-determination), ujamaa (cooperative economics) and imani (faith), the theme of Kwanzaa '83.

1983 December 30, Ron Alexander, “The Evening Hours”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, page B7:

But now, WASP's want their place in the multicultural sun. Social rituals are social rituals. If there is Kwanzaa, why not cotillions?

1997 January 5, Maureen Dowd, “WASP's Bite Back”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Spying a way to use her son’s enthusiasm for video games to teach him about investing, Jaydyn’s mother, Nina Carr, decided to invest in 10 shares of GameStop at $6.19 a share for a Kwanzaa gift.

2021 January 30, Christina Morales, “A 10-Year-Old GameStop Investor Cashed In. His Return? Over 5,000%”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

A week-long African-American cultural holiday held between December 26 and January 1.


Pentecost

→ Japanese: ペンテコステ (Pentekosuto)

→ Maori: Petekoha

From Middle English Pentecoste, from Old English Pentecosten, from Ecclesiastical Latin pentēcostē, ultimately from Ancient Greek πεντηκοστή (pentēkostḗ, “fiftieth”) in reference to the number of days. Cognate with pentecoster.

der

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 2:1:

The first lesson for the morning contains the law of the Jewish Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks, which was a type of ours.

1854, Walter Farquhar Hook, A Church Dictionary:

Because Shavuot is celebrated on the fiftieth day after the advent of Passover, it has been called Pentecost, a Greek word meaning “fiftieth [day]".

2005, Alfred J Kolatch, A Handbook for the Jewish Home:

He spoke either Latin or Welsh; and the Sicambri spoke the antient Teutonic. Remi, in all appearance, renewed the miracle of the Pentecost: Et unusquisquis intendebat linguam suam, And each understood his own language.

1762, Voltaire, William Vade included in Works

If it be supposed that the divinity of Christ was unknown to the apostles till the day of Pentecost ... we have no account of any such discovery having been made.

1786, Joseph Priestley, An History of Early Opinions Concerning Jesus Christ: Compiled from Original Writers; Proving that the Christian Church was at first Unitarian:

They think a new Pentecost is afoot, in which the Holy Spirit brings millions the good news of salvation in the hereafter and real blessings in the here and now.

2005, Frank J Lechner, John Boli, World Culture: Origins and Consequences:

The particular day of Pentecost, which in Christian teaching is said to have occurred fifty days (inclusive) after the resurrection of Jesus on the Day of First Fruits, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles with miraculous effects including the ability to explain the Gospel intelligibly in languages they did not know; or a similar occasion since.

Spiritual profits, commonly called whitsun-farthings, ... offered at the time of pentecost.

1797, Richard Burn, Simon Fraser, Ecclesiastical Law:

Shavuot is linked to Passover in the same way that Pentecost is linked to Easter, by a period of seven weeks.

2005, Edward Kessler, Neil Wenborn, editors, A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations:

The specific event which is commemorated at Pentecost is the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is described in the Acts of the Apostles.

2006, Alister E McGrath, Christianity: An Introduction:

The Christian festival (also known as Whitsun or Whitsunday), which commemorates the day of Pentecost.

Pentecostal manifestation, such as in a church service.


Cupid

From Latin Cupīdō, personification of cupīdō (“desire, desire of love”), from cupidus (“eager, greedy, passionate”), from cupiō (“to desire”).


Lord of Misrule

en-noun

Lord of Misrule (plural Lords of Misrule)

(in feudal Britain) A mock officer, appointed by lot, to preside over the Feast of Fools in a great household at Christmas.


Feast of Fools

(historical, in medieval Europe) A festival, based on the Roman Saturnalia, celebrated near Christmas.


tinsel

tinsel (usually uncountable, plural tinsels)

The noun is derived from Middle English tinsel (“cloth containing gold or silver thread”) [and other forms], probably from Anglo-Norman tincel, tincelle, tencele, and then:
* from Old French estincelle, estencele (“a spark”) (modern French étincelle), from Vulgar Latin *stincilla, a metathesis of Latin scintilla (“a glimmer; a spark”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₁y- (“to shimmer, shine”); and
* from Old French estincelé, the past participle of estinceler, estenceler (“to produce sparks”) (modern French étinceler (“to sparkle, twinkle; (archaic) to produce sparks”)), from Vulgar Latin *stincillāre, a metathesis of Latin scintillāre, the present active infinitive of scintillō (“to scintillate, sparkle”), from scintilla (“a glimmer; a spark”) (see above) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs).
The English word is a doublet of scintilla, scintillate, and stencil.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun; while the verb is derived from the noun.

doublet

O! it is divine and moſt admirable, and ſo farre beyond all that ever he publiſhed heretofore, as day-light beyond candle-light, or tinſell or leafe-gold above arſedine; […]

1596, Tho[mas] Nashe, “Dialogus”, in Haue with You to Saffron-Walden. Or, Gabriell Harveys Hunt is Up. […], London: […] John Danter, →OCLC; republished as J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, Have with You to Saffron-Walden (Miscellaneous Tracts; Temp. Eliz. and Jac. I), [London: s.n., 1870], →OCLC, page 44:

A tawdry scarf of yellow silk, trimmed with tinsel and spangles, which had seen as hard service, and boasted as honourable a transmission, was next flung over one shoulder, and fell across her person in the manner of a shoulder-belt or baldrick.

1818 July 25, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VI, in Tales of My Landlord, Second Series, […] (The Heart of Mid-Lothian), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Company, →OCLC, page 153:

He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him not so much of the aerial photographs of today but rather of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design.

1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword: The Turk Street Mile”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 11:

A thin, shiny foil for ornamental purposes which is of a material made of metal or resembling metal; especially, narrow glittering strips of such a material, often strung on to thread, and traditionally at Christmastime draped on Christmas trees, hung from balustrades or ceilings, or wrapped around objects as a decoration.

փայլազարդ

very thin decorative strips of a glittering, metallic material, often strung on to thread


gelt

en-noun

gelt (usually uncountable, plural gelts)

In the basic sense of "money", attested since the early 16th century, initially from (an Early New High German continuation of) Middle High German gelt (modern German Geld), from Old High German gelt (“payment, money”), or in some cases from (an Early Modern Dutch continuation of) Middle Dutch gelt. Later, and in the Jewish-related senses, from Yiddish געלט (gelt). The German, Dutch and Yiddish words are all from Proto-Germanic *geldą (“reward, gift, money”). Doublet of native words geld and yield.

der

That nothynge had / There of theyr awne / Neyther gelt nor pawne.

c. 1529, John Skelton, The Tunning of Elynour Rummyng, section 610:

It amounts to not above 12000 Fr. Rhenish, yearly, in bare gelt.

1591 (1685), Henry Wotton, in Reliquiae Wottonianae, 616

The is no Gelt to be got.

c. 1698, B. E., A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew:

I saw him at the house of my parents; I in my earliest youth, he approaching to fourscore. He was on his way to collect the Dominie's gelt; for the Dutch always took care the stipend to the minister should be competent, that so he never might be straitened 'to desire a gift.'

1816, Egbert Benson, in a memoir read before the New York Historical Society [in 1816], quoted in History of the School of the Collegiate Reformed Dutch Church (1883), page 22

"And yet," said Captain Dalgetty, "my second and greatest difficulty remains behind; for, although I hold it a mean and sordid thing for a soldado to have nothing in his mouth but pay and gelt, like the base cullions, the German lanz-knechts, whom I mentioned before; […] yet, ex contrario, a soldier's pay being the counterpart of his engagement of service, it becomes a wise and considerate cavalier to consider what remuneration he is to receive for his service, […]

1852, Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose And, The Black Dwarf:

Have bought some farm land in Rio Grande Valley which should bring in a sizeable bundle of gelts come cotton picking time.

1948, William Burroughs, letter, 5 Jun 1948

The miser, a-seeking lost gelt, / The doughboy, awaiting the battle, / May possibly know how I felt / While the long years dragged by as the dealer / As slow as the slowest of dubs, / Stuck out the last helping of tickets / 'Till I lifted—the Bullet of Clubs!

1969, Robert L. Vann, The Competitor, volumes 2-3, page 135:

(originally UK, especially thieves' cant and Polari, later Judaism and general slang) Money.

especially thieves' cant and Polari; later Judaism and general slang; especially thieves' cant and Polari; later Judaism and general slang

(Judaism) Money, especially that given as a gift on Hanukkah or used in games of dreidel.

(Judaism) Chocolate candy in the shape of coins, usually wrapped in metallic foil, usually eaten on Hanukkah and often used for games of dreidel.


Noel

From Middle English Nowel, borrowed from Old French Noel (“Christmas”), from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birth[day of the Lord]”). Doublet of natal.


Maundy Thursday

From Middle English Maunde Þursday (“Holy Thursday”), equivalent to maundy + Thursday. Middle English maundy derives from Old French mandé, from Latin mandātum, in reference to the phrase mandātum novum dō vōbīs (“a new commandment I give unto you”).

inh

The dialect name for Maundy Thursday, Grie(ner)-Durmerschdawg (Green Thursday, literally), is in very large part responsible for the basic lore that attaches to this day: One must eat something green on this day.[…]Failure to eat something green on Maundy Thursday had dire consequences, according to the folk mind: One would get the itch, one would become lousy, or as a York County informant put it, "Mer iss s gans yawr uff em aisel." (One will be a mule all year long.)

1960, Alfred Lewis Shoemaker, Eastertide in Pennsylvania: A Folk-Cultural Study, published 2000, page 13:

It is the tradition among Christians in Africa on Maundy Thursday that, before the sacrament of Holy Communion is served, worshipers move about the sanctuary and seek forgiveness from everyone they have hurt or offended or sinned against — known or unknown — in recent months.

2002, Steven Molin, Journey Of Stones: A Sermon Series For Lent And Easter, page 47:

Most Presbyterian churches have an evening service on Maundy Thursday that includes the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

2011, Donald K. McKim, More Presbyterian Questions, More Presbyterian Answers: Exploring Christian Faith, page 42:

The Thursday before Easter, which commemorates the Last Supper.


Easter

en-noun

Easter (countable and uncountable, plural Easters)

→ Chickasaw: Iista'

The noun is derived from Middle English Ester, from Old English ēastre, seemingly from Ēastre, a proposed Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn whose festival is thought to have been celebrated around the vernal equinox. Further from Proto-West Germanic *Austrā, from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ, derived from either Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- (“dawn; east”) or, more semantically plausible, from *austrą, *auzrą, a metathesized form of *wazrą (“spring (season)”), *-ǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *wósr̥ (“spring”).
The English word is cognate with German Low German Oostern (“Easter”), Old High German ōstarūn (modern German Ostern) and is possibly a doublet of east. Despite a modern folk etymology, not related to Ishtar.
The verb is derived from the noun.

der

We spent each of the past five Easters together as a family.

During the Easter season, the Russians are planning “a great battle in Donbas,” the Russian-occupied region in Ukraine’s far east. “This is not Christian behavior at all, as I understand it. On Easter they will kill, and they will be killed.”

2022 April 15, Anne Applebaum, Jeffrey Goldberg, quoting Volodymyr Zelensky, “LIBERATION WITHOUT VICTORY”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 2022-04-15:

Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity

Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church

A Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on the first Sunday (and Monday) following the full moon that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox, ranging in most of Western Christianity (such as Protestantism and Roman Catholicism) from March 22 to April 25, and in Eastern Christianity (such as the Coptic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church) from April 4 to May 8.

Paasfees

Jesus Daaztsą́ą́dę́ę́ʼ Náádiidzáhígíí Bééhániih

Eastertide (“the period from Easter to Whitsun”).

(UK, Ireland, law, education) Ellipsis of Easter term.

(paganism) A festival held in honour of the goddess Eostre or Ostara, celebrated at the vernal equinox or within the month of April; Eostre, Ostara.

ostara

After two dayes folowed eſter⸝ and the dayes of ſwete breed. And the hye preſtꝭ [prestis] and ſcrybꝭ [scrybis] ſought meanes⸝ howe they myght take hym [Jesus] by crafte and putt hym to deeth.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, The Gospell off S. Marke xiiij:[1], folio lxv, verso:


Passion Sunday

From the Passion of Christ, the suffering of Jesus preceding and during his crucifixion, from passio (“suffering”).

near synonym: Sunday of Mary of Egypt, the fifth Sunday of Great Lent by the Byzantine Rite calendar

The fifth Sunday in Lent, the second Sunday before Easter, the first day in Passiontide.

peyak ayamihiwikîsikâw pamayes ka âpisisinokîsîkak


Easter Monday

The Monday after Easter Sunday; a bank holiday in Britain and a holiday in many other places.


Palm Sunday

From the palm fronds supposedly laid before Jesus during his entrance to Jerusalem preceding his crucifixion. Originally Old English Palmsunnandæg or palm-sunnandæg. The current spelling dates to the 17th century.

The sixth Sunday in Lent, the Sunday before Easter.

ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܐܘܿܫܲܥܢܹ̈ܐ

ʿēdā d-ošaʿnē


Easter egg

/ˈiː.stəɹ ˌɛɡ/

Adventure (1980 video game)#Easter_egg
Easter egg

From Easter + egg. Cognate with German Low German Ooosterei (“Easter egg”), Middle High German ōsterei ("Easter egg"; > modern German Osterei). So called because eggs would be eaten during Easter to break the fasting during Lent. (No eggs, dairy, meat except fish, lard, or foods containing these ingredients could be eaten during Lent.) The computing sense is from the early 1980s, popularized by the video game Adventure.

gloss

"Easter egg"; > modern German <i class="Latn mention" lang="de">Osterei</i>

Because eggs were inexpensive in most regions, the practice of decorating Easter eggs crossed all social classes and remained somewhat simple.

2009, Ace Collins, chapter 23, in Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter:

A dyed or decorated egg, traditionally associated with Easter and, in the Western European tradition, sometimes hidden for children to find.


Easter Bunny

From Easter + bunny, calque of German Osterhase (literally “Easter hare”).

calque

An Easter Bunny Party

1905 April 5, Mary Dawson, “An Easter Bunny Party”, in Good Housekeeping, volume 40, page 461:

One day the old Easter Bunny looked out of his winter covert and Said to his Bunny-wife, who was busy coloring Easter eggs, “It is high time we set out to look for the Easter Lily.”

1915 April 1, The Christian Advocate, volume 90, page 438:

Soon I ran into two Easter Bunnies who gave me candy. Honest! All right, it was really two women wearing pink bunny hoods.

2005, Danie Martin, Always Another Mountain: A Woman Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin, Virtualbookworm Publishing, →ISBN, page 35:

Yeah, remember? We’re Spies, we deal in fact, not chasing after Easter Bunnies.
Yeah, right. Wait the Easter Bunny’s missing? A-ha-ha! Just kidding, guys! I know the Easter Bunny is tucked away safe in his little toadstool house up in the fjords of British Columbia.

2006 March 16, Bryan Thompson, “I Want My Mummy”, in Totally Spies!, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Alexandra “Alex” (Jennifer Hale as Samantha “Sam” and Katie Leigh), Marathon Media, via Teletoon:

Easter Bunnies can be booked for businesses (such as Malls), for churches, for community Easter Egg Hunts or even as a preferred birthday party costume character for a birthday that falls close to Easter.

2014, Margy Johnson, Start Your Own Costume Character Business & Make Great Money Working at Home, Xlibris, →ISBN, page 73:

Some residents rotated decorations seasonally by displaying holiday wreaths in the winter and plastic Easter Bunnies and pinwheels in the spring.

2016, Kimberley Kinder, DIY Detroit: Making Do in a City without Services, University of Minnesota Press, →ISBN:

Two costumed Easter Bunnies, handing out plastic, candy-filled eggs and hugging children, hopped in our ranks.

2016, Richard J. Gonzales, “Conclusion”, in Raza Rising: Chicanos in North Texas, University of North Texas Press, →ISBN, page 287:

A symbolic rabbit sometimes depicted delivering Easter eggs to children.

Osterhaas

Symbolic rabbit sometimes depicted delivering Easter eggs to children


Whitsun

1978, Peter Bailey, Leisure and class in Victorian England: Rational recreation and the contest for control, quoting "a British observation from early 20th century", read in Orvar Löfgren, On Holiday: A History of Vacationing (2002) - The excursion train used to vomit forth, at Easter and in Whitsun week, throngs of millhands of the period, cads and their flames, tawdry, blowsy, noisy, drunken.


Whitsunday

Whitsundays (plural)
Whit Sunday (alternative)

Inherited from Middle English Whitsonday, from whit (“white”) + Sonday (“Sunday”), from Old English hwīt sunnandæg, probably from the white clothes worn by newly baptized Christians as Pentecost was a traditional date of baptism in early medieval England. Doublet of White Sunday.

inh+

Jesus, ascended into Heav'n again/Bestow'd this won'drous Gift upon good Men/That various Nations, by his Spirit led,/All understood what Galileans said.

1773, John Byrom, “On Whitsunday”, in Miscellaneous Poems:

An older name for this day [Pentecost] is Whitsunday, or “white Sunday,” named for the white garments worn by the newly baptised.

2004, Vicki K Black, Welcome to the Church Year: An Introduction to the Seasons of the Episcopal Church:

The Sunday of the feast of Pentecost, seven weeks after Easter

(Scotland) A quarter day, falling on 15th May


Whitsunday

Whitsunday Region, a local government area in northern Queensland, Australia.


St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day (alternative)
St Patrick's Day (alternative)

A Roman Catholic holiday commemorating Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland on 17ᵗʰ March.


St. George's Day

The saint's day of Saint George, the patron saint of England, celebrated on April 23ʳᵈ.


Shrove Tuesday

The second element is Tuesday; the first element may be a reflex of Old English *scrāf “confession” (related to the modern verb shrive), from the medieval practice of priests hearing confessions on this day.

Coordinate term: Fat Thursday

Observe when the Moon is new in February, the next Tuesday after is Shrove-tuesday: but if it change on Tuesday, then the next Tuesday following is Shrove-tuesday

1712, Erra Pater, A Prognostication for Ever, Made by Erra Pater, page 7:

The day appointed for this extraordinary hunting-party was Shrove Tuesday. The Protestants of Paisley, in whose neighbourhood this story may be said to have originated, cannot discern the difference betwixt Shrove Tuesday and any other Tuesday; but if a Roman Catholic Princess, even in our free times, should be invited to a hunting-match on Shrove Tuesday, she would be shocked at the profane invitation.

1779, David Dalyrymple, Annals of Scotland From the Accenssion of Robert I, page 283:

The day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.


Easter egg hunt

en-noun

Easter egg hunt (plural Easter egg hunts)

Easter egg hunts (plural)
Easter-egg hunt (alternative)

I was a little chunky anyway, and slow, so slow that I was once the only kid at an Easter egg hunt who didn’t get a single egg, not because I couldn’t find them but because I couldn’t get to them fast enough.

A common festive activity held at Easter, where Easter eggs are hidden outdoors (or indoors during inclement weather) for children to run around and seek; this may also be a contest to see who can collect the most eggs.

caça dels ous de Pasqua

activity held at Easter where hidden Easter eggs have to be found


All Souls' Day

Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

Tomb Sweeping Day
Tomb Sweeping Day#English

(uncommon) Synonym of Tomb Sweeping Day, a Chinese holiday.


All Saints' Day

All Saint’s Day (alternative)
All Saints Day (alternative)

(Christianity) In Christian tradition, the annual feast day celebrating the life of all saints, taking place on the first day of November, or (in the Greek church) on the first Sunday after Pentecost.


All Hallows

/ˌɔːl ˈhæləʊz/

From all + plural of hallow (“saint”). Forms in -n (All-Hallown etc.) show reflex of the original genitive plural (Old English halgena).

All-Hallow (alternative)
All-Hallows (alternative)
All-Hallown (alternative)

(chiefly archaic) All Saints' Day, the 1st of November; the Christian feast day honoring all Christian saints.


colour wheel

colour wheels (plural)
color wheel (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-colour wheel.wav

With fears that draping normal Christmas fairy lights through the tree's aluminium branches would cause a short circuit, the trees were lit from below by a rotating colour wheel divided into wedge-shaped segments of variously coloured plastic.

2013, Martin Pullen, The Completely Useless Guide to Christmas:

The twins led him across the room to a silver aluminum Christmas tree in the far corner. A device on the floor cast light on the tree from a bulb behind a slowly turning color wheel.

2013, Robert Jeschonek, Christmas at Glosser's, page 13:

A device that emits varying colours of light by the use of a wheel, commonly used to illuminate Christmas trees.


Donner

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Donner.wav

First attested in the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Named from Dutch donder (“thunder”), and perhaps influenced by the German form Donner.

Donder (alternative)
Dunder (alternative)

A Visit from St. Nicholas
Santa Claus's reindeer


Lammas

From Old English hlafmæsse (“loaf mass, harvest festival”).


Lent

Shortened form of Lenten, from Old English lencten, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn (“spring”), as in a season into which days lengthen as it progresses. Related to German Lenz and Dutch lente (“springtime”).

الصَّوْم الْأَرْبَعِينِيّ

Christian period of penitence before Easter

(Christianity) A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.

(Eastern Christianity) The 40 days preceding Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday preceding Holy Week.

(Roman Catholicism) The 46 days preceding Easter, reckoned as 40 days by excluding Sundays.

Hezekiah gave up vaping for Lent.


Nativity

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Navtivity.wav

(Christianity) The birth of Jesus as described in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.


Scrooge

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Scrooge.wav

The fictional character Ebenezer Scrooge.


Independence Day

Independence Day
Independence Day (India)
Independence Day (Philippines)

(US) A holiday celebrated in the United States commemorating the country's independence from Great Britain, celebrated each year on the 4th of July.


All Hallows' Day

All Hallows’ Day (alternative)
All Hallows Day (alternative)

A Christian feast day, 1st November, honouring the saints (or, as the name implies, "hallows"); the day after Halloween.


Halloween

Halloweens (plural)
Hallowe'en (alternative)
Halloweven (alternative)

→ Hawaiian: Heleuī

→ Hindi: हैलोवीन (hailovīn)

desc

→ Japanese: ハロウィン, ハロウィーン

→ Japanese: ハロウィン, ハロウィーン

→ Malayalam: ഹാലോവീൻ (hālōvīṉ)

→ Maori: Harawīni

→ Russian: Хеллоуи́н (Xellouín)

→ Bashkir: Хэллоуин (Xellowin)

→ Tajik: Хеллоуин (Xellouyin)

→ Tatar: Хэллоуин (Xellouwin)

→ Thai: ฮาโลวีน (haa-loo-wiin)

→ Ukrainian: Хеллові́н (Xellovín)

A Scottish shortening of Allhalloweven, from Allhallowmas (the obsolete earlier name of All Saints' Day) + even (an archaic or poetic variant of eve; see also een).
For the American pronunciation with /ɑ/, compare the Southern English traditional dialect pronunciations fallow /ˈfɒlə/ and tallow /ˈtɒlə/.

They all get dressed up in scary costumes at Halloween.

1987, Kai Hansen, "Halloween", Helloween, Keeper Of The Seven Keys: Part 1.
Black is the night full of fright / You'll be missing the day / What will be here very soon / Changing your way / A knock at your door / It is real or is it a dream / On trembling legs you open the door / And you scream... on Halloween

The eve of All Hallows' Day; October 31st; celebrated (mostly in English-speaking countries) by children going door-to-door in costume and soliciting candy with menaces.


trick-or-treat

en-verb

trick-or-treat (third-person singular simple present trick-or-treats, present participle trick-or-treating, simple past and past participle trick-or-treated)

trick-or-treats (present singular third-person)
trick-or-treating (participle present)
trick-or-treated (participle past)
trick-or-treated (past)

From trick or treat, the phrase stated as a greeting when accosting a household.

Coordinate term: soul (All Souls Day)

(intransitive) To go door-to-door asking for candy on Halloween night while wearing a costume.


trick-or-treater

Those darn trick-or-treaters egged my car.

One who goes trick-or-treating on Halloween, usually a child dressed in a costume.


mistletoe

en-noun

mistletoe (countable and uncountable, plural mistletoes)

mistletoes (plural)
misleto (alternative)
miseltoe (alternative)
misletoe (alternative)
mistle-toe (alternative)
misseltoe (alternative)

From Middle English mistelto, mistilto (“European mistletoe”), from Old English misteltān (“mistletoe”), from mistel (“mistletoe; basil; birdlime”) + tān (“sprig, shoot, twig”), possibly as a calque of Old Norse mistilteinn; equivalent to mistle + tan (“twig”). This was mistaken for the plural of tā (“toe”).
Cognate with Danish mistelten (“mistletoe”), Norwegian misteltein (“mistletoe”), Icelandic mistilteinn (“mistletoe”). Compare also the simplex form West Frisian mistel (“mistletoe”), Dutch mistel (“mistletoe”), German Mistel (“mistletoe”), Swedish mistel (“mistletoe”).

red mistletoe

Peraxilla tetrapetala; Tapinanthus rubromarginatus

Miſtletoe, by phyſicians, &c. called viſcus, grows to the height of about two feet. […] Pliny and moſt naturaliſts relate, that thruſhes being exceedingly fond of the berries of the miſtletoe; they ſwallow them, and caſt them out again on the branches of trees, where they uſe to perch; and by this means give occaſion to a new production of miſtletoe.

1738, E[phraim] Chambers, “MISTLETOE”, in Cyclopædia: Or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences; […] In Two Volumes, 2nd corrected and amended edition, volumes II (L–Z), London: […] D[aniel] Midwinter [et al.], →OCLC, column 1:

In Martigny I first observed the custom, common throughout many parts of Switzerland, of hanging mistletoes over the house doors; a superstition for which I have not been able to get any reason rendered.

1833 February, Robert Mallet, Jun., “Art. IV. Horticultural Jottanda of a Recent Continental Tour.”, in J[ohn] C[laudius] Loudon, editor, The Gardener’s Magazine, and Register of Rural & Domestic Improvement, volume IX, number 42, London: Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, […], →OCLC, page 27:

Mistletoes were growing on the Euphorbias; they were much more succulent than when growing on woody shrubs or on trees. […] One of the Mistletoes common in Southern Africa, has small, myrtle-like leaves and red berries; another is leafless, and has stems resembling a Salicornia.

1844, James Backhouse, chapter XXX, in A Narrative of a Visit to the Mauritius and South Africa, London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co., […]; York: John L. Linney, […], →OCLC, page 534:

The brooms caused by Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe begin as small sprays of twigs radiating from a swollen limb […] but in time they become large, more or less spherical in shape, and often with long, droopy twigs. […] Although the parasite is present throughout each broom, the only visible portions of dwarf mistletoe are the reproductive shoots which are called "aerial shoots."

1985 May, Robert O. Tinnin, Donald M. Knutson, “Types of Dwarf Mistletoe Brooms”, in How to Identify Brooms in Douglas-fir Caused by Dwarf Mistletoe (United States Department of Agriculture Research Note; PNW 426), [Portland, Or.?]: Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, →OCLC, page 2:

[T]he stickiness [of mistletoe berries] persists through the gut, making it hard to defecate mistletoe seeds with any grace. To deal with this, birds like the silky flycatcher, Phainopepla nitens, that are mistletoe specialists, have evolved a "waggle dance" – also known as butt-wiping behavior – where they clean up by rubbing themselves against twigs. Indeed, the association with bird droppings may even be the origin of the word: Some evidence suggests that "mistletoe" comes from Anglo-Saxon for "dung on a twig."

2014 December 23, Olivia Judson, “The hemiparasite season [print version: Under the hemiparasite, International New York Times, 24–25 December 2014, page 7]”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 2014-12-23:

(countable, uncountable) Any of numerous hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales with white berries that grow in the crowns of apple trees, oaks, and other trees, such as the European mistletoe (Viscum album) and American mistletoe or eastern mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum).

агъо

any of several hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales

Miſtletoe! why I know what that is, as we garniſh our Houſe with it every Year, at Chriſtmas.

1782, Benjamin Martin, “Dialogue VI. Reflections on the Wonderful Nature, and Singular Properties of Some Kinds of Plants, Shrubs, and Trees; Exemplified in Missltoe,^([sic]) Sensitive Plant, Bulbous Garlic, Bee-orchis, and Egg-plant.”, in The Young Gentleman and Lady’s Philosophy in a Continued Survey of the Works of Nature and Art; by Way of Dialogue, volumes III, part IV (Containing a General Survey of Vegetation and Vegetables), London: Printed for W. Owen, […]; and the author, […], →OCLC, page 229:

There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars; and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe.

1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Three. The Second of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 81–82:

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe / Help to make the season bright / Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow / Will find it hard to sleep tonight

1946 November, Robert Wells, Mel Tormé (lyrics and music), “The Christmas Song”, performed by Nat King Cole:

Rockin' around the Christmas tree / At the Christmas party hop / Mistletoe hung where you can see / Every couple tries to stop

1958, Johnny Marks (lyrics and music), “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree”, in Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee, performed by Brenda Lee:

Mistletoe. The word conjures winter holidays, office parties, stolen kisses, romance. But appreciation of the plant is no modern thing. Kissing under the mistletoe has been happening for at least 200 years. And some 2,000 years ago, the druids in which is now Britain venerated the plant when it grew on an oak. When they found it, they dressed in white, harvested it with a golden sickle, and sacrificed two white bulls.

(uncountable) A sprig of one such plant used as a Christmas decoration, associated with the custom that a man may kiss any woman standing beneath it.


Thanksgiving

/θæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/

/ˈθæŋksɡɪvɪŋ/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Thanksgiving.wav

A proprialization from the common noun thanksgiving; by surface analysis, thanks + giving.

It is at present impossible to determine when the General Court will adjourn, none of the great business having as yet been attended to, so as to be completed, but there seems to be a general determination to be at home at Thanksgiving. I hope it will be possible.

1788, Theodore Sedgwick to his wife, 9 November, in The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections 1788–1790, vol. 1, ed. Merrill Jensen and Robert A. Becker, University of Wisconsin Press, 1976, pages 513–514

Across the harsh, salty smells that blew in gusts from the half-uncovered mud-flats of the river, my memory of old Thanksgivings at home called up most rich and tender savors of roast goose till an appetite of huge anticipation began to riot beneath my waistcoat.

1898 November 19, Charles G[eorge] D[ouglas] Roberts, “The Bewitchment of Lieutenant Hanworthy”, in The Saturday Evening Post, volume 171, number 21, Philadelphia, Pa.: The Curtis Publishing Company, page 321, column 1:

This is church! They spent their Thanksgivings and Christmases with us to bring some normalcy to our lives. They bore the cold winter nights sleeping in tents, showering and bathing whenever and wherever possible. They rolled up their sleeves, gutted houses, cleaned yards, and poured out their hearts; they had compassion on us. By joining forces with the National Guard and city officials, the church and government walked hand and hand with common goals—rebuilding lives and revitalizing our cities.

2010, Sebastian Myladiyil, Blown Together: The Trials and Miracles of Katrina, Mobile, Ala.: Evergreen Press, →ISBN, page 200:

Our Thanksgivings are always nice and quiet. Dad cleans, Mom cooks, and I set the table. We sit down, talk about how grateful we are for good health and family, and eat.

2012, T. R. Burns [pseudonym; Tricia Rayburn], The Bad Apple (Merits of Mischief; 1), New York, N.Y.: Aladdin, →ISBN, page 209:

(Canada, US) Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada, and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.

(Canada, US) The long weekend which includes Thanksgiving Day; Thanksgiving weekend.


Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day (plural Thanksgiving Days)

Advent Sunday

Christian religious day at the end of November

(Canada) A holiday, originally to give thanks to God for the harvest, celebrated annually on the second Monday of October.

(US) A holiday, originally to give thanks to God and to commemorate the feast held by the Pilgrim colonists, celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November.

(Grenada) A holiday to commemorate the invasion of Grenada by the United States and the overthrowing of the communist People's Revolutionary Government in 1983, celebrated annually on the 25th of October.


Tannenbaum

Borrowed from German Tannenbaum (“fir tree”).

Oh, Tannenbaum, oh, Tannenbaum, how lovely are thy branches.

Local newspapers covered the story of how Santa Claus had helped the Tannenbaum.


New Year's Eve

The holiday occurring on the last day of the year, celebrated on December 31st in cultures following the Gregorian calendar

watchnight

whereas watch night is the night that begins at sundown on New Year's Eve and ends with sunrise on New Year's Day

not identical to New Year's Eve – New Year's Eve is the entire day before New Year's Day


Christmas Day

From Middle English Cristemasse day, from Old English Cristes mæssedæġ (“Christmas Day”, literally “day of Christ's mass”). Now equivalent to Christmas + day.

inh

When Christmas Day falls upon a Saturday (as it did in 1736,) the Collect, Epistle and Gospel for St. Stephen's Day follows of Course, and no Notice is taken of the Sunday after Christmas Day

1737, Thomas Collins, The rubrick of the Church of England, examin'd and consider'd:

The day on which Christmas is celebrated. It is December 25 in the West, and January 7 in some Eastern Orthodox churches.


trick or treat

1987, Kai Hansen, "Halloween", Helloween, Keeper Of The Seven Keys: Part 1.
Meet the others at the store, / Knock on other people's door / Trick or treat they have no choice, / Little ghost's are makin' lotsa noise

A form of a light-hearted request by which children obtain candy on Halloween while wearing themed costumes.

不給糖就搗亂 /不给糖就捣乱

a request for candy tied to an unstated light-hearted threat

(in translated movies, TV series etc.) Süßes oder Saures


Samhain

Invite, but never command, friendly spirits, faeries, or elementals to join you as you wish. In some traditions it is common to invite ancestors to join you, especially during the dark days from Samhain to Imbolg when it is believed that the portal between our dimensions is at its thinnest.

1994, Edain McCoy, “Appendix Three: Outline for Ritual Construction”, in A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk: How to Work with the Elemental World: […], St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publishers, published 2004 (13th printing), →ISBN, page 354:

A holiday, falling on the night of 31 October to 1 November, celebrated by the ancient Celts and by modern neo-pagans as the beginning of winter and the new year, and a time during which the spirits of the dead could return to the earth.


quinquennial

Borrowed from Latin quīnquenniālis, from quīnquennium (“5-year period”) + -ālis, from quīnquennis (“5-year”) + -ium (“-ium: forming abstract nouns”), from quīnque (“five”) + annus (“year”) + -is (suffix forming compound adjectives).

(historical) Synonym of quinquennalia, the festival and religious ritual held in the 5th year of a Roman emperor's reign.


Veterans Day

The United States national holiday in honor of veterans past and present, observed on November 11th.


Turkey Day

After the turkey, the traditional main course of Thanksgiving dinner, and an occasional motif in Thanksgiving decorations.

Thanksgiving.— This Day will be observed in all the New England States, except Massachusetts, as a day of public Thanksgiving. It will be Turkey-day in this State, this day week.

1835 November 26, Boston Morning Post (1835-11-26):

(US, informal) Thanksgiving; an American holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.


Black Friday

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Black Friday.wav

From black (“bad; ill-omened; marked by disaster”). Friday is an ill-omened day according to ancient superstition, so a Friday that was darkened by another ill-omen (such as being the 13th) or an actual disaster became known as "Black Friday". Philadelphia police applied the term to the day after Thanksgiving because the large number of people out shopping made traffic chaotic. Later, PR efforts purposely invented the incorrect, more positive "etymology" (which is a very popular urban legend and false etymology that was even in Wiktionary from 2008 to 2015) that the name was given because this day is supposedly the first day of the year on which retailers typically posted profits ('in the black') rather than losses ('in the red').

en:any of certain historically bad Fridays

Any Friday literally or figuratively darkened by catastrophe, or the anniversary thereof.

(Internet slang, poker, historical) The conclusion of United States v. Scheinberg in 15 April 2011, after which major online poker sites stopped offering real money play to their United States customers.

Coordinate term: Cyber Monday

en:day after US Thanksgiving, a busy shopping day

(US, Canada, UK, business, retailing) The day after US Thanksgiving Day, generally regarded as the first day of the Christmas season, and the busiest shopping day of the year. Observed in the US, Canada, and more recently to an extent, the UK.

en:busy sales weekend after US Thanksgiving, metonymically

(by extension) The sales period involving heavy price reductions immediately following US Thanksgiving Day, from Friday (the original Black Friday) through Monday (Cyber Monday).


May Day

Labour Day, the first day of May, a worldwide workers' holiday.

Ašxatavorneri hamerašxutʻyan miǰazgayin ōr

Աշխատավորների համերաշխության միջազգային օր

Denʹ meždunaródnoj solidárnosti trudjáščixsja

День междунаро́дной солида́рности трудя́щихся


secret Santa

I could tell Mary was my secret Santa.

The person who buys a present for another in a secret-Santa exchange.


paska

en-noun

paska (countable and uncountable, plural paskas)

From Ukrainian па́ска (páska) and Russian па́ска (páska), borrowing from Ancient Greek πάσκα (páska), phonetic variant of πάσχα (páskha), from Aramaic פסחא (pasḥa), from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesaḥ). Doublet of Pesach.

(Canada) A traditional Ukrainian egg bread, often decorated, used in Easter traditions.


Christmas present

Christmas present (countable and uncountable, plural Christmas presents)

Children believe that Santa Claus comes down the chimney to bring them Christmas presents.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Christmas, present.


Christmas present

Christmas present (countable and uncountable, plural Christmases present)

Christmas + present (“relating to now, current”). Present is used as a postpositioned adjective. First popularized in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Christmas past becomes Christmas present.

1998 May 15, Janet Colsher Teitsort, Long-Distance Grandma: How to Stay Connected with Grandkids Far Away, Baker, →ISBN, page 145:

Anita had been relieved to unload the burden of her Christmases Past following her Process but she certainly hasn't told Max any of the details of the Christmases present she'd be spending with John.

2012 May 3, Stella Duffy, chapter 13, in Wavewalker, Profile Books, →ISBN, section 5:


Christmas carol

Christmas carol (plural Christmas carols)

So also when he was born into the World, the holy Angels came down to sing his Christmas Carol, and at once to proclaim and celebrate his Nativity.

(music) A carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas.

تَرْنِيمة عِيد اَلْمِيلَاد

hymn whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas