# Christmas

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈkɹɪsməs/ · frequency rank #1,297

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. Ellipsis of Christmas season (“the period of time before and after Christmas Day, during which people prepare for and celebrate Christmas”); Christmastime.
3. A number of places in the United States:
4. A number of places in the United States:
5. A number of places in the United States:
6. A number of places in the United States:
7. A surname.

## Etymology
The proper noun is derived from Middle English Cristemasse, Criste-mas (“Christmas Day; season of Christmas; Christmas festivities”) [and other forms], from Old English Cristes mæsse (“Christmas”, literally “Christ’s mass”), from Crist (“Christ”) + -es (possessive marker) + mæsse (“a mass (celebration of the Eucharist)”). The English word is analysable as Christ + -mas (suffix denoting a holiday or sacred day). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kristmisse (“Christmas”), West Frisian Krystmis (“Christmas”), Dutch Kerstmis (“Christmas”), German Low German Karstmis (“Christmas”).
The noun, adjective, and verb are derived from the proper noun.
Adjective etymology 1 sense 1 (“red and green in color”) refers to these colors being traditionally associated with Christmas.

## Easily confused with
- **Xmas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christmas-vs-xmas)
- **Christa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christa-vs-christmas)
- **Christian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christian-vs-christmas)

## Common misspellings (15)
`cchristmas`, `chhristmas`, `chirstmas`, `chrismtas`, `chrisstmas`, `christams`, `christmass`, `christmmas`, `christmsa`, `christtmas`, `chritsmas`, `chrristmas`, `chrsitmas`, `crhistmas`, `hcristmas`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/christmas