The Plural of Christmas: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

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The Plural of Christmas: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

If you have ever needed to use the plural form of Christmas and wondered what it is, you have come to the right place. This article will teach you all about this beautiful holiday, the plural form of the word, the history and origin, synonyms, and examples of the word in context. 

What Is the Definition of Christmas?

The word Christmas is defined as:

  •  A Christian feast on December 25 or among some Eastern Orthodox Christians on January 7 that commemorates the birth of Christ and is usually observed as a legal holiday

Although this is an evangelical holiday, people from all over the world and other religions still celebrate this sacred holiday season with greetings like “Merry Christmas” and “Christmas Cheer.” If you are religious, you will celebrate the birth of Christ, but many think of Santa in a bright red suit, pretty wrapped gifts from Amazon, yummy food, Christmas cards, hot chocolate, traditions, decorations, and spending time with those they hold dear. If not, many offer greetings like “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.” Christmas whether you are religious or not is a very loved holiday that comes before the new year. 

What Is the Plural Form of Christmas?

Many sources say the plural of Christmas is Christmases, while others say this proper noun does not get a plural form. Some examples of where a plural form would be used are:

  • Many Christmases ago, I received a very special gift.
  • I spent many Christmases away from home. 

It is safe to say you can get away with pluralizing the word with an “es” added correctly following grammar rules for plural nouns — no apostrophe needed. Since it’s not an irregular noun, it is an accepted form of the word, even if it is considered a proper noun typically used as an adjective. 

The History and Origin of the Word

The word Christmas has been around for a few centuries but it is derived from Greek and Hebrew words. Christ comes from the Greek word Christos and the Hebrew word masiah, meaning anointed one. The actual word of Christmas comes from the Middle English word Christmasse which comes from the Old English word Cristes-messe meaning Christ’s mass. There is much controversy about why the common word today came from those roots considering we are not talking about the literal mass of Christ’s body. There are a few different theories. Since it comes from the Latin root missa some say it is from the Latin verb mittere which means something that has been sent, but there are flaws with this theory because missa is grammatically feminine and cannot refer to Christ himself. Others say it is from the Latin word missio from the Catholic church saying “ite, missa est” which means “ go, the dismissal is made.”  The last theory is that it comes from the Hebrew word missah which means unleavened bread that was offered with the Passover sacrifice found in Exodus. 

Today many non-religious have adopted the phrase, x-mas, to remove Christ and religion from this sacred holiday. Ironically, using an X is an abbreviation for the Greek name of Christ, Christos. Using the abbreviation “X” for Christ can be seen as early as 1100 AD but isn’t related to the last letter of the word. 

Synonyms of Christmas

  • Noel-  a Christmas carol 
    • The choir sang noels during the Christmas season.
    • Capitalized: CHRISTMAS
    • Wished his friends a joyous 
  • Christmastide-  a Christmas carol 
    • The choir sang noels during the Christmas season.
    • Capitalized: CHRISTMAS
    • Wished his friends a joyous 
  • Christmastime-  the Christmas season
  • Yule- the feast of the nativity of Jesus Christ: CHRISTMAS
  • Yuletide- the Christmas season: CHRISTMASTIDE
    • Families gathering at yuletide
    • Come Yuletide, the balsam fir is a prime choice for the role of Christmas tree.— Neal Clark
    • Often used before another noun
    • The yuletide season
    • yuletide celebrations
  • Nativity-  the process or circumstances of being born: BIRTH
    • Especially capitalized: the birth of Jesus
    • A horoscope at or of the time of one’s birth
    • The place of origin
  • Festive- of, relating to, or suitable for a feast or festival
    • A festive occasion
    • The house looks festive during the holidays.
    •  JOYFUL, GAY
    • a festive mood

Examples of the Word in Context

  • It’s September, so that means it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and holiday shopping. And Walmart has unwrapped its annual list of the toys kids say they want most. – USA Today 
  • “We are disappointed for everyone involved with the show, as well as for the many fans who make the Christmas Spectacular a cherished part of their holiday tradition,” read a statement from Madison Square Garden Entertainment (Radio City is operated by the Madison Square Garden Company).- USA Today
  • The origins of Christmas in July harken back to an 1800s French opera based on Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” but I had to suffer through that book in college so I’m going to spare you that here.- USA Today
  • “Now more than ever, we need to focus on what Christmas is about and rely more on our family,” Underwood says in a new promotional video. “Even though it has been a tough year, sometimes I feel like the greatest realizations can come at the worst times… And it makes you more thankful for the things that you do have.”- USA Today
  • AHLA also found that only 16% of those polled planned a trip around the holiday. Looking ahead, the numbers for Thanksgiving (25%) and Christmas (29%) aren’t too encouraging, either. – USA Today

Summary

The English language can be a tricky thing since it is a compilation of many other languages. Finding the correct plural forms of words is an important step to becoming well educated. Now you are an expert on all things regarding Christmas so that you can send out the perfect greeting cards. 

Sources:

  1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christmas#other-words
  2. https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-plural-of/Christmas.html
  3. https://jakubmarian.com/etymology-of-the-words-christmas-and-xmas/
  4. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/09/03/walmart-toy-list-2020-kids-interactive-play-christmas-holiday-gifts/5694280002/
  5. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/08/04/radio-city-music-hall-christmas-spectacular-2020-canceled-coronavirus/3291236001/
  6. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2020/07/22/25-ways-celebrate-christmas-july-2020/5485256002/
  7. https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/
  8. https://www.usatoday.com/travel/
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

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