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Christmastide
[ kris-muhs-tahyd ]
noun
- the festival season from Christmas to after New Year's Day.
- the period from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, especially in England.
Christmastide
/ ˈkrɪsməsˌtaɪd /
noun
- another name for Christmas
Word History and Origins
Origin of Christmastide1
Example Sentences
The carol is based on an ancient Christian tradition known as Twelvetide or Christmastide - where Christmas Day is the first day of Christmas and 5 January is the last.
“The Dead Hand” — subtitled “A Tale of a Weird and Awful Christmastide”— focuses on a smitten housemaid, her unscrupulous lover and a dead Catholic priest’s mummified hand.
At Christmastide you can’t escape from the fact that Christianity centres on the birth of a child, and glories in it.
In the medieval Christian tradition, Christmastide didn’t end until Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Lord, on Feb. 2.
Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” consists of six cantatas written for various days of Christmastide and not intended to be performed together, as they often are today.
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More About Christmastide
What does Christmastide mean?
Christmastide is the period from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day.
It can also refer to the period that extends from Christmas Eve to the feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Day on January 6. This sense of the word is especially used in the U.K.
Christmastide is similar to the word Christmastime, and their meanings can overlap, but Christmastime is usually used more generally to refer to the Christmas season, often the entire month of December.
Christmastide is usually used more narrowly and is not commonly used outside of a religious context.
Most often, the word Christmas refers to Christmas Day. But Christmas can be used to mean the same thing as Christmas season, Christmastime, or Christmastide.
Example: I look forward to gathering with my family during Christmastide.
Where does Christmastide come from?
The first records of the word Christmastide come from the 1600s. The word tide refers to a specific period or time or season. It is used in the same way in other words that refers to seasons, such as wintertide (a less common word for wintertime), or periods following holidays, as in Eastertide.
It is also used in the word yuletide. Yuletide is sometimes used as another word for Christmastime, but it is rooted in yule, which can refer to Christmas but is also used as a name for the celebration of the Winter Solstice that’s observed in some Pagan traditions.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for Christmastide?
- the week between Christmas and New Year’s
What are some words that share a root or word element with Christmastide?
What are some words that often get used in discussing Christmastide?
How is Christmastide used in real life?
Christmastide is typically used in a religious context.
Happy Christmas today to all seafarers on the sea, in ports or at home! May you and your families have many blessings during this Christmastide🙏🏼@Apostleshipsea #HappyChristmas2019
— Stella Maris Dundee (@StellaMarisDun) December 25, 2019
As we come to the end of Christmas Day, may the message and hope of Christmastide continue in your home and in your heart. May your soul blaze with the remarkable message of forgiveness, mercy and hope and may light of Christ’s grace and love shine from your home #niteblessing pic.twitter.com/TQLljuNP3o
— #niteblessings (@Niteblessing) December 25, 2019
I’m a fan of the church year. But why do all of the people get so excited about Advent and Lent but ignore Christmastide and Eastertide? (And Epiphany and Pentecost and Ordinary Time, etc.)
— Charlotte Donlon (@charlottedonlon) December 2, 2020
Try using Christmastide!
True or False?
Christmastide usually refers to the two-day period encompassing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
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