Christmastide
Americannoun
-
the festival season from Christmas to after New Year's Day.
-
the period from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, especially in England.
noun
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of Christmastide
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While monks and guild actors performed dramatic retellings of biblical stories year-round, the plays were most frequent during Christmastide.
From Salon • Dec. 23, 2024
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.
From BBC • Dec. 23, 2022
At Christmastide you can’t escape from the fact that Christianity centres on the birth of a child, and glories in it.
From The Guardian • Dec. 24, 2019
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.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2017
If good fortune blessed us there might be a little meat at Christmastide.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
