Forms: 2 Cristes mæsse, 4 cristesmesse, cristmasse, kryst-masse, 4–5 cristemes(e, cristemasse, crystmas(se, 5 cristmes, cristmas, crysmas, 6 cristimas, 6–7 Christmasse, 7–8 Christmass, 6– Christmas, (north. dial. 8 Kesmes, 9 Cursmas, Cursmis). [Late OE. Cristes mæsse the mass or festival of Christ. See also the by-form CHRISTENMAS.]
1. The festival of the nativity of Christ, kept on the 25th of December. Usually extended more or less vaguely to the season immediately preceding and following this day, commonly observed as a time of festivity and rejoicing.
a. 1123. O. E. Chron., an. 1101. Her on þisum ʓeare to Xṕes. mæssan heold se cyng Heanriʓ his hired on Westmynstre. Ibid. (a. 1134), an. 1127. Ðis ʓear heald se kyng Heanri his hird æt Cristes mæsse on Windlesoure.
1340. Ayenb., 213. Ine zuyche festes ase at cristesmesse.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 471. Wel by-commes such craft vpon cristmasse.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, iii. 83. At crystmasse and at ester, men ought to go vysit and see his good frende.
1489. Plumpton Corr. (1839), Introd. 114. The King … beganne Crysmas at Westmynster.
1495. Act 2 Hen. VII., c. 2 § 5. Noon apprentice … [shall] pley … at the Tenys … in no wise out of Cristmas.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 54. He went to Windsore, where he … kept his Christmas.
1605. Camden, Rem. Proverbs. Christmasse cometh but once a yeare.
1635. Swan, Spec. M. (1670), 124. They also say, that a hot Christmas makes a fat churchyard.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 509, ¶ 3. The Beadles and Officers have the Impudence at Christmas to ask for their Box.
1748. H. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann, 26 Dec. Here am I come down to what you call Keep my Christmas.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., 189 (Hoppe). Revelry was permitted … through the twelve days of Christmas.
† b. transf. to any similar festivity or revelry.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1698), I. iii. 56. Privateers, who resort hither in the aforesaid months [May–Aug.] purposely to keep a Christmas as they call it.
2. dial. & nursery lang. Holly and other evergreens used for decorations at Christmas.
a. 1825. Forby, Christmas, the evergreens with which our churches and houses are still decorated at the season of Christmas.
1878. Britten & Holland, Eng. Plant-n. Christmas. Ilex Aquifolium. Camb.; Ches. (but only so called when used for Christmas decorations); Hants; Wight; Norf.; Suff.; Suss.
1884. Cheshire Gloss. (E. D. S.), Christmas, evergreens used in Christmas decorations; often Kismus. [So in most dialect glossaries].
3. attrib. and Comb., as Christmas brand, carol (see CAROL sb. 3 b), dinner, game, -hamper, -keeper, morning, night, party, time, etc., etc.
a. 1500. Songs & Carols 15th C. (1847), 22 (Mätz.). Yt sprong up on cristmes nyȝt.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., IV. ii. (Arb.), 60. I shrew their best Christmasse chekes both togetherward.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Dec., 26. To … gather nuttes to make me Christmas game.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 462. Like a Christmas Comedie.
1591. Greene, Maiden’s Dreame, xxxiii. He kept no Christmas-house for once a year.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Intr. II. 141. A Christmas gambold, or a tumbling tricke.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., Prol. (Arb.), 4. Its a Christmas toy indeede.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. (1682), 475. The best, and most bountiful Christmas-keepers … that ever I saw in the Christian World.
1636. Prynne, Unbish. Tim., Ep. (1661), 25. Playing the part of a Bishop, as a Christmas game-player doth of a King.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Candlem. Day. Kindle the Christmas brand, and then Till sunset let it burn.
1799. Southey, Sonn., xv. Watching the children at their Christmas mirth.
1824. B. Hall, Jrnl., 31 Dec., in Lockhart, Scott. Your Christmas and New Year’s parties seem generally dull.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, I. (1863), 217. The Christmas-dinner visits of a gay … neighbourhood.
1826. in Hone, Every Day Bk., II. 187. These Christmas bills, these Christmas bills.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xxviii. How many … dormant sympathies, does Christmas time awaken! Ibid., xxx. As he took his seat at the breakfast table on Christmas morning.
1842. Tennyson, Morte D’Arthur, 305. I … heard … The clear church-bells ring in the Christmas morn. Ibid. (1850), In Mem., XXVIII. iii. The Christmas bells … Answer each other. Ibid., XXX. ii. Did we weave. The holly round the Christmas hearth.
1859. M. Lemon (title), A Christmas Hamper.
4. Special combs. Christmas book, † a. ‘a book in which people were accustomed to keep an account of the Christmas presents they received’ (Nares); b. a book published at Christmas, and intended to be in some respect suitable to the season; † Christmas candle, a large candle formerly burnt at Christmas (see Brand, Pop. Antiq. [1870], I. 253); Christmas-card, an ornamental card sent by way of Christmas greeting; (the custom began in England about 1867); Christmas Daisy, the late flowering Aster grandiflorus; Christmas-day, the 25th of December; Christmas-eve, the evening before Christmas-day; Christmas-flower, (a.) the Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger; (b.) the Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis (Britten & Holland); † Christmas herb (Lyte), the Christmas Rose; † Christmas King = Christmas Lord; † Christmas-log, a large clump of wood customarily burnt at Christmas, a YULE-LOG; † Christmas Lord, the ‘Lord of Misrule,’ formerly elected to lead the revels about Christmas-time; Christmas number, the part of a serial publication issued at Christmas; Christmas-pie, a pie eaten at Christmas, esp. a MINCE-PIE; Christmas-pride, the plant Ruellia paniculata of Jamaica; † Christmas Prince = Christmas Lord; Christmas-pudding, the plum-pudding at the Christmas dinner; Christmas-rose, a species of Hellebore (Helleborus niger) with large white flowers, commonly cultivated in gardens, in bloom from December to February; Christmas-tide, the season of Christmas, Christmas-time. See also CHRISTMAS-BOX, TREE.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., V. ii. (Arb.), 65. Looke in my *Christmas booke who brought me a present.
1875. Ruskin, Fors Clav., V. 77. As I was looking over Christmas Books of last year.
1625. Collinges, Caveat for Prof., xxvii. (1653), 112. Like our *Christmas candles.
1703. Country Farmers’ Catech., in Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 287. My daughter don’t look with sickly pale looks, like an unit Christmas Candle.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., Christmas Eve. Beside the accustomed lights, two great wax tapers, called Christmas candles … were placed on a highly polished buffet.
1712. J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 168. It looks like an Apple-Tree or like a Christmas-Candlestick twisted into several Branches.
1883. Ruskin, Fors Clav., VIII. 219. There is a *Christmas card, with a picture of English ‘nativity’ for you.
1828. Loudon, Encycl. Plants, s.v. Aster, A very numerous genus of plants commonly called in England, *Christmas Daisies.
1866. Treas. Bot., s.v. Aster, From their time of flowering, Asters are often called Michaelmas Daisies and Christmas Daisies.
138[?]. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 236. On *Cristemasse day.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 470. King Henry … did in the honour of Christes birth on Christmas day refreshe all the pore people with victuall.
1655. Evelyn, Diary, 25 Dec. There was no more notice taken of Christmas day in churches.
1872. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ Wooin’ o’t, xxv. Christmas Day was all that Christmas Day should be—clear, crisp, bright.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 734. Þus … Bi contray caryez þis knyȝt, til *kryst-masse euen.
138[?]. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 311. (title), Þis is þe gospel þat is rad on Cristemasse Evyn.
a. 1613. Overbury, Characters, Franklin. The wakefull ketches on Christmas Eve.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., XXX. iv. Sadly fell our Christmas-eve.
1537. in Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 279. In a letter of 1537 the Curate of St. Margaret’s, Lothbury … says, that the people made no more of God than if he had been ‘a *Christmas King.’
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Cerem. Christm. Bring … the *Christmas Log to the firing.
c. 1565. Churchyard, Lament. Freyndshypp, in Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 279. Jestes and boordes, That *Christmas Lordes were wonte to speke.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., in ibid., I. 273. In Merton College … the Fellows annually elected, about St. Edmund’s Day, in November, a Christmas Lord, or Lord of Misrule.
1643. Plain English, 25. As easie to win a Towne … as to make a breach in the wals of a *Christmas Pie.
1661. Relig. Hypocr. Presbyt., in Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 294. Three Christmass or Minc’d Pies.
1689. Selden, Table T. (Arb.), 33. The coffin of our Christmas Pies in shape long, is in imitation of the cratch.
1747. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, viii. A Yorkshire Christmas-Pye.
Nursery Rhyme (of unknown age). Little Jack Horner Sate in a Corner, eating a Christmas pie.
1756. P. Browne, Jamaica, 267. *Christmas Pride. This plant … generally blows in the months of December and January.
1598. Gilpin, Skialeth., in Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 279. A player to a *Christmas prince.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., ibid. I. 273. The Christmas Prince of St. John’s College [Oxford], whom the Juniors have annually … elected.
1858. Trollope, Dr. Thorne, xxi. Doomed to eat his *Christmas pudding alone.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 104/1. Hellebor, or Christmas Flower … some call … the *Christmas or New-Years Rose.
1852. D. Moir, Poems, Birth Flowers, xv. The Christmas rose Shall blossom, though it be ’mid snows.
1626. Roper, Life More, 3, in Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 274. [Sir Thomas More] … would he at *Christmas tyd sodenly sometymes stepp in among the Players.
1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., xii. (1878), 233. After this Christmas-tide, I found myself in closer relationship to my parishioners.
