Christmas \Christ"mas\, n. [Christ + mass.]
An annual church festival (December 25) and in some States a
legal holiday, in memory of the birth of Christ, often
celebrated by a particular church service, and also by
special gifts, greetings, and hospitality.
[1913 Webster]
Christmas box.
(a) A box in which presents are deposited at Christmas.
(b) A present or small gratuity given to young people and
servants at Christmas; a Christmas gift.
Christmas carol, a carol sung at, or suitable for,
Christmas.
Christmas day. Same as Christmas.
Christmas eve, the evening before Christmas.
Christmas fern (Bot.), an evergreen North American fern
(Aspidium acrostichoides), which is much used for
decoration in winter.
Christmas flower, Christmas rose, the black hellebore, a
poisonous plant of the buttercup family, which in Southern
Europe often produces beautiful roselike flowers
midwinter.
Christmas tree, a small evergreen tree, set up indoors, to
be decorated with bonbons, presents, etc., and illuminated
on Christmas eve.
[1913 Webster]
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