Etymology

Christmas Day

Today it means: The day on which Christmas is celebrated. It is December 25 in the West, and January 7 in some Eastern Orthodox churches. Full definition →

Middle English Cristemasse day ← Old English Cristes mæssedæġ
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromCristes mæssedæġ“Christmas Day”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromCristemasse day
  3. English todayChristmas Day

From Middle English Cristemasse day, from Old English Cristes mæssedæġ (“Christmas Day”, literally “day of Christ's mass”). Now equivalent to Christmas + day.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.