Have you ever been confused while using the plural form of “Christmas”? No need to be ashamed, my dear! Every American experiences a state of confusion over this at least once in their lifetime. So, what’s the solution? Simple: Learn it! People often find it difficult to determine if the word “Christmas” is a singular or plural noun. Did you notice that a clue is already given in the sentence?
The word ‘Christmas’ originated in the Middle English phrase ‘Cristenmasse,’ which means ”Christian mass”. Now, Christenmasse converted into ”Cristes-messe”, literally meaning “Christ’s Mass.” As we all know ‘Mass’ is a singular word, there is no point in considering “Christmas” as plural. So, the only correct form is ”Christmas is,” not “Christmas is.” However, if Christmas is a singular noun, then what is the plural form of Christmas?
What Is The Definition and Plural Form of Christmas?
Christmas is a Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on December 24 and 25, respectively. It is celebrated by billions of people worldwide, and it has a range of customs and traditions. Some celebrate Christmas Eve on the 24th of December, while others celebrate Christmas Day on the 25th of December.
The Christmas holidays generally include parties, presents, family gatherings, and colourful decorations with Christmas trees and bells. For some, it’s a magical time of the year that brings happiness and enjoyable moments.
There are some inclusive debates around the plural form of Christmas. Almost everyone thinks it is Christmas. It’s already clear why Christmas can’t be a plural noun. Although it is an appropriate noun, many consider it to have no plural form. However, some conflicts may arise as, in many instances, Christmas as a plural form is used widely.
For example, “I remember Christmas with enthusiasm.” When you convey the word ‘Christmas’ as a ‘holiday,’ you are referring to several holidays altogether. So, Christmas can be in plural form.
What Is the Difference Between Plural Nouns and Possessive Nouns?
Usually speaking, the plural form of each word is generated by adding an extra ‘s’ at the end. The plural of ”book” is ”books”. But, when the noun ends with S, Y, or Ch, add ‘es’ instead of just ‘s’. Plurals are nouns and pronouns which refer to more than one thing. Possessives are nouns and pronouns that show possession over a particular thing. In the plural form, there is no use of apostrophe+S. An apostrophe is a signal to indicate possession.
This is why we use apostrophe+S in possessive nouns. Some nouns do not follow the usual rules, and the number of such nouns is odd. For example, the plural form of child means children, and the foot means feet. These irregular nouns tend to be non-traditional. It’s important to maintain a constant pace regardless of the decision to use an additional S. You can’t write Christmas in one phrase and Jones in the other.
What Does ‘Christmases’ Mean?
In literal words, the plural form of Christmas is ‘Christmases.’ Be it in the past or future, it’s imperative to use Christmases to avoid grammatical errors as they refer to different holidays. The term is used to refer to the Christmas holidays. Many writers mention Christmases as it sounds logical and rhetorical. Popular songs like “I Love Christmas” or “Christmases When You Were Mine” use Christmases as the plural form of Christmas.
Some examples are as follows:
- We spent the last few Christmases alone.
- I’ll not be able to attend upcoming Christmases for four respective years.
- I’ve experienced two white Christmases in my lifetime.
Add an extra ‘ es ‘ at the end when you refer to Christmas holidays rather than something that belongs to Christmas. But what about that situation where you want to mention Christmas as a possessive rather than a plural form?
When Should You Use “Christmas’s” and “Christmas”?
If you want to share something that belongs to Christmas, there is always room to use ‘Christmas’s.’ You can write Christmas in its possessive form as Christmas’s. It’s unusual to see this used as not many things belong to Christmas. Examples,
- We have little preparation left for the upcoming Christmas events this year.
- Christmas events of this year are delightful.
Once again, such words used in Christmas are barely noticeable. So, it is better to avoid clashes by applying possessive forms consciously in this regard. Don’t pay much attention to incorporating these words unless they are essential.
Is it “Christmases” or “Christmases”?
After reviewing all the discussions, we can conclude that the meanings of “Christmas” and “Christmas” are opposite sides of the same coin. The word “Christmases” is used when we want to employ a single phrase for the term “Christmas holidays.”
On the other hand, if you are talking about Christmas in the possessive form, then it’s Christmas. So, there should not be any conflict regarding which is correct or not. Moreover, the question should be where to use which word. Each word has its precise meaning through its specialized context. You can’t use Christmases anywhere to look fabulous!
- I enjoyed my previous Christmases a lot.
- This year, I’ll not be able to attend Christmas in California.
- I will have prepared for the Christmas events in Pennsylvania this year.
In the following examples, the choice of words in different contexts is simplified while keeping the meaning of the lines intact. I hope you got a brief idea about the uses of the following debated words in particular situations.
Why are Christmas and Christmas Rarely Used in the Plural Form?
Christmases is the plural form of Christmas. ‘Christmas’ is barely used as it is usually grammatically incorrect. Even if there are some instances, they are not in use anymore. ‘Christmas, as previously discussed, is a possessive noun. So, there is no point in placing a possessive noun in the room assigned for Plural nouns. That’s why Christmas and Christmas are rarely used.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How Do Other Holidays Handle The Plural Form?
Almost every holiday follows the standard English pluralism rules. You can find various holiday traditions in which people manage to build their plural forms.
2. Does Pluralism Affect People’s Beliefs?
To some extent, it’s true. Depending on the geographical location, the word Christmas isn’t different. There are only two options for Christmas writing.
3. What are the Common Christmases in the English language?
Native English-speaking people have called Christmas on multiple occasions. It might come across like: ”Tomorrow I’ll have Christmas in my house!”.
4. How do you write the plural of Christmas?
Christmases. To understand this, please check the above article.
5. How do you spell Merriest of Christmases?
I wish you a happy Christmas Eve!
6. What is the plural of Father Christmas?
Guide of Guardian Styles-X: Father Christmas
Conclusion
Christmas can be the busiest and happiest time of our lives. We spend time with our close ones, laugh with them, and have memorable dinners. Correcting grammar and panicking about it may not be on your list. But don’t worry! Even if you want to use Christmas in plural and possessive nouns, you know what to use now.
Speaking about Christmas in the perfect grammatical angle will have a substantial positive impact. In the end, in a literal sense, Christmas, Christmases, and Christmas’ are correct and have a pivotal role in English. As previously said, it depends on where you intend to perform it in different conditions.
With that note, we can end by saying, “May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmas spellings be right!”
Last Updated on by Anoushka