For many around the world, this time of year marks the festive season. While we’re on the topic, the word festive comes from the Latin festum (‘festival’) arriving in English via the French language. It shares an etymology with words like English feast and French fête (originally feste).
The English language has many different ways to talk about the holidays (from the Old English hāligdæg, meaning ‘holy day’). The origins of our festivities are as varied as the English language itself. ‘Tis the season to take an etymological sleigh ride through some of our end-of-year celebrations!
***
For many, the beginning of December is the time to get out the advent calendar. In the liturgical calendar, advent encompasses the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day. The word originates from the Latin noun adventus meaning ‘arrival’, ‘coming’, or ‘appearance’, which itself stems from the verb advenīre, ‘to arrive’.
Originally a Christian holiday, Christmas is now observed by many across the world in both religious and secular celebrations alike. The word comes from the Old English Cristes mæsse, meaning ‘Christ’s mass’, and describes the Christian Church’s annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
You might also see the word Xmas written on cards (you have perhaps even written it yourself if you were too lazy to spell out Christmas in full). This abbreviated form of the original word has caused controversy in recent years, with some fearing it has been a way to “remove Christ from Christmas”. Critics should note, however, that the offending ‘X’ in question is not actually a Latin alphabet ex, but a Greek alphabet chi. It is an abbreviation of the Greek word Χριστός or Christos (‘Christ’). Xmas is not a product of a modern-day culture war, then – people have probably been using this and similar shorthand forms for a thousand years. In 1801, poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge recounted in a letter that “On Xmas day [he] breakfasted with Davy”, and in 1884 popular satiric Punch magazine used the verb “xmassing”.
Even before Christians began marking Jesus’ birthday, cultures around the world were engaging in a range of Winter Solstice festivities. One older term that has since been incorporated into the Christmas vocabulary is Yuletide. Yule, joining the English language from the Norse jōl via the Old English geōl, is historically a Pagan festival originating in Scandinavia. The details of why and how jōl was observed are unclear, although some theorise that Norse god Odin, also known as Jolnir, may have been involved. The suffix -tide can be added to both Yule and Christmas to denote the season surrounding the holiday. It comes from the Olde English tīdan, from tīd meaning ‘time’.
If Christmas or Yule are not to your liking, you may choose to sing about Noel instead. This word, also used refer to Christmas carols, was borrowed from the French noël, which in turn came from the Latin natalis meaning ‘birthday’ and ‘of or related to birth’. This gives the word Noel a similar origin to the word nativity, used in this festive context to refer to the scene of Jesus’ birth.
Regardless of what you choose to call it, the holiday season is also an opportunity for many to hang their stockings in the hope of a gift from Santa Claus. Dutch immigrants are credited with introducing this jolly old man to the North American imagination. Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, his image grew and expanded into the global popular culture – a 1930s advertisement campaign for Coca-Cola is well-known for popularising the Santa that we all know today. Originally, Sinterklaas or St Nicholas was a canonised bishop in the 4th-Century Christian church from what is now modern-day Turkey, celebrated by the Dutch on the 6th of December each year with the handing out of gifts and treats to children.
For those living in England and many Commonwealth countries, the 26th of December or the day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day… and no one really seems to know why. These days, Boxing Day is observed by eating leftovers, shopping in the sales, and watching the cricket – but its origins are of a more altruistic nature. December 26th is traditionally St Stephen’s Day, celebrating an early martyr of the Christian Church known for his service to the poor. Acts of charity have long been tradition on this day – in fact, this is why Good King Wenceslas was looking out “on the Feast of Stephen” all the way back in the 10th Century, as the carol tells us.
Why St Stephen’s Day eventually came to be known as Boxing Day has to do with the giving out of ‘Christmas boxes’ – although we are not sure what exactly these Christmas boxes entailed. It may have involved the opening of alms boxes used in churches to collect donations for the poor. It might have been the practice of distributing gifts or tips to employees and tradespeople. One theory holds that the boxes in question were actually full of leftovers from the Christmas feast, carried by servants who had been obliged to work on Christmas Day and were now being given the day off to visit their own families. Whatever the reason, am I the only one who is a little sad that we have given up these Boxing Day traditions? This 26th of December, I suggest we all spread the festive cheer by giving money, gifts, or even our time to those less fortunate!
Get more interesting language and linguistics content in our magazine. You can subscribe below
