Questions related to Christmas.
2
votes
2answers
951 views
Greeting after Christmas
I needed to write a business e-mail to my US partner just after Christmas day.
Are there any established forms of such a greeting?
Something like
I hope you had a nice Christmas
1
vote
0answers
47 views
How did “Christmas” end up being “Xmas”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why do some words have “X” as a substitute?
I went to Online Etymology and this is what I found:
"Christmas," 1551, X'temmas, wherein the X is an abbreviation for ...
5
votes
1answer
173 views
When is Christmas Eve Eve?
I have recently seen weather forecasters making predictions for Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Eve Night, and for Christmas Day. One also reads of Christmas Eve Eve, with two eves.
Are those all ...
20
votes
5answers
1k views
What method of counting puts Twelfth Night on January 6th?
I know English has (or at least had) some strange usages of eve and night, but I still can’t figure out how December 25th and 12 can be combined to come up with January 6th.
(This stems from my ...
13
votes
3answers
962 views
Why is it “Merry” Christmas, but “Happy” New Year?
Happy Christmas just sounds wrong to my American ear. (I do get that it is customary in England.) Merry New Year, equally so. Of the two, Christmas is the younger holiday and yet its greeting seems ...
3
votes
3answers
504 views
Prepositions for “Wednesday night” and “the night of Christmas Eve”
Which of the following prepositions would be most appropriate to be used before Wednesday night and the night of Christmas Eve when referring at exactly during these time(s) (not before or after)?
...
-1
votes
1answer
187 views
Abbreviation. Why *xmas*? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why do some words have “X” as a substitute?
I had seen abbreviations like sk8 (meanning skate, using sk and the number pronunciantion eight).
But why ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
How many articles should go in “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”?
On the very first Christmas card was written "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year..."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/christmas-card-sayings-and-phrases.html
In wiki dictionary that same ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
What preposition should I use before “Christmas”?
Example:
The whole family got together __ Christmas.
The main meaning is reason here.
9
votes
2answers
23k views
How should “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” be capitalized?
How should "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" be capitalized?
Here are some examples taken from some of the top results on Google:
I’d like to be among the first to wish you a very Merry ...
4
votes
1answer
302 views
Christmas: Christ + Mas? [closed]
What is the meaning of Christmas in the English language?
Christ + mas = Christmas?
Is it because Christ is associated with a cross that it sometimes reads X-mas?
And where is the mas coming ...
11
votes
7answers
5k views
Alternative to “Merry Christmas” [closed]
The common greeting for the new year is
I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Since Christmas has religious roots, it may not be suitable for people who are not religious. ...
