What do you buy for Christmas？ We are going to buy a turkey for Christmas?
What is the meaning of for？Something for Christmas means something to celebrate Christmas?
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1You should look up "for" in a dictionary, and see if one (or more) of the definitions there would fit your quotation.– GEdgarJun 30, 2022 at 0:54
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I tried. But I could not understand the explaination of the dictionaries.– TyrionJun 30, 2022 at 0:59
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It can have several senses. I'm going there for Christmas - I'm spending Christmas there. Buy a turkey for Christmas - to cook for our Christmas dinner. Buy her a necklace for Christmas - as her Christmas present.– Kate BuntingJun 30, 2022 at 7:55
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1 Answer
Three of the definitions found in MACMILLAN:
for
"used for stating the purpose of an object or action"
"relating to or concerning someone or something"
(14) "in order to celebrate a holiday or special occasion":
- John gave me a tie for Christmas, as usual.
- We haven’t decided what to do for her birthday.
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"I'll be back home for Christmas" certainly fits with the definition (14), using a purpose clause ('in order to ...'). "John gave me a tie for Christmas" is better paraphrased using "... as a Christmas present". And "We haven’t decided what to do for her birthday" would drop the 'in order'; "We haven’t decided where to go for her birthday" is a comparable sentence showing that there is a choice available. Jun 30, 2022 at 14:18
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