Yuletide
What it means
The festive season surrounding Christmas and midwinter.
Reach for it when creating a traditional seasonal atmosphere rather than naming a single date
Yuletide filled the square with choirs and glowing windows.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Christmas season
Fits when the familiar Christian period is meant
Careful The phrase is plainer and may exclude non-Christian Yule observance.
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everyday
holidays
Fits when inclusive conversational shorthand works
Careful Holidays is vague and can refer to vacations at any time of year.
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warm
festive season
Fits when several holidays and public celebrations are included
Careful This umbrella phrase can include celebrations unrelated to Christmas.
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professional
midwinter
Fits when the point in the seasonal cycle is factual
Careful Midwinter is climatic and contains no celebration by itself.
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formal
Christmastide
Fits when the liturgical or historical season is exact
Careful Christmastide carries church meaning that commercial Yuletide language may not.
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literary
Noel
Fits when poetic Christian imagery is wanted
Careful Noel commonly names Christmas itself rather than the whole surrounding season.
Opposites 3
- offseason
- ordinary time
- workaday period
Common phrases 3
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during Yuletide
During Yuletide, the hall stayed open for meals and quiet company.
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Yuletide celebration
The Yuletide celebration paired old carols with newly written songs.
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Yuletide cheer
Yuletide cheer should never require someone to hide grief.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Yuletide usually evokes Christmas in English. Use a community's own name for a different midwinter observance.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Flame, not lame, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated