If you’re looking for some of the best Christmas idioms and popular holiday phrases, you’re certainly in the right place! Stay tuned for some of the best seasonal idioms in English. The more the merrier, right?
Popular Christmas Idioms and Phrases
Here are some of my favourite Christmas idioms.
White Christmas
The first holiday idiom is, “white Christmas.” Everyone hopes for a white Christmas. That means you have snow on Christmas. It’s also the name of a popular Christmas movie.
I live in Vancouver and it will only snow maybe four or five days a year or something like that. Everybody hopes that it’s snowing on Christmas or the day before so that you can have a white Christmas. Last year, we had a white Christmas and everyone was very happy.
Do you usually have a white Christmas where you live? Leave a comment and let me know.
Favourite Christmas and holiday idioms
Good Things Come in Small Packages
The second Christmas idiom is “good things come in small packages.”
So that means if you get presents, you can get a very big present, you can get some medium-sized presents, or a small present. If you get a very small present, it might actually be something expensive. It could be a ring, necklace or another piece of jewelry. So you could say, “Good things come in small packages.”
Christmas Came Early
The next Christmas idiom is “Christmas came early.” That means something good happened kind of unexpectedly. For example, if you get a raise or a bonus at work you could say, “Christmas came early” because maybe you didn’t expect that to happen.
You can use this Christmas idiom to express good news! Has Christmas ever came early for you? Leave a comment and let us know.
You and Yours (Christmas Idiom)
The next holiday idiom is, “you and yours.” So that’s a way to say you and then your loved ones. For example, you could say, “wishing you and yours all the best,” or, “please give my love to you and yours.” It refers to you and the people that you love, your children or your extended family.
The More the Merrier (holiday phrase)
The final Christmas idiom is, “the more the merrier.” This could refer to a party or a dinner or something like that. Something might say to you, “Is it okay if I bring my boyfriend to the party?” You could say, “The more the merrier.” That means the more people, the better.
Christmas and holiday idioms
Deck the halls
This idiom means to decorate your home or surroundings, usually with festive decorations like lights, ornaments, and garlands. It comes from the Christmas carol “Deck the Halls.”
Bite the bullet
While not exclusively a Christmas idiom, it can be used during the holiday season. It means to face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and determination. It may be used when dealing with stressful holiday preparations.
The icing on the cake
This phrase means an extra or additional good thing that makes a situation even better. During Christmas, it might refer to the joy brought by small, unexpected pleasures.
The Christmas spirit
This idiom is used to describe the feeling of generosity, kindness, and goodwill that people often experience during the holiday season.
All is calm, all is bright
This phrase is borrowed from the Christmas carol “Silent Night” and is used to describe a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Have your cake and eat it too
This idiom means wanting to have everything, especially when it’s not possible to have it all. During Christmas, it can be applied to situations where people want both extravagant gifts and a frugal budget.
Christmas comes but once a year
This idiom is used to remind people to enjoy the holiday season because it only happens once annually. It suggests making the most of the festive period.
In the lap of luxury
This phrase means living in a comfortable, extravagant, and often expensive way. It can be used when describing a lavish Christmas celebration.
To play Santa Claus
This idiom means to give gifts or be generous, often during the holiday season. It’s named after the tradition of Santa Claus (Father Christmas) delivering presents.
Snowed under
This idiom is not specific to Christmas, but it can be used during the holiday season when you have so much work or so many responsibilities that you feel overwhelmed. It alludes to the idea of being buried under a pile of snow.
As busy as Santa’s workshop
This idiom means very busy or bustling with activity, just like Santa’s workshop where toys are made for Christmas.
The Christmas gravy
This Christmas idiom is used humorously to refer to something easy or effortless. It suggests that making gravy for Christmas dinner is a simple task.
FAQs about Idioms for Christmas
There are a number of common questions that people have about expressions and phrases for Christmas. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.
What does the idiom “Deck the halls” mean?
Deck the halls means to decorate or adorn a place, especially for Christmas.
What does the idiom “The spirit of Christmas” refer to?
The spirit of Christmas refers to the feeling of love, generosity, and joy that is associated with the holiday season.
What does the idiom “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” mean?
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth means to desire something simple or basic. The idiom comes from a popular Christmas song.
What does the idiom “To be a Scrooge” mean?
To be a scrooge means to be miserly, ungenerous, or lacking in Christmas spirit, similar to the character Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
What does the idiom “To have a white Christmas” mean?
A white Christmas means to experience snowfall on Christmas Day, typically associated with winter wonderland imagery.
Christmas Idioms and Phrases: Join the Conversation
Okay, so those are my top five Christmas and holidays idioms. Please leave a comment and tell me if you have a special Christmas idiom that you like.
Leave a Reply