Xmas is the most useful Christmas word that starts with X. It is an informal abbreviation for Christmas. You can also use phrases such as Xmas Eve and Xmas Day in cards, alphabet activities, and holiday word games.
X is a tricky letter for a Christmas alphabet: there are very few everyday holiday words beginning with it. Below are the main Christmas options, followed by three real X words you can use in festive sentences. The extra words are general vocabulary, rather than names for Christmas traditions.
Xmas
Meaning: An informal shortened form of Christmas. According to Merriam-Webster, the X comes from chi, the first letter of the Greek word Christos, meaning Christ. The abbreviation therefore has a historical connection to the name Christ.
Example: We are putting up the Xmas decorations this weekend.
Use Xmas when an informal abbreviation suits your message or activity. Write Christmas in full when that is the wording you prefer for a card, invitation, or school assignment.
Xmas Eve
Meaning: An informal way to write Christmas Eve, December 24. This is a two-word phrase beginning with X, rather than a separate dictionary word.
Example: On Xmas Eve, we leave a plate of cookies beside the tree.
Xmas Day
Meaning: An informal way to write Christmas Day, December 25. Like Xmas Eve, it is a phrase built from the abbreviation Xmas.
Example: Our family gets together for dinner on Xmas Day.
Extra X Words for Christmas Sentences
For a creative writing task, these words can help you complete the letter X. Explain their meanings before using them with children, and keep them separate from your list of words specifically about Christmas.
Xylophone
Meaning: A musical instrument with wooden bars that you strike with mallets to make different notes. It can fit a Christmas sentence about music or a present.
Example: The children played a Christmas tune on the xylophone.
Xenial
Meaning: Relating to hospitality or the relationship between a host and a guest. This uncommon adjective can connect with welcoming visitors during the holidays.
Example: The family’s xenial traditions included setting an extra place for a Christmas guest.
Xenophile
Meaning: A person who is interested in or attracted to things or people from other countries. You could use it in a sentence about exploring Christmas traditions around the world.
Example: As a xenophile, Alex enjoyed learning how families celebrate Christmas in different countries.
How to Use These Words in a Christmas Game
For a simple Christmas alphabet or classroom word wall, choose Xmas. If your game allows phrases, add Xmas Eve and Xmas Day. For an extra writing challenge, ask players to create a festive sentence using xylophone, xenial, or xenophile.
Agree on the rules before you start: do abbreviations count, and are phrases allowed? This makes the difficult letters fair for everyone. For younger children, use Xmas and talk about what the abbreviation means.
Christmas Words From A-Z
Here’s each list of Christmas words from the letters A to Z:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
57 Christmas Words That Start With W (List With Meanings)
