When planning Christmas festivities and activities for the family to enjoy, having a list of various holiday-related words can help with making games, crafts, or other fun things to do. Or, if your family enjoys a friendly game of holiday Scrabble, knowing a list of words starting with Y can get you some of those extra points needed to win the game.
Here’s a list of Christmas words that start with the letter Y, including their meanings:
Yahweh
A form used in the Bible of the Hebrew name of God and the term is regarded by Jewish people as too sacred to be spoken. Additionally, the vowel sounds of this word are uncertain.
Example: A story shared by the elders in my family is that Yahweh saved Jerusalem and the Kingdom from an Assyrian invasion.
Yahoo
A rude and noisy person, sometimes this type of person can be violent.
Example: Dad always says the yahoo at the end of the block is crazy, but I think dad is jealous that he always has a better Christmas light display.
Yam
An edible, starchy tuber from a climbing plant, which is widely grown in tropical and subtropical climates.
Example: The yams mom made for Christmas dinner look fantastic and taste as fabulous as they look. I had to go back for seconds, which I never did.
Yarn
Spun thread that is used for sewing, weaving, or knitting, but it can also mean a long or implausible story.
Example: Grandma always had yarn by the side of her rocking chair, which is why I knew we were getting knitted blankets again this year.
Yay
The expression of triumph, approval, and encouragement.
Example: When the town’s mayor gave the signal to turn the Christmas lights on in the town square, a loud “Yay” came from the crowd.
Yeah
A nonstandard form of the word yes.
Example: My brother was so preoccupied with his presents on Christmas morning when mom asked him to start taking things to his room; he replied, “Yeah yeah yeah, I will get to it in a minute.” Dad did his best not to laugh.
Year
The time it takes planet Earth to make one complete revolution around the sun. The period of 365 days (366 in leap years) starts on the first of January.
Example: It is hard to believe one year has passed, and it is time for Christmas again.
Yearly
An event or activity is done, produced, or occurs once a year or every year.
Example: Our family’s yearly vacation is always planned around Christmas, so we can travel somewhere warm and avoid the freezing cold temperatures we typically have here in December.
Yearn
To have an intense feeling or longing for someone or something, typically something that has been lost or you have been separated from. Or to be filled with warm feelings and compassion.
Example: While visiting with family and enjoying Christmas at my grandparent’s home, my little sister was starting to yearn to get back home and play with the toys she received from Santa earlier that morning.
Yearning
An intense feeling of longing for something.
Example: Slowly, my siblings started expressing their yearning to visit my Grandparents for Christmas. I think they just wanted to see what presents were under the tree.
Yearningly
Acting in a way that shows a strong emotional desire for someone or something.
Example: Our dog yearningly looked at our Christmas turkey, and I think he started drooling at one point.
Yeehaw
An enthusiastic expression typically associated with rural inhabitants and cowboys in the Southern United States.
Example: My cousin is such a ham, and when we went snowmobiling Christmas Day, he exclaimed “Yeehaw” as if he were riding a horse and not a mechanical object.
Yell
A loud, sharp cry is typically expressed in pain, surprise, or delight—another term for shouting.
Example: When Christmas dinner was ready, mom would yell to the rest of the family; because we were all scattered across the home, it was easier than trying to find us individually.
Yellow
The color that is found between green and orange on the spectrum, and is a primary subtractive color complementary to purple. Yellow is the color of egg yolks, lemons, and sunflowers. It can also refer to a cowardly person.
Example: Though it was not a traditional Christmas color, my little sister insisted on wearing her bright yellow dress to dinner with the family at my aunt’s house.
Yippee
An expression of delight or wild excitement.
Example: The kids could not control their excitement when they came down to the living room Christmas morning and saw all the presents left by Santa Claus; they screamed “Yippee” as they ran to the tree.
Yoga
A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline where participants practice breath control, meditation, and various bodily postures for health, wellness, and relaxation.
Example: Mom was getting so stressed getting Christmas dinner ready; she had me watch what was cooking so she could do some yoga to relax and then shower.
Yum
An expression indicating a pleasure at eating something or anticipating eating a particular food item.
Example: I couldn’t help but say “Yum” when I looked at the Christmas dinner spread because everything looked so delicious.
Yummy
Delicious food or beverages.
Example: When we came to the table for Christmas dinner, everything looked so yummy I didn’t know what to eat first.
Yummiest
A food item that is the most delicious thing a person has ever tried in a single event or their lifetime.
Example: My aunt’s chocolate truffles were the yummiest things on the dessert table at Christmas dinner. I kept returning, sneaking a few off the table until they were all gone.
Yummylicious
Something that is exceptionally yummy and decadent.
Example: The chocolate cake mom made for Christmas with the white chocolate sauce was a yummylicious treat everyone loved.
Young
An offspring of an animal shortly after birth or a person who has lived or existed only for a short portion of their lifetime (at the beginning of it).
Example: My brother is so young and has much to learn about how our family celebrates Christmas and the importance of going to Grandma and grandpa’s every year for dinner.
Young-at-Heart
The mindset of acting like a young person, such as being active or having a lot of energy.
Example: Though they are our grandparents, you would never guess they were the oldest members of the family, especially the way they goof around and act young at heart when the family gets together for Christmas.
Younger
Having lived or existed for less time than another person also used to relate to the characteristics of young people.
Example: Though my cousins were twins, John was the younger of the two and was constantly teased by his brother, so I spent extra time playing with John during our family gathering for Christmas.
Youngsters
A group of children, young people, or young animals.
Example: All the youngsters in the family were allowed to eat Christmas dinner together in the living room in front of the warm fireplace.
Yorkshire Pudding
Often eaten with roast beef, this popover treat is made of baked unsweetened egg batter.
Example: I tried Yorkshire Pudding for the first time at my Grandma’s on Christmas Day; honestly, I am not a fan of it.
Yours
An expression used to refer to a thing or things that belong to a person or are associated with that person or people. Also used by speakers when addressing an audience or as part of a formula when ending a letter: “Yours truly.”
Example: My cousins are so cute. When separating the Christmas presents, they kept saying “Yours” when giving gifts to others in the room and “Not Yours” when it was their gift.
Yourself
A term used to refer to someone being addressed as the object of a verb in a sentence or used to emphasize the person being addressed.
Example: Mom always tells our guests, “Make yourself at home,” when they arrive on Christmas Day.
Youth
The period between childhood and adult age.
Example: The youth in our community still gather in town when Santa arrives to help keep the magic alive, especially for the younger children.
Youthful
A characteristic of young people or those who are young at heart.
Example: My aunt’s youthful appearance made everyone in the family jealous, especially when it came time to take our family Christmas photo.
Youthfully
To do something in a specific manner that is similar to or relates to young people or characteristics of being young.
Example: Santa’s elves have a youthfully enthusiastic essence about them that helps keep them looking young and happily working away in Santa’s workshop making Christmas presents.
Yule
An archaic term used for Christmas.
Example: We look forward to setting up the Christmas tree with twinkling lights and festive decorations to celebrate the upcoming Yule.
Yule Log
A large log burned in the fireplace as part of a Christmas Eve tradition, or it can be a log-shaped chocolate cake served at Christmas dinner.
Example: Our family’s tradition for Christmas is to decorate a Yule Log with berries, flowers, and other natural items, then burn it in the fireplace on Christmas Eve as we sip on hot cocoa and tell holiday stories.
Yuletide
Another archaic term used for identifying the Christmas season.
Example: Mom’s Christmas dinner was a Yuletide hit, and it looks like she will be hosting all the holiday dinners in the future.
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
27 Christmas Words That Start With X (List With Meanings)
