Christmas Eve
der Heiligabend, die Heiligabende
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Christmas Eve
The evening of December 24, when the birth of Jesus is celebrated in many Christian cultures. It is the eve of Christmas Day.
An Heiligabend packen die Kinder aufgeregt ihre Geschenke aus.
On Christmas Eve, the children excitedly unwrap their presents.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Heiligabende |
| genitive | des Heiligabends |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Heiligabend | die Heiligabende |
| accusative | den Heiligabend | die Heiligabende |
| dative | dem Heiligabend | den Heiligabenden |
| genitive | des Heiligabends | der Heiligabende |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The word is made up of 'heilig' (holy) and 'Abend' (evening). So it literally means 'der heilige Abend' (the holy evening) and refers to the evening before Christmas Day.
Wir schmücken den Weihnachtsbaum immer am Vormittag des Heiligabends.
We always decorate the Christmas tree on the morning of Christmas Eve.
When talking about events on this day, the preposition 'an' is almost always used. The correct form is 'an Heiligabend' (on Christmas Eve).
An Heiligabend gehen viele Familien in die Kirche.
On Christmas Eve, many families go to church.
Was macht ihr an Heiligabend?
What are you doing on Christmas Eve?
Common verbs used with 'Heiligabend' (Christmas Eve) are 'feiern' (to celebrate) and 'verbringen' (to spend). People often celebrate or spend this evening with their family.
Wir verbringen Heiligabend traditionell bei meinen Großeltern.
We traditionally spend Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house.
Wie feiert man Heiligabend in deinem Land?
How do people celebrate Christmas Eve in your country?
