Christmas
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Christmas
The Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, usually celebrated on December 24, 25, and 26.
Wir feiern Weihnachten immer mit der ganzen Familie.
We always celebrate Christmas with the whole family.
The name 'Weihnachten' (Christmas) comes from the Old High German words 'wîhe nahten', which means something like 'holy nights'. This refers to the sacred nights around the winter solstice.
Die Tradition des Weihnachtsbaums hat eine lange Geschichte.
The tradition of the Christmas tree has a long history.
In most cases, 'Weihnachten' (Christmas) is used like a proper noun without an article, especially in combination with prepositions.
Was wünschst du dir zu Weihnachten?
What do you want for Christmas?
The preposition signals the exact meaning: 'an Weihnachten' means the holidays themselves, 'zu Weihnachten' means the occasion (often for gifts), and 'über Weihnachten' means the entire period.
An Weihnachten sind die Geschäfte geschlossen.
At Christmas, the shops are closed.
The expression 'Frohe Weihnachten!' or 'Fröhliche Weihnachten!' is the most common greeting used to wish someone a happy Christmas season.
Am Telefon sagte sie: „Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch!“
On the phone she said, 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!'
Christmas season
'Weihnachten' and 'die Weihnachtszeit' are both related to the holiday in December. 'Weihnachten' mainly refers to Christmas itself, that is, the days around December 24, 25, and 26. It can also mean the short period around these holidays. 'Die Weihnachtszeit' is broader. It often begins during Advent and lasts until after the holidays. Learners may confuse the words because both describe a time in winter. If you mean the holiday itself, you say 'Weihnachten'. If you mean the whole atmosphere and the weeks around it, 'Weihnachtszeit' fits better.
Zu Weihnachten besuchen wir jedes Jahr meine Eltern.
At Christmas, we visit my parents every year.
In der Weihnachtszeit sind die Straßen abends hell geschmückt.
During the Christmas season, the streets are brightly decorated in the evening.