Christmas spirit
26
1.8
- noun
- /ˈkrɪs·məs ˈspɪr·ɪt/
- US
:
espíritu navideño
- During the holidays, we all try to cultivate a sense of Christmas spirit by volunteering and sharing with others.
But in general, the Christmas spirit is on, dude.
- But in general, the Christmas spirit is on, dude.
Examples
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This year I just can't seem to get in the Christmas spirit.
Academic text (2007) -
The Ksepka's Blaine home sparkles and shines with lively Christmas spirit.
Blog text (11) -
Well, you see, someone helped us find our Christmas spirit.
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Yeah, they bring out the Christmas spirit in everybody.
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Somebody really got into the Christmas spirit.
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This is what I call real Christmas spirit.
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Let's show some good old American Christmas spirit this season.
Blog text (31) -
I'm gonna just feel the Christmas spirit once again because I love to feel it.
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She has always been that way and is full of Christmas spirit.
Blog text (14) -
Come by one of their locations around North Lakeland and help spread the Christmas spirit on Black Friday.
Blog text (18)
Synonyms
7
3.2
A strong feeling of being very happy and excited
A cheerful, lively feeling at a party or festival
How Festive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'Christmas' (the holiday) with 'spirit' (a prevailing feeling or essence), so its meaning—the feeling of happiness, generosity and festivity tied to Christmas—is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'espíritu navideño', French 'esprit de Noël'), so an average B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.
Etymology
Christmas spirit comes from the idea of a shared 'spirit' or mood at Christmas: people feel cheerful, generous and ready to celebrate. That's why it means 'a feeling of happiness, generosity, and joy' during the Christmas season.