CHRISTMAS is indisputably Filipinos' most celebrated holiday. The fanfare that happens in the Philippines as Christmas approaches is proof of how important this holiday is to Filipinos. It is a season of celebrating love and joy. This love and joy during Christmas are usually expressed through merrymaking and gift-giving. The following linguistics notes on/for Christmas are my gift to readers of The Manila Times this Christmas to give them a unique understanding of this holiday. Hopefully, these notes will give them joy.

"Christmas" generally refers to the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December, but it can also broadly refer to the days, weeks and even months leading up to that day. Filipinos are often proud to say they celebrate the longest Christmas in the world. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word first appeared in English in an Old English text dated 1023 by Wulfstan in the sentence, and it appeared in the form "Cristesmæssan."

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