Idioms Inspired by Christmas and New Year

As I am writing this post, millions of people are making their way to the airports or holiday destinations within the country or abroad where they are going to celebrate Christmas and New Year. Today, I will share with you  13 English idioms inspired by Christmas and New Year. 🔔 I’m sure you’ll like them as well as find your ways to incorporate them into your English vocabulary. 😀

• All my Christmases have come together (at once)
• Cancel someone’s Christmas
• Christmas came early this year
• A white Christmas
• Like turkeys voting for Christmas
• Stocking Stuffer or Stocking Filler
• Trim the (Christmas) tree
• Christmas comes but once a year
• The more the merrier
• Lit up like a Christmas tree
• Ring in the New Year
• Deck the halls
• Eat, drink and be merry

All my Christmases have come together (at once)

When you are having a fortunate experience or you have all you have ever wished and hoped for, you can say that all your Christmases have come together or at once.

For example:

• Can you believe that I’ve won 10 million pounds in the lottery? I feel like all my Christmases have come together.
• All my Christmases have come at once! We’ve got twins this morning – a baby boy and a baby girl. I’m over the moon!

Cancel someone’s Christmas

This idiom is not a very lucky one. It means to kill someone. We can sometimes hear this expression in crime movies.

For example:

• If that gangster doesn’t pay me soon, I’ll get someone to cancel his Christmas.
• Unless he stops messing with me and my family, I’ll cancel his Christmas.

Christmas came early this year

People use this expression when they are extremely happy because they unexpectedly get an expensive gift or experience a lot of joy.

For example:

• I passed that difficult exam so my dad bought me a new computer. Christmas came early this year!
• Peter was so happy when I told him he was promoted. He said that Christmas came early this year and invited us all for a drink.

A white Christmas

Unless you live in the southern hemisphere, where it is summer now, you probably like the idea of snow for the Christmas holidays. White Christmas makes everyone feel so festive and cosy. 

For example:

• It started snowing early this year. Hopefully, we’ll have a white Christmas.
• People who live in Australia can only imagine what a white Christmas looks like. It’s summer there.

Like turkeys voting for Christmas

This expression is a metaphor which means that people are not likely to accept something which is not in their interest and can even be harmful to them because as you know roasted turkey is usually the main course at Christmas dinner.

For example:

• I doubt that Debora would agree to lend you her car for a month and take a bus to work. It is like turkeys voting for Christmas. You’ll have to think of something else.
• Citizens will never accept the new law on taxes. It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.

Stocking Stuffer or Stocking Filler

A small, usually inexpensive Christmas gift, typically for a child which can fit into a stocking hung up by a Christmas tree or fireplace for Santa Clause to fill it with a present.

For example:

• The streets are full of Christmas shoppers who are still looking for perfect gifts for their friends and family, as well as stocking stuffers.
• These tiny perfume bottles make excellent stocking fillers for our daughters, don’t you agree?

Trim the (Christmas) tree

This idiom means to decorate and hang lights on a Christmas tree. 

• Mum promised that we’re going to trim the tree after breakfast. I can’t wait!
• It took them quite a while to trim the tree,  hang up and fill the stockings and decorate the apartment for Christmas.

Christmas comes but once a year

This proverb carries a message. It is inviting all of us to show some good will and be kind and generous to other people,  especially for Christmas.

• Let’s be kind and charitable on this day towards those of us who are less fortunate. After all, Christmas comes but once a year.

This expression is also used as an excuse for excessive indulgence in food and drinks during holidays.

• Could I have another piece of the pie? I know it’s too much food but Christmas comes but once a year.

The more the merrier

The occasion is going to be more enjoyable if more people are present.

For example:

• ‘Would you mind if I bring a friend  to your party?’ ‘Not at all. The more the merrier!’
• Donna and  Chris clearly love having children, and for them, the more the merrier.

Lit up like a Christmas tree

If you say that someone is lit up like a Christmas tree, it means that they are dressed up, maybe even overdressed, typically for some special occasion.

For example:

• You can’t pass unnoticed at the party. You are lit up like a Christmas tree.
• Look at him. He’s lit up like a Christmas tree! 

Ring in the New Year

This expression refers to the tradition of ringing the bells at midnight on the 31st of December. This act marks the end of the previous year and announces the beginning of the new one, usually with a party.

For example:

• How would you like to go up to the Main Square to ring in the New Year?
• Let’s all raise our glasses to ring in the New Year!

Deck the halls

This idiom originates from a traditional Christmas carol “Deck the Hall” written by John Ceiriog Hughes back in the 19th century. It means decorating your place for Christmas, especially if you are going to have a party.

For example:

• Don’t call me in the afternoon, we’ll be decking the halls.
• The children decked the halls in their school and made a beautiful dance party.

Eat, drink and be merry

This expression invites us to forget all our problems and enjoy the moment.

• If you want to have good luck in the new year, you shouldn’t worry about anything on New Years’s Eve. Just eat, drink and be merry.
• And now eat, drink and be merry for today we live, and who knows what tomorrow brings.

Merry Christmas to all!  😀

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