In this vocabulary lesson, you’ll learn English collocations and sentence structures you can use to talk about Christmas or any holiday that involves giving presents and decorating!
One of the best things you can do to learn English faster and feel more confident when you speak English is to focus on collocations and sentence structure.
Presents
gift vs. present
These words are synonyms. They have the same meaning. Present is more informal, but otherwise you can use both words in conversation. They both mean something that you give someone.
give someone a present
I gave my dad a new camera for Christmas!
He gave her a pair of earrings for Christmas.
buy a present for someone
I still need to buy something for my dad.
I bought it for her!
buy someone something
I don’t know what to buy her!
I bought her a pair of slippers.
Have you bought anything for your mom yet?
get someone something for Christmas
What did you get for Christmas?
= What presents did people give you for Christmas?What did you get your mom for Christmas?
= What did you buy your mom for Christmas?I got my dad a new camera.
open presents/gifts
In my family, we always open presents on Christmas morning.
I can’t wait until everyone opens their presents.
go shopping
Let’s go shopping this weekend.
I need to go Christmas shopping.
Notice that it is NOT: go to shopping. Don’t use the preposition to here.
Learn more: How to use the English verb go
We use Christmas shopping to talk about the specific act of buying Christmas presents.
Have you finished your Christmas shopping?
wrap presents
This means to put decorative paper around your gift.
I am always up late on Christmas Eve wrapping presents.
Have you finished wrapping all your presents?
Use wrapping paper to wrap Christmas presents. Putting presents in gift bags has become more common, however, because it’s much easier than wrapping presents!
exchange gifts with someone
In this context, the verb exchange means give someone something and in return they give you something.
We decided not to exchange gifts for Christmas this year.
Decorations
put up the Christmas tree, decorations and lights
We always put up our Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving.
We put up the Christmas lights in the fall when it’s warmer. We don’t turn them on until December.
It’s too early to put up Christmas decorations! Wait until December!
We’re putting up our Christmas decorations this weekend!
decorate the tree, your house (with Christmas decorations)
My mom loves to decorate the house for the holidays.
We all decorate the tree together while listening to Christmas music.
Family
spend Christmas somewhere
spend Christmas with someone
We usually spend Christmas with our families.
This year we’re spending Christmas Eve with my parents.
We’re spending Christmas in the Bahamas this year!
go somewhere for Christmas
We’re going to my parents’ house for Christmas this year.
Let’s go to Disney World for Christmas this year!
wish someone a happy / merry Christmas
This isn’t something you usually say. Usually you just say “Merry Christmas!” to people. This is something that is written, for example in a Christmas card.
We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas.
Christmas Traditions
send a Christmas card to someone
We send Christmas cards to all our relatives and good friends!
My mom is tired of sending Christmas cards. She wants to do it online this year!
write a letter to Santa
Kids write letters to Santa to ask him for specific toys for Christmas.
My kids write letters to Santa every year.
Have you written your letter to Santa yet?
Learn more: The Story of Santa Claus
set up a nativity scene
A nativity scene is a display that represents the story of the birth of Jesus, as described in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew in the Bible. It includes characters that represent Mary, Joseph & baby Jesus, the Magi (the Three Kings), the shepherd, animals, and angels.
We set up the nativity scene a few days before Christmas, then add baby Jesus on Christmas morning.
Prepositions
Take note of specific prepositions to use with Christmas
on Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day
Use the preposition on when you talk about the specific day.
We always have a huge family dinner on Christmas Day.
Most business are closed on Christmas Day. However, some malls have started opening on Christmas Day in major cities.
at Christmas
Use the preposition at when you talk about the entire season.
I always gain a few pounds at Christmas. There are too many delicious treats!
We go to so many parties at Christmas.
for Christmas
Use the preposition for when the specific purpose of doing an activity is Christmas.
What are you doing for Christmas this year?
Do you know what you want for Christmas?
Did I miss any collocations? Do you still have questions about Christmas collocations? Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks.
These are very useful phrases for me.
That’s great to hear, Kazu! Thank you!
Hi, Melanie!
Your lessons are so interesting and you go right to the point you want to teach. You explain ideas clearly. You’re a good teacher and i love you.
It’s very helpfull for me to learn “on Christmas” and “at Christmas”!!!!! Good tips.
Thank you!
Hi, Cinthia! I am so pleased to read your comment! I am happy that you enjoy my lessons and that they are helpful for you! Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so glad that you are here.
Merry Christmas to you & your family!
Hi Melanie,
Thank you so much for your useful advises.You are the best teacher and I always learn and share with my friends your good ideas.I wish you a Merry Christmas !
Hi, Ivanka! A very Merry Christmas to you & your family, too! I am so thrilled to read your comment. Thank you so much for your kind words and thank you so much for sharing my lessons with your friends! I really appreciate it.
(Quick top: Advice is an uncountable noun! You can say, “Thank you so much for your useful advice.”)
Dear Melanie.
I often use Xmas on Xmas cards to send,Is it formal or informal way?
Thanks
Hi, Tue! Xmas is just short for Christmas, and it’s informal writing. If you are sending Christmas cards to people, I would write the word Christmas instead!
Hi Melanie, Thanks for your hard work that you do for all of your learners! According to me you are pairless. You teach complicated things in a simple way. I know this is not simple. I learn your each lession and become confident day on day. I get more than what I want from your lessons. Regards Om
Thank you so much for your beautiful words, Om! You have made my day! I am so thrilled to read that my lessons are useful to you. I hope that you continue to enjoy my lessons!
(Quick tip: I think you meant peerless instead of pairless!)
Thanks Melanie for correcting me. I did mean peerless. You’re really peerless. Wish you Merry Christmas in advance.
Thank you, Om! : )
Hi Melanie,
I enjoy reading your lessons a lot. They’re very helpful. I also love your podcasts and the way you break them down.
Great job!
Congratulations!
Thank you so much, Tinio! I am so pleased that you enjoy all my lessons and that they are helpful to you! Wonderful!
Thanks Melanie for your effort!! It hemos me a los in my study.
That’s awesome, Marta! I’m so pleased to hear that it helps you! : ) Thank you!
You are awesome! You cover all the gaps.
I kindly ask you to emphasize on prepositions! Thanks.
Hi, Elizabeth!
I teach prepositions as part of collocations! You can’t learn prepositions by themselves. You need to focus on learning all the words that are used with collocations!
https://www.englishteachermelanie.com/study-tip-what-are-collocations/
https://www.englishteachermelanie.com/how-do-you-use-in-at-on/
Hi Melanie
Recently I made a comment and as I dont see it here anymore I supposed you cleaned it away.
Anyway, I just tried to be relaxed and make a silly joke. Obviously I am just a English learner. So, if you got offended in any way I apologize. My intention was just to be a good sport and start a nice conversation. Thanks.
Hi, Gilson!
It’s difficult to make a joke in writing online, especially when you have never met the other person! It’s a good idea to add something like “LOL” or “just kidding!” to your joke. I speak to my students in a friendly manner, but this website is a business. I can’t leave a comment on my website that would lead other students to believe my English skills aren’t very good. I wouldn’t go to your work and tell you that my skills are better than yours!
Dear Melanie : In the such a horrible world full of anger and complicated policy matters !!!!like in Syria or refugees problem and Isis …….you help me still believe angels are alive!!!the people like you who spends a lot of time for teaching the others ….wish you the best and hope a merry Christmas in advance……<3 <3 <3
Thank you so much for your beautiful words, Susan! I am so touched! I wish you and your family all the best, too, and I hope you have a very merry Christmas as well!
Dear Melanie:
thanks for your endeavor.I enjoy reading your lessons a lot.
Have a nice holiday.
Regards. Behzad.
Thank you, Behzad! I am so pleased that you enjoy my lessons!
Hi Melanie, will it be wrong to say “I don’t know what to buy for her”? I am not sure if we can use the preposition “for”. You very nicely taught at Christmas, on Christmas day and for Christmas. I am very happy to learn these uses. Regards Om.
You are correct, Om! “I don’t know what to buy for her” is fine. You are still using the collocation buy something for someone.
Thanks so much Melanie!
Hi Melanie i love this lesson. thanks so much i think i will recommand your blog to my students in Côte d’Ivoire
That’s wonderful, Manlan! I am happy that you enjoyed the lesson, and thank you so much for sharing my blog with your students!
I have already recommanded You as a brilliant teacher to my students. Almost everything you write and say, seems to be much simplier after just one reading or listening. They say your blog is just very helpful and I share this opinion. Thanks a lot and … Merry Christmas if You celebrate it.
P.S. In my country, Poland, we dont have to wait for Christmas presents until Christmas morning. We can find them immediately after Christmas Eve Supper.
Greetings Ryszard
Hi, Ryszard! Thank you so much for your kind & beautiful words, and thank you for recommending me to your students! I am so grateful!
Merry Christmas to you, too! I am jealous that you get to open your presents on Christmas Eve! I hope you have a lovely time with your family. I have been to Poland! When I worked as a tour guide in Europe, I spent some time in Warsaw and Krakow. It was a very interesting country!
Hi Melanie, i’m very happy you share the lesson with me. it’s been too long writing you, According to the christmas collocations, is it correct to say ” i clean my house for christmas”? and why people often say ”i wish for you” is it correct?
I wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year!
Hi, Jean!
Yes, you are correct! You can say “I clean my house for Christmas.”
As for your second question, I had to do some research.
The most common collocation is “I wish you a merry Christmas.” Use this collocation when you want to tell someone that you hope something good happens to them or you want them to enjoy something! One of the grammar books I use explains it best: It’s a fixed expression of good wishes.
“I wish you much happiness!”
“I wish you a very happy birthday!”
“I wish you great success!”
“I wish you well in your retirement!”
“Wish me luck!”
I found the collocation “wish for” in the Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary here. This collocation (4b in the Learner’s Dictionary) is used when you hope for something that usually cannot be had. Oxford Learners Dictionary says think very hard that you want something, especially something that can only be achieved by good luck or magic.
So you can’t say,”
I wish for you a merry Christmas.” However, you can say, “I wish for you an end to your pain.” or “Here is my wish for you: I wish for you to have peace in your heart.” This is a very formal way of speaking. It’s not something you would say in everyday conversation.I hope that helps, Jean! Merry Christmas to you, too!
Dear Melanie, wish you a merry Christmas and happy new year.
Thank you, Julio! I wish you a very merry Christmas & a happy New Year, too!
Hi Melanie. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
I am brazilian and I really like your website, it helps me a lot and it is easy to understand.
Merry Christmas!
Hi Melanie
Thank you for your lesson.
You used words in the wonderful way that make me understand without dictionaries.
In Vietnam, we celebrate Lunar New Year Day, but we also get our children presents on Christmas Day, especially in major cities.
I wish you a very happy New Year!
Hello Melanie, thanks for your lesson. How are you recently? It’s been ages since you uploaded the last episode. We’re expecting your updating and sharing.