MERRY-NIGHT. An 18th century word for a party held in a public house at Christmas. RUMBALL. As well as being the name of a type of confectionary made from sweet mince, a rumball is a feast served ...

Christmas has become a secular holiday. Gift shopping, "Jingle Bells," "Frosty the Snowman," the Grinch, and an entire secular construct overwhelm its true meaning. And should one creep in, it is ...

Another name for Christmas is “yule,” which comes from the Old English word “geol,” which referred to a midwinter festival that runs from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1 and is centered around the ...

Where Christmas food words come from. By Sam Dean. December 20, 2012. Welcome to Eat Your Words, a column where we get down to the muddy roots of the food words we know and love.