Christmas and Winter Holiday Vocabulary 100 Word List

This comprehensive Christmas and winter holiday vocabulary word list can be used in the classroom in so many ways. Use it to inspire word walls, word searches, puzzles, Hangman and Bingo games, crafts, worksheets, story starters, creative writing word banks, and a variety of elementary lesson plans in almost any subject.

Customize the vocabulary you choose based on the policies of your school. Some public and private schools may only allow secular references to winter holidays, while some faith-based schools may prefer not to include secular or popular mythological references to Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, or other secular holiday characters. 

Types of Word List Activities

There are many ways to use this list of Christmas and winter vocabulary in your classroom, including:

Word walls: Build vocabulary by designating one wall or part of a wall to post large print words that all students can read from their desks. 

Word search puzzles: Create your own word search puzzles using one of several online puzzle generators. This allows you to customize them as appropriate for your class and school policies. For example, some schools may only allow secular references to the winter holidays.

Sight word flashcards: Make flashcards to improve vocabulary for early elementary students and for those with learning disabilities. Building holiday vocabulary will help your students with seasonal reading. Holiday words may also be more fun for them to learn and spark interest.

Hangman: This is an easy way to use Christmas words, and playing this game in the classroom can be a fun, interactive break between lessons.

Poem or story written-word exercise: Have students draw three or more of the words to incorporate into a poem or story. You can assign these to be turned in or shared with the class. Poems may be rhyming or not or in the form of a limerick or haiku. You can ask for a minimum word count for written story assignments.

Impromptu speech exercise: Have students draw one to five words to incorporate into an impromptu speech to give to the class. Have them draw words and immediately begin a speech, or give them a few minutes to prepare.

Christmas and Winter Holiday 100 Word List

This list is alphabetized to make it easier for you to find the words you want to use for your activities.

1. Advent
2. Angels
3. Announcement
4. Bells
5. Bethlehem
6. Blitzen
7. Candles
8. Candy
9. Candy canes
10. Cards
11. Cedar
12. Celebrate
13. Ceremonies
14. Chimney
15. Christmas cookies
16. Christmas tree
17. Cold
18. Comet
19. Cranberry sauce
20. Crowds
21. Cupid
22. Dancer
23. Dasher
24. December
25. Decorations
26. Dolls
27. Donner
28. Dressing
29. Eggnog
30. Elves
31. Family reunion
32. Festival
33. Fir
34. Frosty
35. Fruitcake
36. Gift boxes
37. Gifts
38. Goodwill
39. Greetings
40. Ham
41. Happy
42. Holiday
43. Holly
44. Holy
45. Icicles
46. Jolly
47. Lights
48. Lists
49. Merry
50. Miracle
51. Mistletoe
52. New Year
53. Noel
54. North Pole
55. Pageant
56. Parades
57. Party
58. Pie
59. Pine
60. Plum pudding
61. Poinsettia
62. Prancer
63. Presents
64. Pumpkin pie
65. Punch
66. Red/green
67. Reindeer
68. Ribbon
69. Rudolph
70. Sacred
71. Sales
72. Sauce
73. Scrooge
74. Season
75. Sled
76. Sleighbells
77. Snowflakes
78. Spirit
79. St. Nick
80. Stand
81. Star
82. Stickers
83. Stocking stuffers
84. Sweet potato
85. Tidings
86. Tinsel
87. Togetherness
88. Toys
89. Tradition
90. Traffic
91. Trips
92. Turkey
93. Vacation
94. Vixen
95. Winter
96. Worship
97. Wrapping paper
98. Wreath
99. Yule
100. Yuletide