Clausmas

• Claus-mas

From Claus (“Santa Claus”) +‎ -mas, after Christmas.

Clausmas

1. (humorous or derogatory) Christmas as a celebration of Santa Claus.

   Synonyms: Santa Clausmas, Santamas

   • 1939 December 21, “Lone Pine”, in C. M. Shafto, editor, Banner County News, volume XLVI, number 51, Harrisburg, Pa.: Nebraska Press Association, →OCLC, page [8], column 5:

     I hope everybody in this county will have a Merry Christmas or Clausmas, which is more proper, as usual, but think of the thousands on the other side of the Atlantic who will have a very, very sad one this time.

   • 1955 December 25, Murray Kantor, quotee, “Christmas Marked by Shriners Here”, in Suffolk News-Herald, volume XXXIII, number 294, Suffolk, Va., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1, column 4:

     I …wonder that the Christian world has taken Christ out of Christmas and substituted in its place the Santa Claus of Clausmas.

   • 2012 January 13, Tom Willis, “Christmas v. Clausmas”, in The Star Democrat, Easton, Md., →ISSN, →OCLC, page A9, column 1:

     In her letter, Ms. Schelt’s^[sic] says she feels “that Christmas has become too commercialized,” that may depend on what one celebrates each Dec. 25. The two contrasting celebrations are the birth of Jesus Christ and the one night appearance of Santa Claus, thereby you have Christmas and “Clausmas” respectively. […] Some contrasts are as follows; Christmas — a story of love; Clausmas — the love of a story. Christmas — the everlasting gift; Clausmas — the never lasting gift. Christmas — to forgive us our “sin” debts; Clausmas — to give us our “spend” debts. […] Christmas is not commercialized, it’s being confused with Clausmas. By not focusing attention on why it’s called Christmas, it’s obvious that many are “mything” the reason for the season and are reaping their consequences thereof.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Clausmas.

• Chiefly used mockingly by Christians to express discontent with secularization of Christmas.