[Grammar] ‘for Christmas’ VS ‘at Christmas’

[northpath]

There are two sentences:
I’ll be home for Christmas.
I’ll be home at Christmas.
Does the first sentence imply that he/she does not live at home and is going to spend Christmas at home?
Does the second one imply that he/she lives at home and is not going leave home at Christmas?

 

[bhaisahab]

Not necessarily. (both cases)

 

[northpath]

So, both prepositions are interchangeable and both sentences can have either sense, right?

 

[jutfrank]

So, both prepositions are interchangeable and both sentences can have either sense, right?

northpath, I've spent a lot of time in the past trying to demonstrate the differences in use between prepositions. In each one of those posts I have made it clear that prepositions are very rarely interchangeable. This means that if you do replace one with another, then you end up with a difference. That's why we have different prepositions. Yet you continue to ask questions like this.

 

[northpath]

OK, I solemnly promise to exclude from my lexicon the word ‘interchangeable’.

 

[jutfrank]

OK, I solemnly promise to exclude from my lexicon the word ‘interchangeable’.

Thank you! (Sorry if I sounded impatient.) In future, simply ask about the differences. Don't ask if you can use two different prepositions with the same meaning.

The two prepositions here are at and for. As you know, these are two of the most common ones.

at relates to a point in time. In the phrase at Christmas, Christmas is seen as a point in time.

for Christmas could be interpreted in two different ways:

for relates to a period of time. In the phrase for Christmas, Christmas can be seen a a period of time.

for also relates to the idea of purpose. In the Chris Rea song Driving Home For Christmas, for Christmas means in order to spend the Christmas period at home.

 

[northpath]

Thank you! A similar question with the word ‘Christmas’:
Are both prepositions ‘at/on’ OK in the sentence:
‘The airline runs additional flights at/on Christmas.’

 

[emsr2d2]

In BrE, only "at" works there. I believe other variants use "on Christmas".

 

[jutfrank]

Are both prepositions ‘at/on’ OK in the sentence:

It seems you've just substituted the word interchangeable for the word OK. That's still technically what I asked you not to do!

In this case, use only at Christmas.

(If some people would use on Christmas instead for the same meaning, then I'm not aware of it. I certainly wouldn't advise using it.)

 

[GoesStation]

In American English, on Christmas means "on December 25th". At Christmas would probably be understood to mean "during the Christmas holidays". We would not use at to specify a specific day.