[Grammar] apostrophe s for time expressions

[atabitaraf]

1. New Year's Eve 2. Christmas Eve
The sentences above are from Webster's. I read somewhere that 's for showing possession can be used for time expressions. I couldn't find it out why for New Year, 's is used but for Christmas it is not. Could you please help find it out why? Thanks,

 

[SoothingDave]

Re: oppostrophe s for time expressions

"New Year Eve" is harder to say without an "s." "Christmas Eve" already has an "s" there.

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: oppostrophe s for time expressions

I have corrected the spelling of 'apostrophe' in your original title.

 

[Roman55]

Re: oppostrophe s for time expressions

"New Year Eve" is harder to say without an "s." "Christmas Eve" already has an "s" there.

I am not a teacher.

Perhaps, but that doesn't explain why we also say, 'Christmas Day' and 'New Year's Day'.

Christmas comes from old English and signifies Christ + Mass. It's the day that Christ's mass is celebrated (by believers at least) so the apostrophe wouldn't be meaningful tacked onto the end, IMO.