‘Tis the season is a phrase that is used at a certain time of year, primarily in the United States. We will examine the meaning of the phrase ’tis the season, the Christmas song where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.
‘Tis the season is a phrase that refers to things that happen during the holiday time stretching roughly from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Some believe that this holiday season stretches from after Halloween through New Year’s Day. Christmas is considered the focus of this holiday season, but it may also refer to things connected with Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. The phrase ’tis the season is used as a preface to many activities that occur primarily during this time, such as ’tis the season for wrapping presents, ’tis the season for mistletoe, ’tis the season for chestnuts roasting on an open fire and ’tis the season for Santa Claus and the Grinch. The term ’tis the season seems to have been lifted from the lyrics of an old and still popular Christmas carol, Deck the Halls: “Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la/ ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la…” Deck the Halls is taken from the old Welsh tune Nos Galan, a New Year’s carol. The phrase ’tis the season may invoke any idea as secular as Frosty the Snowman, Nat King Cole or Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, to the religious imagery of faithful shepherds worshipping at a manger and angels spreading peace on Earth. The main ideas behind the phrase ’tis the season are the sentiments of jolliness and good will. Interestingly, the phrase is now sometimes used to refer to any season, such as the phrase ’tis the season for slushies, referring to the heat of the summer season. The word ’tis is an old-fashioned contraction of the words it is.
Examples
Combining for a collection of critically-acclaimed holiday albums between them, the 2017 Christmas tour will showcase selections spanning the artists’ expansive Christmas repertoires, including their most recent releases, Grant’s “Tennessee Christmas,” Michael W. Smith’s “The Spirit of Christmas” and Jordan Smith’s “’Tis The Season.” (The Idaho Press-Tribune)
‘Tis the season to go traditional, as we’ve discussed, and just recently Jhanvi looked resplendent in a Manish Malhotra lehenga at the Ganesh Chaturthi party hosted by Mukesh Ambani. (The Indian Express)