Christmas come early

Referring to the imaginary situation of Christmas occurring before the usual date, and thus one enjoying the festivities and receiving Christmas presents early.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkɹɪsməs kʌm ˈɜːli/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkɹɪsməs kʌm ˈɜɹli/

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)li
• Hyphenation: Christ‧mas come early

Christmas come early (usually uncountable, plural Christmases come early)

1. (chiefly Ireland, UK, idiomatic) Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.
   • 1982, Tim Kelly, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch: Or, A Page from the Book of Life […], Schulenburg, Tex.: I. E. Clark Publications, →ISBN, Act I, page 20:

     It is true, Ma? Is it true? A Thanksgiving basket? […] It's like Christmas come early! [She joins her sisters at the table. All three sisters sit, stare hungrily at the basket]

   • 1993 November 16, Sherrod Brown, “Opposition to NAFTA”, in Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 103d Congress, First Session (United States House of Representatives), volume 139, part 10, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 29312, column 3:

     It is Christmas come early, unfortunately for Members of Congress, unfortunately for those who are willing to sell out their vote for their districts, for something in their districts. It might be Christmas come early for those Members of Congress, but it is not Christmas for the American people.

   • 1996, Ivan Doig, Bucking the Sun, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, published 2003, →ISBN, page 122:

     "If this gets any better," Sangster confessed, "I won't be able to stand it." October, so far, had been Christmas come early for the engineers.

   • [1998 December 28 – 1999 January 4, “Christmas Comes Early for Hit Singer Deborah Cox”, in Robert E[dward] Johnson, editor, Jet, volume 95, number 5, Chicago, Ill.: Johnson Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 55:

     Sultry songbird Deborah Cox says Christmas came early for her this year and all of her wishes have already come true. The talented songstress is riding the charts with her second hit album, One Wish with the smash ballad Nobody's Supposed To Be Here.]

   • 2003, Ivan Doig, Prairie Nocturne, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN, page 188:

     Christmas come early, that sounds like to me.

   • 2004, Sean Astin, with Joe Layden, chapter 9, in There and Back Again: An Actor’s Tale, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 169:

     So to be in Peter Jackson's house, just a couple of weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin, sharing dinner and conversation with Ian McKellen, well, that was like Christmas coming early for me.

   • [2007, Robert Lynch, “Italian Mountain Campaign”, in A Letter Marked Free: A Powerful and Gripping Account of a Combat Soldier in WWII, Indianapolis, Ind.: Dog Ear Publishing, →ISBN, page 51:

     Christmas came early this year when our PX rations arrived in November. This is one day every soldier overseas looks forward to.]

   • [2022 October 10, Jenna Scherer, “House of the Dragon Drops Its Best Episode Yet”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 19 June 2025:

     Then he [Viserys I Targaryen] turns to Rhaenys, who, he reasonably argues, is the best authority on what her husband would want. And Christmas comes early for Rhaenyra, because not only has her dad come out to support her family, but her aunt also backs Luke [Lucerys Velaryon]'s claim—and accepts her niece's offer of a Targaryen-Velaryon double wedding.]

The term is also used in the verbal forms Christmas comes early, Christmas coming early, and Christmas came early.

• “Christmas comes early; Christmas come early, phrase” under “Christmas, n.¹ and interj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2025.