#alien nations

'Die Völker: Gold Edition - 'Weihnachten''

[PC] [GERMANY] [MAGAZINE] [2000]

"From Middle High German wīhenahten (“Christmas”), from a dative plural ze den wīhen nahten (“in the holy nights”). Compare modern weihen (“to hallow”) and Nacht. The oldest form (1170) is a singular diu wīhe naht (“the Holy Night”); the somewhat later plural is used to refer to the Christmas days and nights collectively. A relation with earlier heathen festivals is not endorsed by the etymological standard sources, though the possibility is admitted. The term is a cognate with Low German Wiehnachten." ~Wiktionary

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