HOLIDAY WORDS and Tyler Teaches you how to use Apostrophes

As we approach Christmas, here are a couple of tips on the meanings and  and use of some holiday words, courtesy of the Associated Press. Also, if you've struggled with the use of possessives in language, you'll get a refresher from Tyler. Possessives always show ownership... like Tyler's toys (they belong to Tyler) and not "Tylers Toys," which is grammatically incorrect.  

Write about the holidays in style Whether you're writing about Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, solstice or other festivities, the Associated Press Stylebook can help you.

Advent Period including the four Sundays preceding Christmas.

Christmas tree Lowercase tree and other seasonal terms with Christmas:  card, wreath, carol, etc. Exception: National Christmas  Tree in Washington.

dressing, stuffing Dressing is cooked outside of the bird; stuffing is cooked inside. Use of the terms also varies regionally in the U.S., with one preferred over the other in some places regardless of how it's prepared.

menorah The seven-branch candelabrum from the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. Also the popular term for the nine-branch candelabrum, or hanukkiah, used on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. TYLER TEACHES YOU HOW TO USE APOSTROPHES CORRECTLY:                                  (Photo: Tyler's toys)

Possessives Apostrophes are most commonly used in possessives. They’re also used in contractions and other times when letters are deleted. Never use an apostrophe to make a word plural. 

Don’t write this: Happy Holiday’s from the Whitman’s. The holidays and the Whitmans are plural. They are not possessive. 

If you feel an urge for possession, try this: Happy Holidays from the Whitmans’ hearts. Combining an apostrophe with other punctuation hurts the eyes and the head, so try to avoid it. 

But if necessary: Pretend that the apostrophe is part of the word. Then punctuate as you would with any word. For example: The best tree was at the Newvines’. If it’s a direct quote, it becomes: “The best tree was at the Newvines’.” Better to rephrase: The Newvines had the best tree. But never: The Newvine’s had the best tree.