The Top-Level Domain (TLD) referred here is “.christmas”. Top-level domains (TLDs) are the end part of a website address, such as .com, .org, or .gov. Since 1985, when the original group of TLDs was established, the list of options for this part of the web address has significantly increased, with more than 1,500 TLDs available today. Not only are there numerous generic TLDs like .com or .org, but there are also several country code TLDs like .us (United States) or .fr (France) and specialized TLDs like .museum, .io or .christmas (ICANN).
The .christmas TLD is a New Generic Top-Level Domain (nTLD). Introduced as part of ICANN’s (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) expansion program in 2013, this and others like it permitted the internet to expand far beyond the original possibilities (IWGCR).
The .christmas TLD is dedicated to Christmas, the popular December holiday celebrated worldwide. It is generally used by businesses, organizations, and individuals who want to create a special website or portal dedicated to Christmas. Whether it’s for e-commerce (to sell Christmas products), a community forum discussing Christmas traditions, or a festive blog, the .christmas domain instantly convey the site’s theme to potential visitors.
The .christmas TLD comes under “Generic” category and is available for organizations and individuals to register. This TLD is sponsored by Uniregistry, Corp.
Take an example of a website – www.santasvillage.christmas. It’s a website dedicated to a theme park in Bracebridge, Canada called Santa’s Village. The website allows users to book tickets, find operational times and dates, and enjoy a preview of their Christmas-themed activities. The .christian TLD instantly tells a user what to expect from the website, and creates a sense of festivity and excitement.
However, as with all internet resources, care needs to be taken when registering or accessing an nTLD like .christmas. It’s important to ensure that a website with this domain is being run by a trustworthy source, just like with any other TLDs. It’s also important to note that like all TLDs, .christmas domains are subject to availability and the specific rules of the registrar, in this case, Uniregistry, Corp.
To summarise, .christmas is a specialized TLD that allows for a thematic internet presence tied to the Christmas period. It falls under the category of nTLDs which were introduced by ICANN. It provides a digital space for anyone wanting to emphasize a connection with Christmas.
Sources:
1. ICANN- Introduction to TLDs (https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/tlds-21-2017-10-16-en)
2. IWGCR- New gTLD Program (https://iwgcr.org/project/new-gtld-program/)
3. Domain Name Stat- TLD Category (https://domainnamestat.com/statistics/tld-category)
4. Santa’s Village website – Example (www.santasvillage.christmas)
5. Uniregistry (https://uniregistry.com/)
