How to Say Merry Christmas in Different Languages Around the World
As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of celebration and joy grows stronger. While not everyone celebrates Christmas, several cultures worldwide have unique traditions. One of the most common and heartwarming ways to spread festive cheer is by exchanging the simple yet powerful phrase, "Merry Christmas." However, there are several variations of this expression of goodwill worldwide, each reflecting the unique linguistic and cultural tapestry of different regions. So, whether you want to learn how to say Merry Christmas in Australia or Afrikaans, you’ve come to the right place! When you’re ready, let’s learn more about how to say Merry Christmas in languages around the world.
How to Say Merry Christmas in German
In Germany, the traditional greeting for the festive season is "Frohe Weihnachten." This phrase is deeply embedded in the rich cultural tapestry of the country. Germans celebrate Advent by lighting candles on an Advent wreath and opening doors on their Advent calendars to reveal small surprises each day. The Christmas season culminates in the joyful festivities of Heiligabend (Christmas Eve), when families gather to exchange gifts and share a festive meal.
How to Say Merry Christmas in French
The French elegantly extend their holiday wishes with "Joyeux Noël." France, known for its exquisite Christmas markets, twinkling lights, and delectable culinary delights, embodies the spirit of Christmas with style. Families often celebrate Réveillon, a festive meal held after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, featuring sumptuous dishes like oysters, foie gras, and bûche de Noël, a yule log-shaped cake.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Spanish
Spanish-speaking cultures express the wish for a Merry Christmas as "Feliz Navidad." Christmas festivities in Spain and Latin America often extend for several weeks, starting with Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration reenacting Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. The culmination on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) involves a grand feast with traditional dishes such as bacalao (salted cod) and tamales.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Portuguese
Portuguese speakers convey their holiday wishes with "Feliz Natal." This is the same for how to say Merry Christmas in Brazil. In Portugal and Brazil, Christmas is celebrated with vibrant street decorations, nativity scenes, and the popular Bolo Rei, a fruitcake topped with nuts and crystallized fruit. Midnight Mass, known as Missa do Galo (Rooster's Mass), is a cherished tradition where families come together to celebrate the birth of Christ.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Italian
Italians share the season's sentiment with the phrase "Buon Natale." Christmas in Italy is a time of enchanting nativity scenes, festive markets, and elaborate feasts. La Vigilia, or Christmas Eve, is marked by a lavish seafood dinner, the Feast of the Seven Fishes, symbolizing the wait for the midnight birth of Jesus.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Swedish
In Sweden, Merry Christmas is expressed as "God Jul." Swedes celebrate with the time-honored tradition of Saint Lucy's Day on December 13th, where processions of young girls wearing candle-lit crowns bring light to the darkness. The festive season also features the smorgasbord, a lavish Christmas buffet with herring, meatballs, and sausages.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Russian
To say Merry Christmas in Russian, you can use "Счастливого Рождества!" (Schastlivogo Rozhdestva!). In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th, following the Julian calendar. The season is marked by the Grandfather Frost (Ded Moroz) and his granddaughter Snegurochka, who bring gifts to the children. The traditional Christmas meal includes kutya, a sweet porridge made from wheat berries.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Polish
In Poland, the festive greeting is "Wesołych Świąt." Christmas Eve, known as Wigilia, is the highlight of Polish celebrations. Families share the oplatek, a thin wafer embossed with religious images, before enjoying a twelve-course meatless meal. The evening culminates in the exchange of gifts and attending midnight Mass.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Romanian
Romanians wish each other "Crăciun fericit" for a Merry Christmas. In Romania, the holiday season is marked by customs such as the masked dance of the bear and the traditional carol singing known as colinde. Traditional foods include sarmale (cabbage rolls) and cozonac, a sweet bread filled with nuts and cocoa.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Czech
The Czech greeting for a joyful Christmas is "Veselé Vánoce." In the Czech Republic, Christmas is celebrated with festive markets, adorned trees, and the aroma of vánoční cukroví, or Christmas cookies. Families come together for a festive meal on Christmas Eve, featuring carp and potato salad, followed by the exchange of gifts.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Dutch
Dutch speakers wish each other "Vrolijk Kerstfeest." The Netherlands celebrates Sinterklaas on December 5th with gift-giving and festive parades. Christmas is marked by gezelligheid, a cozy and warm atmosphere, and elaborate meals featuring gourmetten, a communal cooking tradition.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Chinese
In Mandarin Chinese, Merry Christmas is "圣诞快乐" (Shèngdàn kuàilè). Although Christmas is not a traditional Chinese holiday, the festive spirit has gained popularity due to tourism. Cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai dazzle with lights, and the holiday is marked by gift-giving and festive decorations.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Japanese
The Japanese exchange their Christmas wishes with "メリークリスマス" (Merī Kurisumasu). Christmas in Japan is a secular celebration marked by dazzling illuminations, romantic dinners, and the custom of enjoying KFC, a Christmas meal introduced by a marketing campaign in the 1970s.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Korean
Koreans wish each other "메리 크리스마스" (Meli Keuriseumaseu). Christmas in South Korea is celebrated with vibrant lights and decorations. Couples often enjoy romantic evenings, and families partake in festive meals featuring a variety of traditional and international dishes.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Vietnamese
Vietnamese speakers give Christmas wishes with "Chúc Mừng Giáng Sinh." In Vietnam, Christmas is a joyful occasion marked by festive decorations, lively parades, and the custom of gifting friends and family with traditional bánh tráng nướng, a grilled rice paper filled with various ingredients.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Hawaiian
In the tropical paradise of Hawaii, Merry Christmas is expressed as "Mele Kalikimaka." Hawaiian celebrations feature a unique blend of local and traditional customs, with families gathering for festive luaus, musical performances, and holiday lights against the backdrop of swaying palm trees.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Different Languages
Every country, language, and culture has its own way of saying Merry Christmas worldwide. If you want to connect with a native speaker of your target language and start practicing, download Tandem today! In the meantime, here are some ways to say Merry Christmas in a few additional languages!
- Afrikaans — Geseënde kersfees
- Albanian — Gëzuar Krishtlindja
- Arabic — عِيد مِيلَاد مَجِيد (ʿīd mīlād majīd)
- Bulgarian — Весела Коледа (Vesela Koleda)
- Burmese — Hnit thit ku mingalar pa
- Catalan — Bon Nadal
- Cherokee — ᎤᏬᏢᏗ ᏓᏂᏍᏓᏲᎯᎲ (uwotlvdi danisdayohihv)
- Croatian — Sretan Božić
- Danish — glædelig jul, god jul
- Estonian — Häid jõule
- Georgian — შობას გილოცავთ (šobas gilocavt)
- Greek — Καλά Χριστούγεννα (kalá Christoúgenna)
- Hebrew — חג מולד שמח (khag molad sameakh)
- Hungarian — Boldog karácsonyt
- Samoan — Manuia le Kerisimasi
- Serbian — Срећан Божић (Srećan Božić)
- Slovack — Veselé Vianoce
- Sundanese — Wilujeng Natal
- Swahili — Heri ya Krismasi
- Tagalog — Maligayang Pasko
- Thai — สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (sùk-sǎn wan krís-mâas)
- Turkish — Mutlu Noeller
- Welsh — Nadolig Llawen
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for many cultures around the world. Whether you’re visiting a new city, have friends that speak different languages, or working towards fluency, learning how to say Merry Christmas is a great way to build connections and share the joy of the holiday season. To help you get the most out of your language-learning experience, download Tandem!
Tandem is a personalized language exchange that allows you to match with native speakers of your target language to engage in real conversation. Tandem works to help our members foster a deeper understanding of language while improving fluency and building long-lasting friendships. All you need to do is sign up, match with a native speaker of your target language, and start communicating. Sign up for Tandem and start practicing today.
