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Home > Holidays > How To Say Merry Christmas In Different Languages

How to Say ‘Merry Christmas’ in 45 Different Languages

Become a world traveler this holiday season with these globally festive phrases.

Autumn Micketti

Oct 02, 2021

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, and Blythe Yule to you and yours! We at Harry & David love the holidays so much, we want to shout greetings from the rooftops — and we just did in English, French, and Scottish, respectively.

We hope you'll join us (wrapped in an ugly Christmas sweater sipping hot cocoa or eating a sweet and juicy festive pear) this season, too. Whether you're traveling during the holidays or staying home, learning how to say "Merry Christmas" in different languages is fun for the whole family.

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The origin of "Merry Christmas"

The greeting "Merry Christmas" is simple, but its history is anything but. The first documented use of this festive phrase came in 1534, when bishop John Fisher sent a letter to Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell and signed off with a "Merry Christmas". Around the same time, the popular carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" was making itself known around the English countryside. The greeting gained more followers after the publication of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol in 1843 — the same year "Merry Christmas" first appeared on a commercially sold Christmas card.

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Although "Merry Christmas" has its origins in England, you won't hear many Brits using those exact words today. Queen Elizabeth II opted for "Happy Christmas" during her first Christmas broadcast in 1952. "Happy" took on the connotation of being higher class than "merry," which came to be associated with the rowdy lower class. The phrase spread across the U.K. and remains the preferred greeting during the holiday season.

Whatever your traditional holiday greeting is, it's always fun to learn how to share festive cheer in other languages. Explore the world with us as we learn how to say "Merry Christmas" in Croatian, Hawaiian, Swedish, and many more!

How to say Merry Christmas in 40 different languages

  1. In Albanian, Gëzuar Krishtlindjet
  2. In Belarusian, Z Kaliadami
  3. In Catalan, Bon Nadal
  4. In Cornish (England), Nadelik Lowen
  5. In Croatian, Sretan Boži?
  6. In Czech, Veselé Vánoce
  7. In Danish, Glædelig Jul
  8. In Dutch, Vrolijk Kerstfeest
  9. In Estonian, Häid Jõule
  10. In Faroese, Gleðilig jól
  11. In Finnish, Hyvää joulua
  12. In French, Joyeux Noël
  13. In German, Frohe Weihnachten
  14. In Greenlandic, Juullimi Pilluarit
  15. In Hawaiian, Mele Kalikimaka
  16. In Hungarian, Boldog karácsonyt
  17. In Icelandic, Gleðileg jól
  18. In Irish Gaelic, Nollaig Shona
  19. In Italian, Buon Natale
  20. In Latvian, Priec?gus Ziemassv?tkus
  21. In Lithuanian, Linksm? Kal?d?
  22. In Luxembourgish, Schéi Chrëschtdeeg
  23. In Macedonian, Streken Bozhik
  24. In Manx (Isle of Man), Nollick Ghennal
  25. In Polish, Weso?ych ?wi?t Bo?ego Narodzenia
  26. In Portuguese, Feliz Natal
  27. In Sami (spoken in parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia), Buorit Juovllat
  28. In Scottish Gaelic, Nollaig Chridheil
  29. In Scots, Blythe Yule
  30. In Slovak, Veselé Vianoce
  31. In Slovenian, Vesel Boži?
  32. In Spanish, Feliz Navidad
  33. In Swedish, God Jul
  34. In Swiss German, Schöni Wiehnachte
  35. In Romanian, Cr?ciun fericit
  36. In Romansh (Switzerland), Bellas festas da Nadal
  37. In Serbian, Sre?an Boži?
  38. In Turkish, Mutlu Noeller
  39. In Walloon (Belgian), djoyeus Noyé
  40. In Welsh, Nadolig Llawen

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How to say Merry Christmas in 5 sci-fi and fantasy languages

  1. In Klingon (Star Trek), toDwI'ma' qoS yItIvqu' (Our Savior's birthday you-enjoy!)
  2. In Mando'a (Star Wars: The Mandalorian), Briikase Oya'tuur
  3. In Quenya (The Lord of the Rings), Alassë a Hristomerendë (Joyous Feast of Christ)
  4. In Sindarin (The Lord of the Rings), Mereth Veren e-Doled Eruion (Joyous Feast of the Coming of the Son of God)
  5. In Dothraki (Game of Thrones) Zalak Vitteyqoyi Davra (We Wish You a Merry Christmas)

AUTHOR

Autumn Micketti Headshot
Autumn Micketti

Autumn Micketti is the Assistant Manager of SEO & Content for 1-800-Flowers. When she's not writing about Oregold® Peaches or love songs, you can find her exploring mountains, listening to the latest album release of her current musical obsession, or spending time with her extended family.

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