How to wish Merry Christmas in Italian

by Valeria Biancalani

Christmas is coming and if you are studying Italian, you will be eager to learn how to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, discover some Italian Christmas vocabulary and study the most common phrases used in Italy at this special time of the year.

Generally Christmas greetings are sent a few days before Christmas and are a perfect means to wish your friends and family a happy New Year as well. The most common way to wish somebody Merry Christmas is Buon Natale, but there are many other messages you can send. Let’s look at some of them:

• Ti auguro Buon Natale e un felicissimo Anno Nuovo = I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.
• Ti auguro un dolce e sereno Natale = I wish you a sweet and peaceful Christmas.
• Tantissimi Auguri di Buone Feste a te e alla tua famiglia = Best wishes for the festive season to you and your family.
• Tantissimi auguri: che il Natale possa portare nella vostra casa armonia, pace e serenità – Best wishes: I hope that this Christmas brings harmony, peace and serenity into your home.
• Anche se siamo lontani, il mio pensiero ti è sempre vicino. Tanti cari Auguri. – Even if we are far away, my thoughts are always with you. Best wishes.
• A te e famiglia: gli auguri di un lieto Natale e di un nuovo anno pieno di gioia e di amore – Merry Christmas to you and your family and a year full of joy and love.

Apart from greetings, there many other words related to this festive season, as for example:

• Albero di Natale = Christmas tree
• Addobbo natalizio = Christmas decoration
• Babbo Natale = Santa Claus
• Cenone = Christmas Eve dinner
• Presepe = Nativity scene
• Tombola = A typical Christmas game
• Regali = Presents

It is no coincidence that Christmas Eve dinner in Italy is called Cenone, literally “big dinner”! Food is an essential part of the Italian Christmas tradition and there are some words related to Italian Christmas food that you should know:

• Panettone = Sweet bread with raisins and candied fruit
• Pandoro = Christmas cake similar to Panettone without fruit
• Torrone = Nougat
• Spumante = Sparkling wine

Here's a video about the Italian Christmas traditions. And if you want to learn Italian online with a native Italian teacher visit Parlando Italiano.

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