Let the Christmas Festivities Begin
It’s that time of the year when we have to learn some Christmas words in Italian. Christmas is around the corner and it’s a perfect time to learn some vocabulary. Christmas is definitely a big deal in Italy, so if you’re learning Italian or simply want to know how to greet your Italian friends on Christmas, this article is for you.
As soon as November comes to a close, some Italian homes begin to display some Christmas decor. For most families, however, the Christmas season officially kicks off on the 8th of December, il giorno dell’Immacolata Concezione or simply l’Immacolata. On that day, which is a public holiday, Italians take out the addobbi (decorations) and start decorating the albero di Natale (Christmas Tree), putting luci, palline e stelle (lights, balls, and stars) on the tree.
On December 8, another tradition for some Italian families is to prepare the presepe. This is a scene of the birth of a baby Jesus with a small statue, usually placed near the Christmas tree. The heritage of the presepe is a very old tradition that can be a real art form: for example, Naples is famous for its handmade presepi and many statues created by artisans.
Presepe can be very big, with lots of statues, houses, and little details, but in its basic form it requires five statues: Giuseppe, Maria, il bambino – which is usually placed in its crib at Christmas.
Something which is quite common these days, in Italy, is the mercatini di Natale (Christmas markets). In the past, they were a tradition of northern Italy only, nowadays they have become so popular that they can be found in a lot of Italian cities. People go there to buy their regali di Natale (Christmas presents), to enjoy l’atmosfera di Natale (the Christmas atmosphere) and drink some vin brulè (mulled wine).
Christmas presents, are brought by Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) or Gesù Bambino (Baby Jesus Christ), but in some areas, Puglia especially, presents are also brought by San Nicola (Saint Nicholas), while in some northern regions it’s Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy) who brings the presents. San Nicola arrives on the night of December 5th, while Santa Lucia delivers her gifts on the night of December 12th.
Christmas words in Italian
| il giorno dell’Immacolata Concezione | The Day of the Immaculate Concepcion |
| Gli add | Ornaments |
| L’ angeli | Angel |
| Ll’albero di natale | Christmas tree |
| Palline dell’albero di Natale | Christmas ball |
| Gesù bambino | Baby Jesus |
| Maria (Madonna) | Virgin Mary |
| St. Joseph | San Giuseppe |
| Pastore | Shepherd |
| Neve | Snow |
| Fiocco di neve | Snowflake |
| Pupazzo di neve | Snowman |
| La renna | Reindeer |
| Slitta | Sleigh |
| La ghirlanda | Wreath |
| L’agrifoglio | Holly |
| Campana | Bell |
| Elfo | Elf |
| La candela | Candle |
| Il vischio | Mistletoe |
| Bastoncino di zucchero | Candy cane |
| Il presepio | Nativity scene |
| Presepe vivente | A living nativity scene |
| Mercatini di Natale | Christmas markets |
Christmas food
| Castagne | Chestnuts |
| Caldarroste | Roasted chestnuts |
| un bicchiere di spumante | A glass of sparkling wine |
| il Pandoro | Christmas sponge cake |
| il Panettone | A bread type Christmas cake with raisins and candied fruits |
| il torroncino | Little nougat |
| il torrone | Chritmas chocolate nougat |
Christmas Eve
| Vigilia di Natale (la Vigilia ) | Christmas Eve |
| Cenone | Christmas dinner |
| La Chiesa | Church |
| La messa di Mezzanotte | Midnigth mass |
| Festeggiare | To celebrate |
| Brindare | To toast |
| Il giorno di Natale | Christmas day |
| Pranzo di Natale | Christmas lunch |
| il Giorno di Santo Stefano | St. Stefan’s day |
| Gli avanzi | Leflovers |
| Film di Natale | Christmas movies |
Christmas phrases in Italian
How to Say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Italian
“Auguri!”
Of course, you need to learn how to greet a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Italian. The simplest way to do so would be to say “Auguri!” which is a catch-all phrase for all occasions. It means, “Best wishes!” You can use it during the holiday season, too!
Merry Christmas in Italian
To greet people a Merry Christmas in Italian, you say, “Buon Natale!” If you’re writing it in, let’s say, a Christmas card, you can write, “Auguro a tutti Voi un Natale Sereno” (I wish you all a Merry Christmas).
Happy Holidays in Italian
To say happy holidays, you can go with “Buone Feste” or the longer version “Buone feste e tanti auguri “ (happy holidays and best wishes).
Happy New Year in Italian
You can either go with “Buon anno” or “Felice Anno Nuovo”. If you want to be more specific, you can say instead, “Auguri per un felice + year”. For example, “Auguri per un felice 2022!” (Best wishes for a happy 2022!)
We send you all our best wishes for a happy holiday season with your families and friends.
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