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15 ESSENTIAL WORDS IN ITALIAN ABOUT CHRISTMAS

It’s almost Christmas! One of my favorite time of the year 🙂

If you’re wondering how to wish happy xmas to your Italian friends, keep reading. I’ll show you how to say “Merry Christmas” in Italian as well as other 15 essential words.

15 WORDS IN ITALIAN (FOR CHRISTMAS)

It’s winter, I know, and it’s very cold but it’s also Christmas! this time of the year is absolutely amazing, don’t you agree?

The lights and decorations on the streets are gorgeous, schools are closed and all activities stop so that families can spend some quality time together.

But let’s go back to the main reason you’re here which is to learn Italian …

In today’s lesson I’ll teach you how to wish happy Christmas to your Italian friends and also some essential words about this beautiful celebration.

So let’s start with our list …

1. NATALE

Our first word is “Natale“, which means Christmas. It’s celebrated on the 25th of December. Every region in Italy has its own traditions but generally, this day is spent at home with the family.

2. VIGILIA DI NATALE

“Vigilia di Natale” is Christmas Eve so the day before Christmas. It’s a special day where people get ready for the feast. Many go to the Christmas mass at midnight to celebrate Jesus’s birth. Others stay at home awaiting to exchange wishes and presents. Either way, it’s a joyful day.

3. ADDOBBI NATALIZI

The third word is about the Christmas decorations that you place in your house or that you can see in the streets. In Italian, you call them: “addobbi Natalizi”.

There are so many decorations at Christmas but let’s see some of the most common ones.

4. ALBERO DI NATALE

One of the most popular Christmas symbols is the Christmas tree. In Italian, you call it: “albero di natale” where the word “albero” means tree.

5. PRESEPE

For the more religious ones, we have the nativity scene. You generally see it in the Church, but also in many houses beside the Christmas tree. Its origins are Italian and the word for it is “presepe”.

6. STELLA COMETA

Let’s move on to another Christmas symbol which is the comet. This is the star that guided the three wise men to the newborn Jesus. You normally find it on top of the Christmas tree or over the nativity hut. The Italian word is “stella cometa“, where “stella” means star.

7. LUCI DI NATALE

Last but not least among the Xmas decorations are the lights. These are literally everywhere at this time of the year. Their Italian name is “luci di natale” (“luci” is the plural form of “luce” that means light).

8. BABBO NATALE

The next word is the favorite of all children: “Babbo Natale” which is the Italian Santa Claus.

All the little kids await him on Christmas night, but in Italy, he’s not the only one bringing presents. Go to the next word to see whom I’m talking about.

9. BEFANA

“La befana” is an old lady, who comes to bring sweets to the children on the night of the 6th of January. It’s told that she flies on a broom and brings coal to kids that misbehaved. So all children try to be good at least close to the Xmas holiday!

Out of curiosity, the 6th of January is a public holiday in Italy and hence schools and shops stay closed to celebrate the Epiphany. Based on the Christian tradition, it’s when the three wise men got to Jesus and brought him their gifts.

Both “Babbo Natale” and “la Befana” bring presents or sweets to the kids. Let’s see how do you say these two words in Italian.

10. REGALI DI NATALE

The Italian word for gift is “regalo” and in the plural form it becomes “regali”. At Christmas, the kids await “i regali di natale” which are normally found under the Xmas tree.

11. DOLCI DI NATALE

In Italian we call the Christmas sweets “dolci di Natale” and we have plenty. The next word is about one of the most famous (know all around the world). Did you guess it already?

12. PANETTONE

“Il panettone” is, without doubt, the most popular of all Xmas sweet. I’m sure you’ve seen this already in your country, but if you didn’t try it yet then you absolutely must do it!

It’s originally from Milan and is made of raisins and candied fruit. However, you can find many variations of the traditional flavor, which include chocolate chips, lemon cream, etc.

Okay before we all get hungry, let’s move on to the last part of this lesson that’s about how to wish happy Christmas in Italian

How to say “Merry Christmas” in Italian

The last part of this lesson is about wishing happy Christmas in Italian.

13. BIGLIETTO DI NATALE

The Italian word for Christmas card is “biglietto di Natale“. Alternatively, you can also call it “biglietto di auguri” (which is a generic way to refer to a greeting card).

14. BUON NATALE

Moving on to the actual way of saying happy Christmas, there are many Italian expressions to wish people Merry Christmas. Today, though, I’m only giving you the most popular one that is “Buon Natale“. It simply means “Happy Christmas” and you can use it in all situations, both formal and informal.

15. FELICE ANNO NUOVO

Finally, as Christmas is so close to the start of the new year, you often wish them all together and say: “Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo!”. This expression means “merry Christmas and happy new year“. “Felice” is the Italian word for “happy” while “anno nuovo” means “new year”.

And this is all for today. You’ve learned some basic words in Italian to use at Christmas time and also how to wish a merry Xmas to your friends!

If you want to know more about Italian traditions at Xmas, you can also watch the video below where I talk about activities, food, and music. Till the next one, CIAO E BUON NATALE!