Merry Christmas in Spanish🎄 Christmas Vocab & Traditions
How to Say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Spanish
🇪🇸 Spanish people take Christmas seriously and put on quite a display throughout the festive season.
The Christmas spirit in Spain is kept alive practically during an entire month and is truly worth experiencing.
In this blog, we’ll teach you exactly how to wish someone a Merry Christmas in Spanish, as well as learn new Christmas vocabulary and Spanish Christmas traditions.
Let’s see what Santa has left you in this blog 🎅
Merry Christmas in Spanish || Wishing You a Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas in Spanish || Spanish Christmas Scenery
Merry Christmas in Spanish || Spanish Christmas Vocabulary
Merry Christmas in Spanish || Quiz
Merry Christmas in Spanish || FAQs
Merry Christmas in Spanish ||
Wishing You a Merry Christmas!
The use of Christmas greetings in Spain can vary based on what part of the season you are in, so here is your Christmas greeting calendar:
Up until December 24th, take your pick:
Feliz Navidad translates to Merry Christmas
and is perhaps the most widespread Yuletide greeting.
💡 Although the greeting Feliz Navidad tends to be used closer to the date, it can either way be used in any context and occasion when greeting someone a Merry Christmas.
Variations of Feliz Navidad include:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Te deseo una feliz Navidad. | I wish you a Merry Christmas. |
| Que pases una feliz Navidad. | Have a Merry Christmas. |
If you want a more comprehensive greeting, throw in a Happy New Year’s wish as well, like so:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo. | Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. |
| Feliz navidad y feliz año nuevo. | Merry Christmas and a happy new year. |
Some Christmas grammar tips:
In Spanish, when you refer to a particular (any) festivity, the word is always capitalized.
So, in this case, Navidad (Christmas) is capitalized when referenced as a festivity.
Note that in the greeting Feliz Navidad, feliz (merry or happy) being the first word of the phrase is also capitalized, like so: Feliz Navidad
However, when the word feliz is part of a greeting and is not the first word of the phrase, then it is no longer capitalized (unlike in English), like so:
Te deseo una feliz Navidad.
(I wish you a Merry Christmas.)
BONUS 🌎 Learn how to say Merry Christmas in Korean, Merry Christmas in Chinese and Merry Christmas in Japanese!
After Christmas and until January 1st:
Feliz Año Nuevo (Happy New Year)
Variations of Feliz Año Nuevo include:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Te deseo un feliz año nuevo. | I wish you a happy New Year. |
| Próspero Año Nuevo | Prosperous New Year |
| Te deseo un próspero año nuevo. | I wish you a prosperous New Year. |
😎 TOP TIP – Grammar for New Year’s Eve
When referring to the New Year’s Eve festivity, Año Nuevo , both words are capitalized.
However, when part of the greeting as in the example below, the words año nuevo (new year) are considered to be in reference to a whole year and not to the actual festivity and therefore should not capitalized in this context.
Te deseo un próspero año nuevo. (I wish you a prosperous New Year.)
Greetings throughout the whole Christmas season:
Here are your all-around holiday greetings in Spanish:
Felices fiestas (Happy holidays) is a Merry Christmas sweeping statement in Spanish and can be used throughout the whole festive season, as early as the beginning of December up until the day of the Epiphany (January 6th).
Variations of this all-around greeting
| Form | Have a happy holiday season |
|---|---|
| Informal You | Que pases unas felices fiestas |
| Que tengas unas felices fiestas | |
| Formal You | Que pase unas felices fiestas |
| Que tenga unas felices fiestas |
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Merry Christmas in Spanish ||
Spanish Christmas Scenery
🇪🇸As part of the Spanish seasonal landscape here are some of the traditions that are displayed throughout the country that garner up the Christmas spirit.
Mercadillos navideños or Christmas markets that mushroom just in time for Christmas.
These markets are so picturesque, offering yuletide handicrafts and decors and local delicacies or products, meant to act as gifts or to be savored or enjoyed throughout the season.
style="font-weight: bold;">Belén (in the plural, Belenes) or nativity scenes are set up in a multitude of locations, from public spaces to households and schools to the lobbies of many buildings.
The Belén is comprised of figurines that represent the scene of the birth of Jesus in the manger and its surroundings.
Luces de Navidad or ‘Christmas lights’ refers to the display of the holiday lights that light up cities and towns throughout the country, contributing to the Yuletide spirit.
Some of the bigger Spanish cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia, etc. put up quite a stunning and unique display of lights during the holiday season, worth anyone’s while.
Amigo Invisible or Secret Santa is very much a widespread tradition in Spain, especially in family circles, with groups of friends and even with work colleagues. In essence, it’s a small gift exchange tradition that helps build up the Christmas spirit.
Cenas de Navidad or Christmas dinners is another celebratory milestone in Spain.
Restaurants are bustling this time of year as friends, business colleagues and companies in general get together before the 24th to celebrate the Christmas season.
Lotería de Navidad (Christmas lottery) or El Gordo (literally ‘The Fat One’), alluding to the ‘fat’ or substantial prize money that the state Lottery draws a couple of days before Christmas, on December 22nd.
Considering that the prize pool is one of the largest cash prizes in the world, participation in this ingrained Christmas tradition has always been extensive in Spain.
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Merry Christmas in Spanish ||
Spanish Christmas Vocabulary
So you can participate and contribute to the Spanish Christmas spirit, here is your basic seasonal vocabulary:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Navidad | Christmas |
| Nochebuena | Christmas Eve |
| Nochevieja | New Year’s Eve |
| Fin de Año or Año Nuevo | New Year’s |
| Regalos de Navidad | Christmas gifts |
| Comprar regalos de Navidad | to buy Christmas gifts |
| Compras de Navidad | Christmas shopping |
| Lotería de Navidad or El Gordo | Christmas lottery or ‘The Fat One’ |
| Belén | Nativity scene |
| Árbol de Navidad | Christmas tree |
| Cava | Spanish sparkling wine (the Spanish version of Champagne) |
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| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Brindar | to toast |
| un brindis | a toast |
| Villancicos | Christmas carols |
| Adornos de Navidad | Christmas decorations |
| Luces de Navidad | Christmas lights |
| Guirnalda | Christmas wreath |
| Mercadillo de Navidad | Christmas market |
| Cena de Navidad | Christmas dinner |
| Fiesta de Navidad | Christmas party |
| Cena de Nochebuena | Christmas Eve dinner |
| Comida de Navidad | Christmas lunch |
| Turrón | Nougat, usually made out of almonds and honey |
Turrón is a Christmas dessert staple in Spain:
👉 BONUS | Interested in other languages too? Why not check out our mega list of 500 Chinese words to learn, the 100 most common Japanese words and the most commonly used words in Vietnamese.
Merry Christmas in Spanish || Quiz
👉 Have you correctly learned the Spanish vocabulary on this page?
Whether you knew some (or all) of them before reading this article, or on the contrary just learnt a bunch of them, take our quick fire quiz to see how well you remember them.
👉 Have a try right now and get immediate results:
Merry Christmas in Spanish || FAQs
How to respond to Merry Christmas in Spanish?
If someone sends some Christmas well wishes your way in the form of a ‘Merry Christmas’ greeting, here are some of the most commonly used ways to respond:
Muchas gracias, feliz Navidad a ti también. (Thank you very much, Merry Christmas to you as well.)
Feliz Navidad a ti también. (Merry Christmas to you as well.)
Gracias, igualmente. (Thank you, likewise.)
Igualmente para ti. (Same to you.)]
What expression does Spain use for Merry Christmas?
Feliz Navidad translates to Merry Christmas and is perhaps the most widespread Yuletide greeting in Spain. Although it tends to be used closer to the date, it can either way be used in any context and occasion when greeting someone a Merry Christmas.
What is the Spanish Christmas music called?
Villancico translates to modern day Christmas carols, although its origins stem back to the 15th century. Villancicos are traditional songs, usually with a religious theme, that are sung during the Christmas festive season.
These are some of the most popular/well known villancicos in Spain:
Campana sobre campana
Los peces en el río
La marimorena
Arre, borriquita
Noche de paz
What is a Belén in Spanish Christmas?
Belén (in plural, Belenes) is a nativity scene comprised of figurines that represent the birth of Jesus in the manger and its surroundings.
The main figures displayed are Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, the Three Wise Men and usually some shepherds are depicted as well.
During the Christmas season, these representation figurines are set up in a multitude of locations, from in public spaces, to households and schools and many times in the lobbies of many buildings.
What is the El Gordo tradition in Spain?
El Gordo, literally ‘The Fat One’, is the Christmas lottery (Lotería de Navidad) drawn annually in Spain.
The moniker given to this Christmas lottery alludes to the ‘fat’ or substantial prize money that the Spanish state Lottery (Loterías y Apuestas del Estado) draws a couple of days before Christmas, annually on December 22nd.
Considering that the prize pool is one of the largest cash prizes in the world, participation in this very ingrained Christmas tradition – officially named Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad (Christmas Lottery Draw) – has always been widespread in Spain.
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