Christmas in Different Languages
Discover 'Christmas' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday that marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Its significance and cultural importance vary across different regions and religions, but the spirit of love, joy, and giving remains universal. The word 'Christmas' itself is derived from the Old English 'Cristes Maesse', meaning 'Christ's Mass'. Understanding its translation in various languages can offer unique insights into diverse cultural perspectives and traditions.
For instance, in Spanish, Christmas is 'Navidad', while in German, it's 'Weihnachten'. In the French-speaking world, it's 'Noël', and in Russia, where a significant portion of the population is Orthodox Christian, Christmas is 'Рождество' (Rozhdestvo). These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also the rich tapestry of cultural traditions associated with this festive season.
Explore the following list of Christmas translations in different languages and immerse yourself in the global celebration of this joyous occasion.
Christmas
Christmas in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kersfees | ||
| The Afrikaans word "Kersfees" is derived from the Dutch word "Kerstmis," which in turn comes from the Old English phrase "Cristes Maesse," meaning "Christ's Mass." | |||
| Amharic | የገና በአል | ||
| The Amharic word "የገና በአል" can also mean "the birth of the Savior" or "the time of the birth of Jesus." | |||
| Hausa | kirsimeti | ||
| In Hausa, the word "Kirismeti" comes from the Portuguese "Christmas" and also means "holiday". | |||
| Igbo | ekeresimesi | ||
| Igbo has several cognate versions of the word that derives from Portuguese "Natal". | |||
| Malagasy | noely | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "Noely" can also refer to the Christmas season or the Christmas tree. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khirisimasi | ||
| The word 'Khirisimasi' is derived from the Greek word 'Christos' meaning 'anointed' and the Coptic word 'mas' meaning 'birth'. | |||
| Shona | kisimusi | ||
| The word "Kisimusi" in Shona derives from the Portuguese word "Natal," and also shares a root with the English word "nativity." | |||
| Somali | kirismaska | ||
| The word "Kirismaska" is derived from the Somali "kiri", meaning "holy", and "maska", meaning "day", thus translating to "holy day". | |||
| Sesotho | keresemese | ||
| The term "Keresemese" derives from the Dutch word "Kerstmis," meaning "Christ's Mass." | |||
| Swahili | krismasi | ||
| The word "Krismasi" in Swahili is derived from the Portuguese word "Natal", meaning "birth" or "nativity". | |||
| Xhosa | krisimesi | ||
| The word 'Krisimesi' is derived from the English word 'Christmas' and is used to refer to Christmas celebrations in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yoruba | keresimesi | ||
| In Yoruba, the word "Keresimesi" can also mean "day of great gathering" or "a time of renewal and rebirth." | |||
| Zulu | ukhisimusi | ||
| The Zulu word 'UKhisimusi' is derived from the English word 'Christmas' and is used to refer to the Christian festival celebrated on December 25th. | |||
| Bambara | noɛli | ||
| Ewe | kristmas ƒe kristmas | ||
| Kinyarwanda | noheri | ||
| Lingala | noele ya noele | ||
| Luganda | ssekukkulu | ||
| Sepedi | keresemose ya keresemose | ||
| Twi (Akan) | buronya | ||
Christmas in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عيد الميلاد | ||
| عيد الميلاد literally means "the birth feast" in Arabic, and it is used to refer to religious festivals of several religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. | |||
| Hebrew | חַג הַמוֹלָד | ||
| חַג הַמוֹלָד originated as a translation of the term "Nativity" in the 19th century, and later came to mean "Christmas" itself. | |||
| Pashto | کریمیس | ||
| The word "کریمیس" comes from the Portuguese word "Christmas". | |||
| Arabic | عيد الميلاد | ||
| عيد الميلاد literally means "the birth feast" in Arabic, and it is used to refer to religious festivals of several religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. | |||
Christmas in Western European Languages
| Albanian | krishtlindje | ||
| The word "Krishtlindje" is derived from the Latin "Christi nativitas", meaning "birth of Christ". | |||
| Basque | gabonak | ||
| Gabonak derives from the Basque word "gabe" (night), hence its meaning of "the nights" (plural), referring to the winter solstice. | |||
| Catalan | nadal | ||
| The Catalan word "Nadal" is derived from the Latin "natalis" (birth), and is cognate with the English word "natal". | |||
| Croatian | božić | ||
| The Croatian word "Božić" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "bogъ," meaning "god." | |||
| Danish | jul | ||
| In addition to meaning "Christmas", "jul" also refers to the pre-Christian midwinter festival in Scandinavian countries. | |||
| Dutch | kerstmis- | ||
| "Kerstmis" is a contraction of "Kerstmisse" which literally means "Christ's Mass". | |||
| English | christmas | ||
| The word "Christmas" originates from the Old English phrase "Cristes Maesse," meaning "Mass of Christ." | |||
| French | noël | ||
| "Noël" derives from the Latin "natalis," meaning "birth," and is cognate with "nativity" and "Natal Day." | |||
| Frisian | kryst | ||
| The word "Kryst" can also mean "manger" or "crib" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | nadal | ||
| The word "Nadal" in Galician, meaning "Christmas", may also refer to the time of the year after harvest when cattle are left to graze on crop leftovers in open fields. | |||
| German | weihnachten | ||
| The German word for "Christmas," "Weihnachten" (pronounced "vy-nahkh-ten"), comes from the Middle High German term for the "consecrated nights," "Wîhe nahten." | |||
| Icelandic | jól | ||
| Jól, the Icelandic word for Christmas, is derived from the Old Norse word for 'midwinter feast'. | |||
| Irish | nollag | ||
| In Irish, the term 'Nollag' for Christmas also means 'new' or 'fresh,' reflecting the belief that the holiday marks a new beginning and the birth of a new life. | |||
| Italian | natale | ||
| "Natale" in Italian is likely derived from the Latin "dies natalis," which in turn refers to "birth day" or "birthday." | |||
| Luxembourgish | chrëschtdag | ||
| Maltese | milied | ||
| The word "Milied" is derived from the Latin word "Natalis" and originally meant "birthday" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | jul | ||
| In Old Norse, "jul" referred to a midwinter celebration involving sacrifices and feasting. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | natal | ||
| Natal's Portuguese origin, "dies natalis solis invicti," refers to the "birth of the invincible sun." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nollaig | ||
| "Nollaig" can also be used to mean "a surprise", or "any very good thing". | |||
| Spanish | navidad | ||
| The word "Navidad" likely comes from the Latin "nativitas," or "birth." However, as a noun, "navidad" also means "holiday season" in Spanish, including New Year's Day and Epiphany on January 6th. | |||
| Swedish | jul | ||
| The word "Jul" is closely related to the Old Norse word " jól" and to the name of the Norse god Odin, known as "Jólnir". The word also means "wheel" and is related to the winter solstice, the "time when the sun turns". | |||
| Welsh | nadolig | ||
| "Nadolig" also meant "natal day, anniversary of birth, birthday" in earlier Welsh. | |||
Christmas in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | каляды | ||
| The Belarusian word "Каляды" is also used to refer to a set of traditional songs, games, and dances performed during the winter solstice. | |||
| Bosnian | božić | ||
| The word "Božić" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "bogъ", meaning "god", and is related to the Old English word "God" and the German word "Gott". | |||
| Bulgarian | коледа | ||
| The Bulgarian word "Коледа" for "Christmas" originates from the Proto-Slavic "*kolęda" (ritual), but is etymologically related to "коло" (circle, wheel). | |||
| Czech | vánoce | ||
| The word "Vánoce" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "veselьstvo", meaning "joy". It is also related to the Polish word "wigilia", meaning "vigil". | |||
| Estonian | jõulud | ||
| The Estonian word "Jõulud" comes from the pre-Christian winter solstice celebrations when bonfires were lit to "bring back the sun" from the Northern darkness in the middle of winter. | |||
| Finnish | joulu | ||
| The word "joulu" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*jehwla" and is cognate with the English "yule". | |||
| Hungarian | karácsony | ||
| "Karácsony" is a Hungarian word derived from Old Turkic word "qara kün", which means "winter solstice". | |||
| Latvian | ziemassvētki | ||
| Ziemassvētki derives from “ziema” (“winter”) and “svētki” (“holidays”), which refer to the winter solstice and the subsequent holidays. | |||
| Lithuanian | kalėdas | ||
| "Kalėdos" is a borrowing from Old Prussian "Kalutis, | |||
| Macedonian | божиќ | ||
| While the word "Божиќ" is etymologically related to the Old English word "geohhol", it carries a different cultural and religious significance in Macedonia, emphasizing the birth of Jesus Christ rather than winter solstice celebrations. | |||
| Polish | boże narodzenie | ||
| Boże Narodzenie, the Polish word for "Christmas," is a compound of Bóg ("God") and Narodzenie ("birth"). | |||
| Romanian | crăciun | ||
| Crăciun also means "the cross" and "the one crowned" in Romanian, which are references to Jesus Christ. | |||
| Russian | рождество | ||
| The word "Рождество" derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "раждати" meaning "to be born". | |||
| Serbian | божић | ||
| In Serbian, "Божић" (Christmas) also refers to the Yule log, a traditional Christmas symbol of hearth and home. | |||
| Slovak | vianoce | ||
| "vianoce" comes from "vyhnat" (to kick out), referring to the kicking out of Adam and Eve from Paradise on this day. | |||
| Slovenian | božič | ||
| In Slavic languages the word 'Božič' comes from 'Bog' (God), with '-ič' being a diminutive suffix, thus it was originally 'Little God' | |||
| Ukrainian | різдво | ||
| The Ukrainian word “Різдво” derives from Old East Slavic and originally meant “the winter solstice”. | |||
Christmas in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বড়দিন | ||
| "বড়দিন" refers to "large day" and is also used to describe a person of importance or an auspicious occasion in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ક્રિસમસ | ||
| The word "Christmas" is derived from the Old English word "Cristes Maesse", meaning "Christ's Mass". | |||
| Hindi | क्रिसमस | ||
| "Christmas" derives from the Old English "Cristes Maesse," meaning "Mass of Christ." | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ರಿಸ್ಮಸ್ | ||
| The word "ಕ್ರಿಸ್ಮಸ್" comes from the Old English "Cristes messe," meaning "Christ's Mass." | |||
| Malayalam | ക്രിസ്മസ് | ||
| "ക്രിസ്മസ്" means either "Christmas" or "cream", depending on the context in which the word is used. | |||
| Marathi | ख्रिसमस | ||
| The word "ख्रिसमस" is derived from the Greek word "Χριστός" (Christos), which translates to "the anointed one". | |||
| Nepali | क्रिसमस | ||
| The Nepali word "क्रिसमस" is not a loanword from the English word "Christmas"} | |||
| Punjabi | ਕ੍ਰਿਸਮਸ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නත්තල් | ||
| In Sinhala, "නත්තල්" not only means "Christmas", but also refers to the birth of any deity. | |||
| Tamil | கிறிஸ்துமஸ் | ||
| The Tamil word 'கிறிஸ்துமஸ்' is derived from the Portuguese word 'Cristo' meaning 'Christ', and 'Natal' meaning 'birth'. | |||
| Telugu | క్రిస్మస్ | ||
| The word "క్రిస్మస్" is derived from the Old English word "Cristes Maesse", meaning "Christ's Mass". | |||
| Urdu | کرسمس | ||
| "كرسمس" is Urdu for Christmas and derives from Old English through Portuguese. | |||
Christmas in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 圣诞 | ||
| 圣诞节最初源于拉丁文单词“Natalis”，意为诞生或诞辰。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 聖誕 | ||
| 聖誕, 'holy birth', the Chinese translation for 'Christmas', also means 'the birthday of a saint', 'a saint's day' or simply 'a festival' | |||
| Japanese | クリスマス | ||
| "クリスマス" (Christmas) is a Japanese word derived from the Portuguese "Natal," meaning "birth." | |||
| Korean | 크리스마스 | ||
| 크리스마스(Christmas)는 영어에서 '그리스도의 미사(Christ's Mass)'를 뜻하는 말에서 유래했다. | |||
| Mongolian | зул сарын баяр | ||
| The Mongolian word "Зул сарын баяр" literally translates to "festival of the end of the moon" and is also the name for the holiday known as "New Year" in the West. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခရစ်စမတ် | ||
Christmas in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hari natal | ||
| The word "hari Natal" in Indonesian is derived from the Portuguese word "natal," which in turn comes from the Latin word "natalis," meaning "birthday." | |||
| Javanese | natal | ||
| In Javanese, 'Natal' not only means 'Christmas' but also refers to the annual dry season in Java and Madura. | |||
| Khmer | បុណ្យណូអែល | ||
| Lao | ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ | ||
| Malay | krismas | ||
| In Malay, 'Krismas' is derived from Portuguese 'cristãos', meaning Christians. | |||
| Thai | คริสต์มาส | ||
| แม้ว่าคำว่า "คริสต์มาส" จะมีความหมายตรงตัวว่า "มวลของพระคริสต์" แต่ก็มีความหมายแฝงอีกอย่างว่า "วันเกิดของพระเยซู" | |||
| Vietnamese | giáng sinh | ||
| The word "Giáng sinh" comes from the Portuguese word "Natal", which means "birth".} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pasko | ||
Christmas in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | milad | ||
| The word "Milad" in Azerbaijani has its roots in ancient Zoroastrianism and also refers to the birth of Prophet Muhammad in Persian culture. | |||
| Kazakh | рождество | ||
| Рождество is a derivative of the Old Church Slavonic word 'раждати' meaning 'to be born'. In Kazakh, it refers to the Nativity of Jesus Christ and is celebrated on January 7th. | |||
| Kyrgyz | нартууган | ||
| The word "Нартууган" in Kyrgyz is derived from the words "нар" (new) and "тууган" (generation), referring to the birth of a new generation, namely the birth of Jesus Christ. | |||
| Tajik | мавлуди исо | ||
| Мавлуди Исо means both "Christmas" and "the birth of Jesus". | |||
| Turkmen | ro christmasdestwo | ||
| Uzbek | rojdestvo | ||
| Rojdestvo is also the name given to a popular Christmas dish consisting of boiled wheat porridge with rice, meat, and raisins. | |||
| Uyghur | روژدېستۋو بايرىمى | ||
Christmas in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kalikimaka | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'Kalikimaka' derives from the English phrase 'Merry Christmas,' likely brought to the islands by missionaries in the 19th century. | |||
| Maori | kirihimete | ||
| "Kirihimete" is a Maori word derived from the English "Christmas"; it can also mean "a feast day" or "ceremony." | |||
| Samoan | kerisimasi | ||
| The word 'Kerisimasi' is derived from the English word 'Christmas' and entered the Samoan language during the colonial period. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pasko | ||
| The Tagalog word "Pasko" is a loanword from Spanish and is originally derived from the Greek word "Pascha" or Easter. | |||
Christmas in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | navidad urunxa | ||
| Guarani | navidad rehegua | ||
Christmas in International Languages
| Esperanto | kristnasko | ||
| "Kristnasko" is an Esperanto word that, like the English word "Yule," is a blend of Christian and Pre-Christian terms. | |||
| Latin | nativitatis | ||
| The Latin "nativitas" means both "nativity" and "birthday". | |||
Christmas in Others Languages
| Greek | χριστούγεννα | ||
| Χριστούγεννα is the Greek word for Christmas, derived from the phrase "Χριστός γεννάται," which means "Christ is born." | |||
| Hmong | christmas | ||
| Christmas (Kistimas) is derived from the Old English word "Cristes Maesse," meaning "Christ's Mass." | |||
| Kurdish | noel | ||
| The word "Noel" is derived from the Latin phrase "natalis dies", meaning "birthday" and is also associated with the Kurdish phrase "Newel", which means "good news" or "joyful tidings." | |||
| Turkish | noel | ||
| Turkish "Noel" originates from the Latin phrase "natalis dies" meaning "birthday" and "Noel" is also the name of a popular French Christmas song and a type of brandy. | |||
| Xhosa | krisimesi | ||
| The word 'Krisimesi' is derived from the English word 'Christmas' and is used to refer to Christmas celebrations in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yiddish | ניטל | ||
| The Yiddish word "ניטל" (Nitl) has been theorized to derive from the German "Nacht" (night). | |||
| Zulu | ukhisimusi | ||
| The Zulu word 'UKhisimusi' is derived from the English word 'Christmas' and is used to refer to the Christian festival celebrated on December 25th. | |||
| Assamese | খ্ৰীষ্টমাছ | ||
| Aymara | navidad urunxa | ||
| Bhojpuri | क्रिसमस के दिन बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކްރިސްމަސް ދުވަހު | ||
| Dogri | क्रिसमस | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pasko | ||
| Guarani | navidad rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | krismas | ||
| Krio | krismas | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جەژنی کریسمس | ||
| Maithili | क्रिसमस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀ꯭ꯔꯤꯁꯃꯁꯀꯤ ꯊꯧꯔꯝ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | krismas neih a ni | ||
| Oromo | ayyaana qillee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଖ୍ରୀଷ୍ଟମାସ | ||
| Quechua | navidad | ||
| Sanskrit | क्रिसमस | ||
| Tatar | раштуа | ||
| Tigrinya | በዓል ልደት | ||
| Tsonga | khisimusi | ||