‘Merry Christmas’ in German Language – How to greet the right way
Christmas is one of the best seasons you could ever experience in Germany. It may be cold – we had negative temperature in Berlin last week – but still no one stops me from having that Christmassy vibe. So here I am sharing the same happy vibe by teaching you how to say ”Merry Christmas” in German.
When you think that Germans don’t celebrate Christmas, wait until you visit the most beautiful and festive Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany and revel in the aroma of Glühwein as you enter every Christmas market.
Also, legen wir los!
How do you say Merry Christmas in German?
Usually, we greet each other in Germany with ‘Fröhliche Weihnachten’ or ‘Frohe Weihnachten’. You will also hear ‘Frohes Fest’ as a greeting during this season. Those are short Christmas greetings or wishes but you can also receive long greetings from your German employees or companies where you work for.
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Christmas wishes in german plus New Year greetings
Froh and fröhlich mean the same thing as merry, joyful and jolly.
- Frohes Fest – Happy Celebration
- Fröhliche Weihnachten – Merry Christmas
- Frohe Weihnachten
- Frohes Weihnachtsfest – Happy Christmas Celebration!
- Ein Frohes Fest und einen guten Start ins Jahr 2023! – Merry Christmas and a great start in 2023!
- Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
- Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr (2023)
Rutsch here has nothing to do with the world slide (der Rutsch) but this New Year’s greeting is actually borrowed from a Jewish greeting ‘A git rosh’, a greeting to say to each other for a good start of the year. Thanks to my research and I don’t have to connect Guten Rutsch with a good sliding into the new year.
Why is the German word for Christmas (‘Weihnachten’) plural?
The word ‘Weihnachten’ is a neutral German word thus it takes the gender ‘das’ – das Weihnachten. So, if you hear ‘Frohes Weihnachten’ it’s not grammatically wrong but the person using that may only wish you Merry Christmas for the Christmas Day only.
Weihnachten like every other German word has its plural form also spells as Weihnachten, and the form doesn’t change. But when we use it in greetings, it pertains to the whole celebration from the Christmas eve until the day after Christmas day, the 26th of December which is also a holiday in Germany.
What is Christmas Eve called in Germany?
Christmas Eve is the time when families prepare and get busy for the festive celebration for the evening of 24th, the Heiliger Abend or Heiligabend in Germany. Some decorate their Christmas trees first during the day, but I, coming from a tradition that starts very early with the Christmas decorations, can’t wait until the 24th to create a festive ambience at home.
But to each his own, so you can decorate your house or put up a Christmas tree at home whenever you want but hopefully not after Christmas. 😉
So like in other countries that celebrate Christmas, families go to church during Christmas Eve and enjoy the food afterwards that was prepared during the day. Some meet with relatives and friends and enjoy the cozy evening with a the Christkind who will distribute the gifts that are usually found under the Christmas tree.
Christmas in Germany traditions
Before Christmas, Germans occupy themselves with Advent for the coming of more celebrations and holidays. Advent season together with the opening of Christmas markets kicks off the feeling of Christmassy in the surroundings.
These are things that belong to Advent time in Germany:
– Nikolaustag
Nikolaus is German Santa Claus and Nikolaustag or St.Nicholas Day is celebrated every December 6 in Germany, the day St.Nicholas of Myra died. In the evening before Nikolaustag, children put their clean shoes outside with the hope to find sweets and small gifts inside in the next day.
– Adventskranz
Advent is not complete without the Advent wreath, that round decoration woven from fir branches with four candles, one of which is lit on each Sunday of Advent. When all four candles are lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent, Christmas Eve is fast approaching.
– Adventskalendar
Like Lebkuchen and Plätzchen, Adventskalendar belongs to the Advent season and associated with Christmas and Christmas Eve. So it won’t feel like waiting before Christmas, Advent Calendar treats you with everyday surprise that you will find when you open a small window. Usually it is small chocolate that awaits you for 24 days until Christmas Eve.
Weihnachtsmarkt in Germany
While I’ve never been to many Christmas markets in Germany, what I saw in Berlin and Dresden already gives off warm feeling in me who always celebrates Christmas in my home country.
I know it’s winter but you can’t simply ignore a glowing Christmas market when you visit Germany in December. Christmas market is a place full of festive ambience where you can meet locals and buy ornaments and of course foods like Bratwurst (sausage) and gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds).
If you’re not into Glühwein or mulled wine, a hot alcoholic drink with spices, you can drink its alternative which is the Kinderpunsch. This hot mulled non-alcoholic drink is not for kids but for adults as well who can’t or don’t drink alcoholic beverages.
German Christmas words
While you caught some German words above, I know they’re not enough to upgrade your German skills during this festive season. So here are more German Christmas words that will come handy when you meet your German friends and acquaintances.
| German Words | English Translation/Meaning |
|---|---|
| der Weihnachtsmann | Santa |
| das Weihnachtsgeschenk | Christmas gift |
| der Weihnachtsengel | Christmas angel |
| das Plätzchen | biscuit |
| die Bescherung | handing out or exchanging presents during Christmas Eve |
| der Tannenbaum | German Christmas tree |
| der Schneemann | snowman |
| die Feiertage | holidays |
| die Weihnachtslieder | Christmas songs |
| der Lebkuchen | gingerbread |
| der Wunsch (pl. die Wünsche) | wish (pl. wishes) |
| die weihnachtliche Mitternachtsmesse | Christmas midnight mass |
| die Weihnachtslichter | Christmas lights |
| die Glocke (pl. die Glocken) | bell (pl.bells) |
| die Weihnachtsgrüße | Christmas greetings |
Here are more long German Christmas and New Year wishes:
| German Greetings | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich wünsche dir besinnliche Weihnachten und ein frohes neues Jahr. | I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. |
| Ich wünsche dir fröhliche Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr. | I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. |
| Ich wünsche dir frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr. | I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. |
| Ich wünsche dir und deiner Familie eine besinnliche Adventszeit, ein schönes Weihnachtsfest und Gesundheit und Glück für das neue Jahr. | I wish you and your family a restful festive period, a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year. |
| Ein frohes und besinnliches Weihnachtsfest wünsche ich dir und deiner Familie! | I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! |
| Einen liebevollen Weihnachtsgruß sende ich dir. Fröhliche Weihnachten! | I’m sending you a loving Christmas greeting. Merry Christmas! |
Ready to say Merry Christmas in German?
Now you learned some Christmas greetings in German, it’s time for you to practice saying Merry Christmas in German and join your friends as they celebrate this festive season. If you dare, you can strike up a conversation when you visit a Christmas market.
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