How to Say Merry Christmas in Irish: A Festive Language Guide

Always wondered how do you say Merry Christmas in Irish? In this guide I’m going to share with you how to say Merry Christmas in Irish and also a few other seasonal and festive sayings, greetings and responses that might come in handy.

How to say Merry Christmas in Irish and other useful Irish Christmas greetings

How to say Merry Christmas in Irish

Merry Christmas in Gaelic Irish is Nollaig Shona, pronounced: null-ig hunna.

A picture with text over bokeh lights saying Nollaig Shona Duit meaning Merry Christmas in Irish

However, you will more often hear Nollaig shona duit/daoibh, pronounced: null-ig hunna ditch/d-eve, meaning Merry Christmas to you/you (plural). The duit can be pronounced as ditch or gwitch depending on what part of the country you are in and the accent in the area. And the daoibh can be pronounced d-eve or d-weeve.

If you are wondering how to say Happy Christmas in Irish, it is the same term, Nollaig shona duit.

How to you say Happy New Year in Irish

Happy New Year in Irish is Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit/daoibh, pronounced: Ah-vlee-an fwee washa ditch/d-eve.

Again, you may hear duit as ditch or gwitch, and the daoibh as d-eve or d-weeve.

A picture with text over bokeh lights saying Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit meaning Happy New Year in Irish

How to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Irish

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Irish is

Nollaig shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit/doaibh

pronounced: null-ig hunna ag-us Ah-vlee-an fwee washa ditch-d-eve.

A picture with text over bokeh lights saying Nollaig Shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise duit meaning Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Irish

It can sometimes be shortened to Nollaig shona agus Bliain úr faoi mhaise duit, pronounced: Null-ig hunna ag-us blee-an ur fwee washa ditch.

How to say thank you in Irish

Thank you in Irish is Go raibh maith agat, pronounced: gu rev mha ag-ut. You can use this to say thank you if you receive any of the above greetings.

You could say “Same to you” which in Irish is agus leat féin, pronounced: ag-us lat feign (pronouncing lat like cat)

A picture with text over bokeh lights saying Go raibh maith agat meaning Thank you in Irish

How do you say cheers in Irish

Another saying that will come in handy over the festive season is the word for Cheers, which in Irish is Slainte, pronounced: slawn-tcha.

A picture with text over bokeh lights saying Slainte meaning Cheers in Irish

Other Christmas sayings and Christmas greetings in Irish

Other terms or sayings you might hear around Christmas time in Ireland are:

  • Oíche Nollag, meaning Christmas Eve/Night, pronounced: E-ha null-ag.
  • Lá Nollag, meaning Christmas Day, pronounced: Law null-ag.
  • Beannachtaí na Nollag, meaning Christmas greeting, pronounced: ban-ach-tea na null-ag.
  • Beannachtaí an tSéasúir, meaning Season’s greetings, pronounced: ban-ach-tea an t-hay-shure.
  • Bíodh Nollaig mhaith agaibh, meaning have a good Christmas, pronounced: Bee-ack Null-ig mha a-gwiv (also pronounced bee-ach null-ig vha ag-wiv).

Conclusion

Now that you know how to say Merry Christmas in Irish, I hope you will be greeting everyone this way over the festive season and signing all your cards with Nollaig Shona Duit!

Read more about Christmas in Ireland:

Christmas bokeh lights with text overlay saying How to Say Merry Christmas in Irish
A christmas picture with text overlay saying Useful Christmas Greetings in Irish
A Christmas bauble with text overlay saying Christmas Greetings in Irish
by Cath Jordan
Cath is an Irish expat and the founder of Travel Around Ireland. She and her husband both come from Dublin, where the rest of their family remains. They regularly return to the Emerald Isle to explore the country with their son as well as to visit family. Through Travel Around Ireland, Cath shares her local expertise and knowledge with travellers and visitors to Ireland. Find out more about Cath here.

1 thought on “How to Say Merry Christmas in Irish: A Festive Language Guide”

  1. My birthday is on Christmas Day and my brother’s is on Christmas Eve. We always baked a Fruit Cake and a few day’s before Christmas, we covered it with almond paste and a day later, cover it with Royal Icing. I still made that cake for over 50 years but no longer am able to do that.

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