Christmas is celebrated in wildly different ways around the world — different dates, different gift-bringers, different feasts. Here's how to spread the cheer in ten languages, with a few surprises along the way.
- 🇫🇷 French — Joyeux Noël — zhwa-YUH no-EL
- 🇪🇸 Spanish — Feliz Navidad — feh-LEES nah-vee-DAHD — Yes, exactly like the song.
- 🇮🇹 Italian — Buon Natale — bwohn nah-TAH-leh
- 🇩🇪 German — Frohe Weihnachten — FROH-uh VY-nakh-ten — In Germany the gifts often arrive on Christmas Eve, the 24th.
- 🇵🇹 Portuguese — Feliz Natal — feh-LEESH nah-TAHL
- 🇳🇱 Dutch — Prettige Kerstdagen — PRET-ti-khuh KAIRST-dah-khun — Fun fact: the big Dutch gift day isn't Christmas at all — it's Sinterklaas on 5 December, when Sint and his helpers bring presents and sweets. Christmas itself is quieter and more about family.
- 🇸🇪 Swedish — God Jul — good YOOL — "Jul" is the old midwinter "Yule", older than Christmas itself.
- 🇵🇱 Polish — Wesołych Świąt — veh-SOH-wih SHFYONT — Poles start the feast when the first star appears on Christmas Eve.
- 🇷🇺 Russian — С Рождеством — s razh-dest-VOM — Fun fact: Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January, following the old Julian calendar.
- 🇨🇳 Chinese (Mandarin) — 圣诞快乐 — Shèngdàn kuàilè (shung-dan kwai-luh) — Not a public holiday, but big in the cities as a fun, romantic occasion.
Half the joy of the holidays abroad is discovering how differently everyone does them. Ask a native speaker below how their family celebrates — it's one of the warmest conversations you'll ever have.
