Merry Christmas in Afrikaans
Geseënde Kersfees
Say it like this: kheh-SEH-en-deh KEHRS-fees
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Afrikaans, Merry Christmas is Geseënde Kersfees, said like kheh-SEH-en-deh KEHRS-fees.
- Happy New Year is Voorspoedige Nuwejaar.
- People say it in South Africa, Namibia.
What Geseënde Kersfees means
'Geseënde' means blessed, and 'Kersfees' is Christmas, literally the 'Christ festival'.
Other ways to say it in Afrikaans
Happy New Year
Voorspoedige Nuwejaar
Say it like this: foor-SPOO-dih-khuh NEE-vuh-yaar
A prosperous new year. 'Gelukkige Nuwejaar' (happy new year) is also common.
To write in a Christmas card
Geseënde Kersfees en 'n Voorspoedige Nuwejaar
Say it like this: kheh-SEH-en-deh KEHRS-fees en uh foor-SPOO-dih-khuh NEE-vuh-yaar
Where people speak Afrikaans
South AfricaNamibia
Afrikaans belongs to the Indo-European (Germanic) language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Cape Town at about 12:50 AM local time, and kids learn to say Geseënde Kersfees as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Cape Town →Christmas traditions where people speak Afrikaans
- Summer Christmas: Christmas comes in summer in South Africa, with schools closed and flowers in bloom. Some families go camping, and many spend the day outdoors.[2]
- Braai and Malva Pudding: On very hot days, families may hold a braai (barbecue) for Christmas lunch. Dessert is often Christmas pudding or Malva Pudding, which is also called Lekker Pudding.[2]
- Kersvader and stockings: On Christmas Eve, children leave stockings out for Santa Claus. Afrikaans speakers call him Kersvader, which means Father Christmas, and fir Christmas trees and lights are common too.[2]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Afrikaans
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- Amharicመልካም ገና
- LingalaMbotama malamu
- MalagasyArahaba tratry ny Noely
- ZuluUkhisimusi omuhle
- SwahiliKrismasi njema
- XhosaKrismesi emnandi
- HausaBarka da Kirsimati
- Twi (Akan)Afehyia pa
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Afrikaans?
Say 'Geseënde Kersfees'. It means 'Blessed Christmas' and is the standard Afrikaans Christmas greeting in South Africa and Namibia. You will see it on cards and in messages and hear it in speech, and it is often followed by a New Year wish in the same breath.[1][3]
How do you pronounce Geseënde Kersfees?
Say 'kheh-SEH-en-deh KEHRS-fees'. The Afrikaans g at the start is a throaty kh, like the ch in Scottish loch. The two dots on the ë show that the e is said separately: se-EN. The r in Kersfees is tapped or rolled. Stress falls on the second syllable of Geseënde and the first of Kersfees.[2]
What does Geseënde Kersfees mean?
'Geseënde' means blessed, and 'Kersfees' means Christmas, literally 'Christ festival', like the Dutch 'Kerstfeest'. So the greeting wishes someone a blessed Christmas. Afrikaans grew from Dutch, so many words look familiar to Dutch and German speakers, and 'fees' is related to the English word 'feast'.[1][3]
How do you write and spell it in Afrikaans?
Afrikaans uses the Latin alphabet: Geseënde Kersfees. The diaeresis (two dots) on the 'ë' is important and shows that the e is pronounced separately. On a keyboard, hold the 'e' key or use a Dutch or Afrikaans setting. 'Kersfees' is one word, with no space.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Afrikaans?
Say 'Gelukkige Nuwejaar', meaning 'happy new year', or 'Voorspoedige Nuwejaar', meaning 'prosperous new year', pronounced 'foor-SPOO-dih-khuh NEE-vuh-yaar'. Cards usually say 'Geseënde Kersfees en 'n Voorspoedige Nuwejaar'. Note that 'n is the Afrikaans word for 'a', written with an apostrophe.[3][4]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?
'Geseënde Kersfees' suits everyone, from grandparents to classmates. The word 'blessed' gives it a warm, slightly religious feel, so it fits church messages and cards especially well. Many South Africans speak both Afrikaans and English, so friends often send the English 'Merry Christmas' in a quick text.[1][3]
When do people say it in South Africa?
People say it from early December through Christmas Day. In South Africa, Christmas arrives in the summer holidays, when schools are closed and families travel or gather. December 25 and December 26, the Day of Goodwill, are both public holidays, so greetings are common in the last two weeks of the year.[2]
Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Both are enjoyed. Christmas Eve is for carol singing, including Carols by Candlelight, and children leave out stockings for Kersvader. On Christmas Day many people go to church in the morning and spend the afternoon with family and friends, often outdoors. December 26, the Day of Goodwill, is another day off for visits and outings.[2]
What is a Christmas tradition in South Africa?
Christmas lunch may be turkey, duck, roast beef or suckling pig with yellow rice and raisins, then Christmas pudding or Malva Pudding. Families pull crackers and often eat outdoors, sometimes with a braai. Fir Christmas trees and lights are common, and mince pies are popular too.[2]
How can I teach Geseënde Kersfees to kids?
Teach the throaty 'kh' first by making a soft gargle sound, then say 'ge-SE-en-de' slowly with the stress on the second syllable, and 'KERS-fees'. Compare 'fees' with 'feast'. Children can draw a summer Christmas with a braai and a swimming pool, then present it with the greeting.[2]
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor by Leslie Dunn. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on AmazonSources
We check every greeting against dictionaries, language institutes and cultural sources.
- Season's greetings in 11 languages, The Citizen (South Africa)
- Christmas in South Africa, WhyChristmas.com
- Afrikaans Christmas and New Year phrases, AfrikaansPod101
- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Languages, RF Cafe