Merry Christmas in Catalan
Bon Nadal
Say it like this: bon nah-DAHL
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Catalan, Merry Christmas is Bon Nadal, said like bon nah-DAHL.
- Happy New Year is Bon any nou.
- People say it in Spain (Catalonia, Valencia, Balearic Islands), Andorra, France (Roussillon), Italy (Alghero).
What Bon Nadal means
Word for word it is 'bon' (good) plus 'Nadal' (Christmas). Nadal comes from the Latin word for birth, so the greeting is a wish for a good Nativity day.
Other ways to say it in Catalan
Feliç Nadal
Say it like this: feh-LEES nah-DAHL
Means 'happy Christmas'. Also very common, especially on cards.
Happy New Year
Bon any nou
Say it like this: bon ahn NOW
good new year, word for word 'good year new'
To write in a Christmas card
Bon Nadal i feliç any nou
Say it like this: bon nah-DAHL ee feh-LEES ahn NOW
Where people speak Catalan
Spain (Catalonia, Valencia, Balearic Islands)AndorraFrance (Roussillon)Italy (Alghero)
Catalan (català) belongs to the Indo-European, Romance (descended from Latin) language family.
Say it with Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train to more than 100 places and teaches kids how to say Merry Christmas at every stop. Practice Catalan today, then follow his trip.
Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →Christmas traditions where people speak Catalan
- Tió de Nadal, the Christmas log: From December 8, Catalan families give a small log with a painted smile a blanket and a few bites of food. On Christmas, children sing a song and tap it with sticks until it drops sweets and nuts.[1]
- Pastorets, the shepherds' play: Many Catalan towns hold Pastorets, a play about the Christmas story and the shepherds. It has music and readings, and families go together to see it.[1]
- The Caganer in the nativity: Nativity scenes are very popular in Catalonia. A funny extra figure, el Caganer, is a peasant in a red cap, usually hidden in a back corner of the scene. Each year new versions appear.[1]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Catalan
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- RomanianCrăciun fericit
- BosnianSretan Božić
- FinnishHyvää joulua
- LithuanianLinksmų Kalėdų
- SerbianСрећан Божић
- RussianС Рождеством!
- GreekΚαλά Χριστούγεννα
- PolishWesołych Świąt
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Catalan?
The most common way to say Merry Christmas in Catalan is Bon Nadal, pronounced "bon nah-DAHL". You will also hear Feliç Nadal, which means happy Christmas. Both are friendly and widely used, so children can learn the shorter Bon Nadal first and add Feliç Nadal later.[2]
How do you pronounce Merry Christmas in Catalan?
Say it like this: bon nah-DAHL. The capital letters show the stressed syllable, so say that part a little louder and longer. Catalan stresses the last syllable of Nadal. The final l is pronounced clearly, and the d between vowels is soft, close to the th in this. So say bon nah-DAHL, with a soft middle sound.
What does Merry Christmas mean word for word in Catalan?
Word for word it is 'bon' (good) plus 'Nadal' (Christmas). Nadal comes from the Latin word for birth, so the greeting is a wish for a good Nativity day. Nadal is related to words in other Latin-based languages, such as Natale in Italian and Natal in Portuguese.[2]
How do you write Merry Christmas in Catalan?
Write it as Bon Nadal, with a capital N because Nadal is the holiday name. The related greeting Feliç Nadal uses the letter ç, a c with a small tail called a cedilla, which sounds like s. Catalan also uses accents on vowels, as in això.
How do you say Happy New Year in Catalan?
Happy New Year in Catalan is Bon any nou, pronounced "bon ahn NOW". It means good new year, word for word 'good year new'. On cards you will often see the combined wish Bon Nadal i feliç any nou, meaning good Christmas and happy new year. The word i means and.[3]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say Merry Christmas in Catalan?
Bon Nadal and Feliç Nadal are both polite and friendly in every setting. There is no strict casual or formal split for children to learn, though a longer message on a card can add wishes for peace and health.[2]
When do people say Merry Christmas in Catalan?
Catalans say it in the weeks before Christmas, on cards and at school, and above all on December 24 and 25. Many also add the new year wish as they say goodbye at the end of December.[1]
Which day is the main Christmas celebration for Catalan speakers: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Both days matter in Catalonia. Christmas Eve, December 24, is Nit de Nadal, when many families have dinner and some go to Midnight Mass, called Missa del Gall. Christmas Day, December 25, is the main holiday, and December 26, Sant Esteve, is a day off in Catalonia too.[1]
What is the Tió de Nadal?
From December 8, Catalan families give a small log with a painted smile a blanket and a few bites of food. On Christmas, children sing a song and tap it with sticks until it drops sweets and nuts. The log is always told to keep the gifts coming.[1]
How can I teach Merry Christmas in Catalan to kids?
Teach Bon Nadal with a song to the Tió de Nadal. Children can make a paper log with a face, give it a blanket and say the greeting each time they feed it. Repeating it in the game helps the stress on the last syllable.
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.
- Christmas in Spain, WhyChristmas.com
- Merry Christmas (translations), Wiktionary
- Happy New Year (translations), Wiktionary
