Merry Christmas in Dari (Afghan Persian)
کریسمس مبارک
Krismas mobârak
Say it like this: KRIS-mas mo-bah-RAHK
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Dari (Afghan Persian), Merry Christmas is کریسمس مبارک (Krismas mobârak), said like KRIS-mas mo-bah-RAHK.
- Happy New Year is سال نو مبارک (Sâl-e naw mobârak).
- People say it in Afghanistan.
What Krismas mobârak means
'Krismas' is Christmas, borrowed from English, and 'mobârak' means blessed or congratulations.
Dari is written from right to left in the same Arabic-based script as Persian, and short vowels are usually left out.
Other ways to say it in Dari (Afghan Persian)
Happy New Year
سال نو مبارک
Sâl-e naw mobârak
Say it like this: SAHL-eh NAHW mo-bah-RAHK
Happy New Year: 'sâl-e naw' means 'the new year'.
Where people speak Dari (Afghan Persian)
Afghanistan
Dari (Afghan Persian) (دری) belongs to the Indo-European (Iranian) language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Kabul at about 12:00 AM local time, and kids learn to say کریسمس مبارک as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Kabul →Christmas traditions where people speak Dari (Afghan Persian)
- Yalda, the longest night (the main winter celebration): Christmas is a minority holiday for Dari speakers, so the winter celebration most Afghan and Persian-speaking families share is Yalda. They gather on December 21, the longest night of the year, often at the home of an elder, and stay together until morning.[2]
- Poetry and Hafez: On Yalda night, families recite poetry, share old stories and legends, and open a book of poems by Hafez to find a verse that answers a question or wish.[2]
- Fruit and nuts: The traditional Yalda foods are dried fruits, pomegranates and watermelon. The long night is said to celebrate winter's arrival and the hope for brighter days ahead.[2]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Dari (Afghan Persian)
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- Hindiमेरी क्रिसमस
- Tagalog (Filipino)Maligayang Pasko
- ArmenianՇնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ
- Tamilகிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள்
- UzbekRojdestvo muborak
- VietnameseGiáng sinh vui vẻ
- JavaneseSugeng Natal
- Malayalamക്രിസ്തുമസ് ആശംസകൾ
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Dari?
Say کریسمس مبارک, 'Krismas mobârak'. Dari is the Afghan variety of Persian, and the greeting is the same wording as in Iranian Persian, with Afghan pronunciation. Christmas is not widely celebrated in Afghanistan, so the greeting is mostly used with Christian friends and by Dari speakers living abroad.[1][3]
How do you pronounce Krismas mobârak?
Say 'KRIS-mas mo-bah-RAHK'. In Dari, the long 'â' is a deep, rounded 'ah' sound. Stress falls on the last syllable of 'mobârak'. 'Krismas' follows the English word, so children usually say it easily. Practice the second word slowly, then say both words together with a steady rhythm.[1][3]
What does Krismas mobârak mean?
'Krismas' is the English word 'Christmas' borrowed into Dari. 'Mobârak' comes from Arabic and means blessed or congratulations; it is used in Eid greetings and birthdays too. So the phrase means 'blessed Christmas' or 'congratulations on Christmas'.[1]
How do you write and spell it in Dari?
Dari is written from right to left in the Persian alphabet: کریسمس مبارک. Letters join together and change shape inside a word. In Latin letters you may see 'Krismas mobârak' or 'Christmas Mubarak'; there is no single standard spelling, and the circumflex on â marks a long vowel.[1][3]
How do you say Happy New Year in Dari?
Say سال نو مبارک, 'Sâl-e naw mobârak', pronounced 'SAHL-eh NAHW mo-bah-RAHK'. It means 'happy new year'. The Afghan New Year, Nowruz, falls on the first day of spring in March, and people use the same phrase for it, so in January it helps to say you mean the January 1 New Year.[1][4]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?
The greeting is the same for everyone, from friends to teachers and elders. To be warmer, add the person's name or the affectionate word 'jân' after it. Dari speakers living abroad also send English 'Merry Christmas' by text. A warm tone and a smile matter more than perfect wording, and the greeting needs no change for age.[1]
When do people say Merry Christmas in Dari?
Around December 25, mainly with Christian friends, classmates and colleagues. Afghanistan is a Muslim-majority country, and Christmas is not an official holiday there. Many Afghan families in English-speaking countries enjoy school or neighborhood Christmas events and share greetings with their neighbors.[3]
Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
In Afghanistan, there is no widely observed Christmas celebration, so neither day is a national holiday. The big winter night for Dari-speaking families is Yalda, on December 21, when relatives gather until morning. Dari speakers living abroad may join Christmas Eve or Christmas Day events with friends and school communities.[2][3]
What is Yalda, the winter tradition of Dari speakers?
Yalda is the longest night of the year, on December 21. Families gather at the home of an elder, recite poetry, read verses by Hafez, tell old stories, and eat dried fruit, pomegranates and watermelon. It is a warm, family night that celebrates the coming of winter and brighter days.[2]
How can I teach Krismas mobârak to kids?
Say 'Krismas' first, which sounds like Christmas, then 'mobârak' in three beats: mo-bâ-RAK. Compare it with the greeting 'Eid mobârak' so children see how the same word wishes blessings on different days. They can also draw a pomegranate, a favorite fruit of the Yalda night, and say the greeting while they color it in.[1][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.
- Useful Dari phrases, Omniglot
- Yalda Night Celebration, Bamyan Foundation
- Dari, Wikipedia
- Comment dire Bonne année dans toutes les langues, Generation Voyage
