Merry Christmas in Dutch
Vrolijk kerstfeest
Say it like this: VROH-lek KERST-fayst
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Dutch, Merry Christmas is Vrolijk kerstfeest, said like VROH-lek KERST-fayst.
- Happy New Year is Gelukkig nieuwjaar.
- People say it in Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), Suriname, Aruba and more.
What Vrolijk kerstfeest means
'Vrolijk' means merry or cheerful and 'kerstfeest' means Christmas party or Christmas feast, from 'kerst' (Christmas) and 'feest' (party).
Other ways to say it in Dutch
Prettig kerstfeest
Say it like this: PRET-ukh KERST-fayst
Means "pleasant Christmas". A friendly, widely used alternative to vrolijk.
Zalig kerstfeest
Say it like this: ZAH-lukh KERST-fayst
Means "blessed Christmas". A more traditional, religious wording.
Happy New Year
Gelukkig nieuwjaar
Say it like this: kheh-LUK-ukh NEEW-yar
Happy New Year (literally "lucky new year")
To write in a Christmas card
Vrolijk kerstfeest en een gelukkig nieuwjaar
Say it like this: VROH-lek KERST-fayst en un kheh-LUK-ukh NEEW-yar
Where people speak Dutch
NetherlandsBelgium (Flanders)SurinameArubaCuraçaoSint Maarten
Dutch (Nederlands) belongs to the Germanic (Indo-European) language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Amsterdam at about 12:30 AM local time, and kids learn to say Vrolijk kerstfeest as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Amsterdam →Christmas traditions where people speak Dutch
- Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat: Sinterklaas is the Dutch children's winter gift bringer, and he comes before Christmas. In mid-November he arrives in the Netherlands by steamboat from Spain and rides a white horse through town, greeted by crowds and children singing special songs.[3][4]
- Shoes for Sinterklaas on December 5: On the evening of December 5, Dutch children put a shoe by the fireplace or a door with a carrot or hay for Sinterklaas's horse. Next morning they find candy or a small present inside. Christmas itself is quieter and comes a few weeks later.[3]
- Two Christmas days: The Netherlands has two Christmas public holidays: eerste kerstdag, December 25, and tweede kerstdag, December 26. Families spend them together, and many put up a Christmas tree for the season.[5]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Dutch
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Celebrate with kids
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- DanishGlædelig jul
- GermanFrohe Weihnachten
- IcelandicGleðileg jól
- NorwegianGod jul
- SwedishGod jul
- GalicianBo Nadal
- BulgarianВесела Коледа
- RussianС Рождеством!
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Dutch?
The most common way is "Vrolijk kerstfeest" (VROH-lek KERST-fayst). You will also hear "Prettig kerstfeest", meaning pleasant Christmas, and "Zalig kerstfeest", a more traditional blessed Christmas. All of them are used in the Netherlands and in Belgium.[1][4]
How do you pronounce Vrolijk kerstfeest?
Say "VROH-lek KERST-fayst". The v in vrolijk is often soft, close to f. The ij sounds like the ay in say, and the r is usually rolled or made at the back of the throat. In kerstfeest, the ee is a long ay sound.[1]
What does Vrolijk kerstfeest mean?
Vrolijk means merry or cheerful. Kerstfeest is made of kerst, meaning Christ or Christmas, and feest, meaning party or feast. Together the phrase means Merry Christmas feast, a cheerful wish that Dutch speakers say to family, neighbors and friends.[1]
How do you write Vrolijk kerstfeest?
Write it as Vrolijk kerstfeest. In Dutch, kerstfeest is written as one word, and it is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence. On cards, the first word is capitalized: Vrolijk kerstfeest. You can also write Kerstfeest as a title or heading.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Dutch?
Say "Gelukkig nieuwjaar" (kheh-LUK-ukh NEEW-yar). The g sound is from the back of the throat, like the ch in the Scottish word loch. Cards often read "Vrolijk kerstfeest en een gelukkig nieuwjaar". Dutch people also say "Gelukkig nieuwjaar" while clinking glasses at midnight.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Dutch?
Vrolijk kerstfeest works with everyone. For formal cards, "Zalig kerstfeest" is a traditional choice, and you can write "Ik wens u een prettig kerstfeest", which means I wish you a pleasant Christmas. Use u for adults you do not know well and je for friends.[1][4]
When do people say Vrolijk kerstfeest?
People say it from the start of December until December 26. In the Netherlands, December 5 is Sinterklaas evening, so wishes for Christmas come after that. Cards and greetings are common in the last two weeks before Christmas, and again after the New Year.[3]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in the Netherlands?
For most Dutch children, the biggest present day is December 5, with Sinterklaas. Christmas itself is celebrated on December 25 and 26, called eerste and tweede kerstdag, both public holidays. Many families enjoy a special dinner, and some also give a few gifts at Christmas.[5][4]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in the Netherlands?
Sinterklaas is the big winter tradition. He arrives by steamboat from Spain in mid-November, and on December 5 children put out shoes with a carrot or hay for his horse. They find candy or small presents in them the next morning.[3]
How can I teach kids to say Vrolijk kerstfeest?
Break it into vro-lijk and kerst-feest, and clap each part. Kids like the Dutch g sound. Let them put a shoe by the door with a carrot, like Dutch children do for Sinterklaas, and write Vrolijk kerstfeest on a card they place beside it.[3]
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.
- merry Christmas (translations), Wiktionary
- happy New Year (translations), Wiktionary
- Sinterklaas, Wikipedia
- Christmas in the Netherlands, WhyChristmas.com
- Observance of Christmas by country, Wikipedia
