How to Say Merry Christmas in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Americas

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Juullimi pilluarit

Say it like this: YOOL-lee-mee pil-loo-AH-rit

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Greenlandic (Kalaallisut), Merry Christmas is Juullimi pilluarit, said like YOOL-lee-mee pil-loo-AH-rit.
Happy New Year is Ukiortaami pilluarit.
People say it in Greenland.

What Juullimi pilluarit means

'Juulli' is Christmas, related to Nordic 'jul', '-mi' means 'at' or 'in', and 'pilluarit' is a word of congratulations and good wishes.

Other ways to say it in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Juullimi pilluaritsi

Say it like this: YOOL-lee-mee pil-loo-AH-rit-see

The form for two or more people ('to you all').

Happy New Year

Ukiortaami pilluarit

Say it like this: oo-kee-OR-tah-mee pil-loo-AH-rit

Happy New Year, said to one person. For two or more people, say 'Ukiortaami pilluaritsi'.

To write in a Christmas card

Juullimi ukiortaassamilu pilluarit

Say it like this: YOOL-lee-mee oo-kee-or-TAH-sah-mee-loo pil-loo-AH-rit

Where people speak Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Greenland

Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) (Kalaallisut) belongs to the Eskimo-Aleut (Inuit) language family.

Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Nuuk at about 12:50 AM local time, and kids learn to say Juullimi pilluarit as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Nuuk →

Christmas traditions where people speak Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Christmas stars: Candles and red-orange Christmas stars fill almost every window. The star tradition came from Moravian missionaries, and the stars bring light during the dark winter when the sun does not rise.^[1][4]
Singing at the doors: On Christmas Eve, children go from house to house singing, especially in smaller settlements, and people reward them with sweets. In some villages, everyone receives a gift.^[1][2]
A church in national dress: Most people attend church on Christmas Eve, many wearing national dress. Christmas trees are usually shipped from Denmark and decorated on December 23.^[2][4]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

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Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Greenlandic?

Say 'Juullimi pilluarit' to one person, or 'Juullimi pilluaritsi' to two or more. Greenlanders say it all through the season until the decorations come down. In Danish, the other main language of Greenland, people say 'Glædelig Jul'. Both are heard in homes, shops and schools.^[1][2][3]

How do you pronounce Juullimi pilluarit?

Say 'YOOL-lee-mee pil-loo-AH-rit'. The 'j' sounds like English 'y', and the double letters 'll' and 'uu' mean you hold the sound a little longer. The 'r' is made far back in the throat, but a normal 'r' will be understood. Practice in small pieces.^[3]

What does Juullimi pilluarit mean?

'Juulli' is the Greenlandic word for Christmas, related to Nordic 'jul' and 'Yule', and '-mi' means 'at' or 'on'. 'Pilluarit' is a word that wishes someone good fortune and congratulates them. So it is like 'congratulations on Christmas' or 'happy Christmas'.^[1][3]

How do you write and spell it in Greenlandic?

Greenlandic uses the Latin alphabet, spelled as it sounds, and long words are built from many small parts. The greeting is 'Juullimi pilluarit'. The longer form, 'Juullimi ukiortaassamilu pilluarit', adds the New Year with the ending '-lu', which means 'and'. Double letters matter, because they make the sound longer.^[3][5]

How do you say Happy New Year in Greenlandic?

Say 'Ukiortaami pilluarit' to one person, or 'Ukiortaami pilluaritsi' to two or more. A combined Christmas and New Year greeting is 'Juullimi ukiortaassamilu pilluarit'. In Danish, people say 'Godt nytår'. Greenland's own word for the new year is 'ukiortaaq', so the greeting means congratulations on the new year.^[3][5]

Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?

'Juullimi pilluarit' works for one person, such as a friend or a family member, while the form ending in '-tsi', 'pilluaritsi', is used when speaking to several people, such as a class or a family. Greenlanders also often use Danish 'Glædelig Jul' and 'Godt nytår', especially in mixed groups.^[3][5]

When do people say it in Greenland?

From the first Sunday of Advent, when towns light their Christmas trees, until Twelfth Night on January 6. December is dark in much of Greenland, and in the north the sun does not rise, so windows glow with stars and candles. Greetings are exchanged most of all on Christmas Eve, December 24.^[1][2]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Christmas Eve, December 24, is the main celebration, like in Scandinavia and Germany. People dance around the tree, open presents, sing and share meals, and many go to church. Christmas Day has several well-attended church services, with singing in Greenlandic and Danish.^[1]

What are some Christmas traditions in Greenland?

Illuminated stars hang in windows, trees are imported and decorated on December 23, and villages place a big tree on a hill. Children sing from house to house for sweets. Families eat foods like roast pork, lamb, reindeer, mattak and Christmas porridge with butter, sugar and cinnamon.^[1][2][4]

How can I teach Juullimi pilluarit to kids?

Say it in small pieces: juul-li-mi, pil-lu-a-rit. Remind them that double letters mean a longer sound. Children can cut out a paper star for a window, since Greenland's windows glow with them, and say the greeting while hanging it. Add the Danish 'Glædelig Jul' as a bonus.^[1][3]

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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.

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