Merry Christmas in Icelandic
Gleðileg jól
Say it like this: GLETH-ih-leg YOHL
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Icelandic, Merry Christmas is Gleðileg jól, said like GLETH-ih-leg YOHL.
- Happy New Year is Gleðilegt nýtt ár.
- People say it in Iceland.
What Gleðileg jól means
'Gleðileg' means joyful, from 'gleði' (joy), and 'jól' means Yule, the old midwinter feast that Icelanders still use as their word for Christmas.
Other ways to say it in Icelandic
Happy New Year
Gleðilegt nýtt ár
Say it like this: GLETH-ih-legt NEE-t owr
Happy New Year (literally "joyful new year")
To write in a Christmas card
Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár
Say it like this: GLETH-ih-leg YOHL og FAR-sighlt KOH-man-dee owr
Where people speak Icelandic
Iceland
Icelandic (Íslenska) 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 Reykjavík at about 12:20 AM local time, and kids learn to say Gleðileg jól as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Reykjavík →Christmas traditions where people speak Icelandic
- The 13 Yule Lads: For 13 nights before Christmas, one Yule Lad arrives each night. Children put a shoe on the windowsill, and good children find small gifts in it in the morning, while naughty ones may get a rotten potato.[4][3]
- The Christmas Book Flood: Jólabókaflóð means Christmas Book Flood. Books are a very popular present and are traditionally given on Christmas Eve, and many people read late into the night.[5]
- Christmas begins at 6 p.m: Christmas in Iceland starts at 6 p.m. on December 24 when the church bells ring. Religious families attend mass, while others begin their holiday meal right away, then open gifts after the meal.[3]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Icelandic
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- DanishGlædelig jul
- DutchVrolijk kerstfeest
- GermanFrohe Weihnachten
- NorwegianGod jul
- SwedishGod jul
- GalicianBo Nadal
- LatvianPriecīgus Ziemassvētkus
- SerbianСрећан Божић
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Icelandic?
The Icelandic way to say Merry Christmas is "Gleðileg jól" (GLETH-ih-leg YOHL). Icelanders use it in person and on cards. Many cards say "Gleðileg jól og farsælt komandi ár", which means Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year to come.[1][2]
How do you pronounce Gleðileg jól?
Say "GLETH-ih-leg YOHL". The ð in gleðileg sounds like the th in the English word this. The j in jól sounds like an English y, and the ó is a long oh sound. Icelandic stress is on the first syllable of each word.[1]
What does Gleðileg jól mean?
Gleðileg means joyful, from the word gleði, meaning joy, and jól means Yule, the ancient midwinter feast that Icelanders use as the word for Christmas. So the phrase means Joyful Yule. Jól is also the origin of the English word Yule.[1][6]
How do you write Gleðileg jól?
Write it as Gleðileg jól. The letter ð is called eth, and is a soft th sound. The ó has an accent mark that makes it a long vowel. Icelandic common nouns are not capitalized, so jól has a small j. On cards, only the first word is capitalized.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Icelandic?
Say "Gleðilegt nýtt ár" (GLETH-ih-legt NEE-t owr), which means joyful new year. The ý is pronounced like ee, and ár sounds like owr. A longer card wish is "farsælt komandi ár", a prosperous coming year. Cards often combine Christmas and New Year wishes.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Icelandic?
Gleðileg jól is polite for everyone, including teachers and neighbors. Icelanders use the casual form of you with almost everyone, so there is no big difference between formal and casual. On a card, you can add "og farsælt komandi ár" for a warm, traditional message.[1][2]
When do people say Gleðileg jól in Iceland?
People say it throughout December and especially on Christmas Eve at 6 p.m., when the church bells ring and the holiday begins. They also say it on December 25 and 26. The Christmas season lasts thirteen days, ending on January 6, so greetings can last into the new year.[3]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Iceland?
Christmas Eve is the main celebration. It starts at 6 p.m. when the church bells ring, then families share a meal and open gifts. Many people give and read a new book that night. December 25 and 26 are quieter days for visiting relatives and enjoying treats.[3][5]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Iceland?
The 13 Yule Lads are the best-known tradition. They are mischievous characters who come to town one by one before Christmas. Children leave a shoe on the windowsill and find small gifts in it. If they were naughty, they might find a rotten potato instead.[4][3]
How can I teach kids to say Gleðileg jól?
Practice the th sound in the middle, as in the word this. Say GLETH-ih-leg and YOHL in two beats. Kids can put a shoe on the windowsill and imagine the Yule Lads visiting, and then write Gleðileg jól on a card. Reading a new book on Christmas Eve is fun too.[4][5]
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
- Christmas in Iceland, Wikipedia
- Yule Lads, Wikipedia
- Icelandic Christmas book flood, Wikipedia
- Christmas in Iceland, WhyChristmas.com
