Merry Christmas in Italian
Buon Natale
Say it like this: bwohn nah-TAH-leh
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Italian, Merry Christmas is Buon Natale, said like bwohn nah-TAH-leh.
- Happy New Year is Buon anno.
- People say it in Italy, Switzerland (Ticino), San Marino, Vatican City.
What Buon Natale means
'Buon' is a short form of 'buono', meaning good, and 'Natale' means Christmas. The word Natale is related to the Latin word for birth.
Other ways to say it in Italian
Buone Feste
Say it like this: BWOH-neh FEH-steh
Means "happy holidays". A friendly wish for the whole season, from Christmas to New Year.
Tanti auguri di Buon Natale
Say it like this: TAHN-tee ow-GOO-ree dee bwohn nah-TAH-leh
Means "many good wishes for a Merry Christmas". Common on cards and in messages.
Happy New Year
Buon anno
Say it like this: bwohn AHN-noh
Happy New Year (literally "good year")
To write in a Christmas card
Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo
Say it like this: bwohn nah-TAH-leh eh feh-LEE-cheh AHN-noh NWOH-voh
Where people speak Italian
ItalySwitzerland (Ticino)San MarinoVatican City
Italian (Italiano) belongs to the Romance (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 Rome at about 12:35 AM local time, and kids learn to say Buon Natale as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Rome →Christmas traditions where people speak Italian
- Il presepe, the nativity scene: The presepe is one of Italy's best-loved Christmas customs. Saint Francis of Assisi made a living nativity scene in Greccio in 1223, and the tradition grew from there. Naples is famous for its detailed scenes.[3][4]
- La Vigilia, the Christmas Eve dinner: Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally meat-free, with fish dishes on many tables. On Christmas Day, families enjoy another big meal, and panettone, a sweet bread with dried fruit, is a favorite treat.[3][4]
- La Befana on January 6: Italian children also wait for La Befana, a friendly old woman who flies on a broomstick on the night of January 5. She leaves sweets and small gifts for good children and coal for naughty ones.[5]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Italian
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Celebrate with kids
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- FrenchJoyeux Noël
- IcelandicGleðileg jól
- DanishGlædelig jul
- LuxembourgishSchéine Chrëschtdag
- CroatianSretan Božić
- BosnianSretan Božić
- SwedishGod jul
- BasqueEguberri on
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Italian?
The most common way is "Buon Natale" (bwohn nah-TAH-leh). Italians also say "Buone Feste", which means happy holidays, and "Tanti auguri di Buon Natale", which means many good wishes for a Merry Christmas. All of them are friendly and polite.[1]
How do you pronounce Buon Natale?
Say "bwohn nah-TAH-leh". Buon is one short syllable, like the start of the word bone with a w sound. Natale has three parts, with the stress on TAH. Italian vowels are clear and pure, so say the final e like the e in bed.[1]
What does Buon Natale mean?
Buon is a short form of buono, meaning good, and Natale means Christmas, so it means Good Christmas or Merry Christmas. The word Natale comes from the Latin word for birth, which links to the birth of Jesus in the Christmas story.[1]
How do you write Buon Natale?
Write it as Buon Natale. Buon has no apostrophe, because the final o is simply dropped before a word that starts with a consonant. Natale usually has a capital N when it means the holiday. On cards, both words often begin with a capital letter.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Italian?
Say "Buon anno" (bwohn AHN-noh), or the longer "Felice anno nuovo" (feh-LEE-cheh AHN-noh NWOH-voh). Cards often read "Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo". In Italy, many people also say "Buon anno" before January 1, as a friendly goodbye in late December.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Italian?
Buon Natale is fine for everyone. For a more formal note, write "Auguri di buon Natale" or "Le auguro un sereno Natale", meaning I wish you a peaceful Christmas. Use Le with adults you do not know well, and ti with friends and children.[1]
When do people say Buon Natale?
People say it in the weeks before December 25, and most of all on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Italians also send cards with Buone Feste. The holiday season lasts until Epiphany on January 6, when La Befana visits.[3][5]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Italy?
Both matter. Christmas Eve, La Vigilia, has a traditional meat-free dinner, often with fish. Christmas Day is for a big family lunch. December 26, Saint Stephen's Day, is also a public holiday in Italy, so many families celebrate for several days.[3][4]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Italy?
The presepe, or nativity scene, is one of Italy's best-loved traditions. Families and towns build detailed scenes with figures of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds and animals. The custom is linked to Saint Francis of Assisi, who made a living nativity scene in 1223.[3]
How can I teach kids to say Buon Natale?
Say it in two beats: bwohn, nah-TAH-leh. Kids like the stress on TAH, so they can clap on it. Draw a presepe together and label it Buon Natale. Teach them La Befana too, a fun Italian figure that kids enjoy hearing about.[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.
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We check every greeting against dictionaries, language institutes and cultural sources.
- merry Christmas (translations), Wiktionary
- happy New Year (translations), Wiktionary
- Christmas in Italy, Wikipedia
- Christmas in Italy, WhyChristmas.com
- Befana, Wikipedia
