How to Say Merry Christmas in Latin

Europe

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Latin

Felix dies Nativitatis

Say it like this: FEH-leeks DEE-ehs nah-tee-vee-TAH-tees

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Latin, Merry Christmas is Felix dies Nativitatis, said like FEH-leeks DEE-ehs nah-tee-vee-TAH-tees.
Happy New Year is Felix sit annus novus.
People say it in Vatican City (official language of the Holy See), The Catholic Church, Schools and Latin clubs worldwide.

What Felix dies Nativitatis means

Other ways to say it in Latin

Natale hilare

Say it like this: nah-TAH-leh hee-LAH-reh

Means 'merry Christmas'. Natale comes from the Latin word for birth.

Happy New Year

Felix sit annus novus

Say it like this: FEH-leeks sit AHN-noos NOH-voos

may the new year be happy, word for word 'happy be the year new'

Where people speak Latin

Vatican City (official language of the Holy See)The Catholic ChurchSchools and Latin clubs worldwide

Latin (lingua Latina) belongs to the Indo-European, Italic (the ancestor of Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) language family.

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Christmas traditions where people speak Latin

Midnight Mass: Midnight Mass is the first Mass of Christmas, held on Christmas Eve and traditionally beginning at midnight. For many centuries the Catholic Mass was celebrated in Latin, so Latin sounds are heard in Christmas liturgy.^[3]
Adeste Fideles: Adeste Fideles is a Latin carol, known in English as O Come, All Ye Faithful. Its earliest printed version was published by John Francis Wade, and a manuscript of his from 1751 survives. It is still sung in Latin.^[4]
Latin in the Vatican: Latin is the official language of the Holy See, which is based in Vatican City. Its public journal, the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, is written in Latin, so Latin greetings still belong to Church life.^[5]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Latin

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Say Merry Christmas in more languages

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Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Latin?

The most common way to say Merry Christmas in Latin is Felix dies Nativitatis, pronounced "FEH-leeks DEE-ehs nah-tee-vee-TAH-tees". Latin has no everyday native speakers today, so greetings follow older church and school usage. Another listed form is Natale hilare, which also wishes a merry Christmas.^[1]

How do you pronounce Merry Christmas in Latin?

Say it like this: FEH-leeks DEE-ehs nah-tee-vee-TAH-tees. The capital letters show the stressed syllable, so say that part a little louder and longer. In Church Latin, v sounds like English v, c before e or i sounds like ch, and the ti in Nativitatis sounds like tee. Classical Latin is different: v sounds like w and c is always a hard k.

What does Merry Christmas mean word for word in Latin?

Word for word it is 'felix' (happy), 'dies' (day) and 'Nativitatis' (of the Nativity, of the birth). So it means 'happy day of the Nativity'. The sounds shown here follow the Church Latin pronunciation used in the Catholic Church. Nativitas is the Latin word for birth. It gives the English word Nativity and Spanish Navidad, while natalis, the base of Natale, gives the Italian Natale and Catalan Nadal.^[1]

How do you write Merry Christmas in Latin?

Write it as Felix dies Nativitatis. Latin has no accents in ordinary writing, although some books add long marks over vowels, as in fēlīx. Capitalise Nativitatis, because it names the feast. The classical Latin alphabet has no j or w.

How do you say Happy New Year in Latin?

Happy New Year in Latin is Felix sit annus novus, pronounced "FEH-leeks sit AHN-noos NOH-voos". It means may the new year be happy, word for word 'happy be the year new'. In Latin the verb sit means may it be, which turns the phrase into a wish. Latin word order is flexible, so you may also see the words in a different order.^[2]

Is there a formal and a casual way to say Merry Christmas in Latin?

Latin greetings sound a little formal, because Latin is used in church, schools and ceremonies. Felix dies Nativitatis is the fuller form, wishing a happy day of the Nativity. Natale hilare is shorter. Both are friendly, and neither is rude.^[1]

When do people say Merry Christmas in Latin?

Latin greetings are used in church services, Latin classes, school Christmas cards and online Latin groups around December 24 and 25. Everyday speakers of living languages use their own words, so Latin is mostly heard at ceremonies.^[5]

Which day is the main Christmas celebration for Latin speakers: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Latin follows the Christian calendar. Christmas Eve is December 24, with Midnight Mass, and Christmas Day is December 25. In the Western Church, Midnight Mass is the first Mass of Christmas, and Christmas Day is the feast itself.^[3]

What is Midnight Mass?

Midnight Mass is the first Mass of Christmas, held on Christmas Eve and traditionally beginning at midnight. For many centuries the Catholic Mass was celebrated in Latin, so Latin words are still heard in Christmas liturgy and in carols such as Adeste Fideles.^[3]

How can I teach Merry Christmas in Latin to kids?

Teach Latin Christmas words by pairing them with languages kids know. Natale looks like Italian Natale, Nativitas looks like Nativity, and felix looks like felicity. Singing a verse of Adeste Fideles is the best way to practise the pronunciation.

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