How to Say Merry Christmas in Luxembourgish

Europe

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Luxembourgish

Schéine Chrëschtdag

Say it like this: SHAY-neh KRESHT-dahg

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Luxembourgish, Merry Christmas is Schéine Chrëschtdag, said like SHAY-neh KRESHT-dahg.
Happy New Year is Vill Gléck am Neie Joer.
People say it in Luxembourg.

What Schéine Chrëschtdag means

'Schéine' means beautiful or lovely, and 'Chrëschtdag' means Christmas Day (literally 'Christ day').

Other ways to say it in Luxembourgish

Schéi Chrëschtdeeg

Say it like this: shay KRESHT-dayk

The plural form, literally "beautiful Christmas days", also heard in Luxembourg.

Happy New Year

Vill Gléck am Neie Joer

Say it like this: fill GLAYK um NY-eh YOH-er

Lots of luck in the new year. 'Alles Guddes am neie Joer' means 'all the best in the new year'.

Where people speak Luxembourgish

Luxembourg

Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch) belongs to the Indo-European (Germanic) language family.

Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Luxembourg City at about 12:20 AM local time, and kids learn to say Schéine Chrëschtdag as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Luxembourg City →

Christmas traditions where people speak Luxembourgish

Kleeschen on December 6: On December 6, Saint Nicholas, called Kleeschen, visits children. Children who behaved well during the year receive sweets and presents.^[2]
Christmas markets: Luxembourg's Christmas markets sell Gromperekichelcher (potato fritters) and Glühwäin (mulled wine). Luxembourg City's Winterlights festival has a parade, markets and concerts.^[1]
Nativity plays: In many villages, children of the parish perform Krëppespiller, nativity plays, usually in church. Cribs are also part of the decorations and events.^[1]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Luxembourgish

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

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Say Merry Christmas in more languages

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Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Luxembourgish?

Say 'Schéine Chrëschtdag', which means a beautiful Christmas Day. You may also hear the plural 'Schéi Chrëschtdeeg'. Luxembourg is a trilingual country, so people also say 'Joyeux Noël' in French and 'Frohe Weihnachten' in German, but Luxembourgish speakers are proud to use their own language.^[4]

How do you pronounce Schéine Chrëschtdag?

Say 'SHAY-neh KRESHT-dahg'. The 'sch' is a 'sh' sound, 'é' sounds like 'ay', and the 'ë' is a short, neutral sound like the 'e' in 'the'. 'Chrëscht' has a soft 'ch' that blends into the 'sht', and the final 'g' is a light 'k' sound.^[4]

What does Chrëschtdag mean?

'Chrëschtdag' is Luxembourgish for Christmas Day, from 'Chrëscht' (Christ) and 'Dag' (day). 'Schéin' means beautiful or lovely, and the ending '-e' matches the noun. Luxembourgish is closely related to German, so German speakers will often recognize 'schöne' (beautiful).^[4]

How do you write and spell it in Luxembourgish?

Luxembourgish uses the Latin alphabet with accented letters é and ë, which are important: Schéine Chrëschtdag. The ë is a neutral vowel and the é is a long 'ay'. If you do not have these keys, hold down e on a keyboard, or use a Luxembourgish keyboard layout.^[4]

How do you say Happy New Year in Luxembourgish?

Say 'Vill Gléck am Neie Joer', meaning lots of luck in the new year, pronounced 'fill GLAYK um NY-eh YOH-er'. People also say 'Alles Guddes am neie Joer', meaning all the best in the new year. New Year's Eve is usually spent with family and friends, with crémant or champagne at midnight.^[3]

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

'Schéine Chrëschtdag' works for everyone. In Luxembourg's mixed-language settings, formal messages are often written in French, German or English as well. Luxembourgish is the language of family and friends, so using it is a warm, personal touch for neighbors and colleagues, and the same greeting suits both children and adults.^[4]

When do people say it in Luxembourg?

Mostly on and around December 24 and 25. Christmas Day, called Chrëschtdag, and Stiefesdag (Boxing Day, December 26) are legal holidays. Christmas markets and the Kleeschen visit on December 6 start the festive season weeks earlier, so wishes begin in early December.^[1][2]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

It varies by family. December 24 is called Hellegowend, and some families open presents that evening, while practising Christians attend midnight Mass (Metten). Christmas Day and December 26, Stiefesdag, are family days with a large meal. Many families treat all three days as one long celebration with relatives.^[1][2]

What are some Christmas traditions in Luxembourg?

On December 6 Kleeschen brings sweets to good children. Christmas markets serve potato fritters and mulled wine. Villages stage nativity plays, and the Chrëschtkëndchen, the baby Jesus, brings the gifts. Families decorate a Christmas tree, and the trees are later collected and burned on the big Buergbrennen bonfire.^[1][2]

How can I teach Schéine Chrëschtdag to kids?

Say it in beats: SHAY-neh KRESHT-dahg. Compare 'schéine' with the German word 'schöne' and the 'sht' sound of 'Chrëscht'. Children can write a letter to Kleeschen, and then practice the greeting as they hand over a card to a friend.^[2][4]

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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