How to Say Merry Christmas in Macedonian

Europe

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Macedonian

Среќен Божиќ

Sreḱen Božiḱ

Say it like this: SREH-chen BOH-zheech

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Macedonian, Merry Christmas is Среќен Божиќ (Sreḱen Božiḱ), said like SREH-chen BOH-zheech.
Happy New Year is Среќна Нова година (Sreḱna Nova godina).
People say it in North Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Serbia and more.

What Sreḱen Božiḱ means

Word for word it is 'среќен' (sreḱen, happy) plus 'Божиќ' (Božiḱ, Christmas). The spelling Божик (Božik) is also seen in everyday writing.

Macedonian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, with special letters such as ќ and ѓ that have no English match.

Other ways to say it in Macedonian

Христос се роди

Hristos se rodi

Say it like this: HREES-tos seh ROH-dee

Means 'Christ is born'. The traditional Orthodox Christmas greeting, answered with 'Навистина се роди' (Navistina se rodi), 'truly He is born'.

Happy New Year

Среќна Нова година

Sreḱna Nova godina

Say it like this: SREHCH-nah NOH-vah GOH-dee-nah

happy new year, word for word 'happy new year'

To write in a Christmas card

Среќен Божиќ и среќна Нова година

Sreḱen Božiḱ i sreḱna Nova godina

Say it like this: SREH-chen BOH-zheech ee SREHCH-nah NOH-vah GOH-dee-nah

Where people speak Macedonian

North MacedoniaAlbaniaGreeceSerbiaBulgaria

Macedonian (македонски (makedonski)) belongs to the Indo-European, South Slavic language family.

Say it with Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train to more than 100 places and teaches kids how to say Merry Christmas at every stop. Practice Macedonian today, then follow his trip.

Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →

Christmas traditions where people speak Macedonian

Kolede and the bonfires: On January 5, called Kolede, people in North Macedonia go carol singing around the neighbourhood, and children are given fruit, nuts and coins. Afterwards families gather around big bonfires, and a coin bread is shared.^[1]
The Badnik dinner: On Christmas Eve, January 6, families eat a meal with no meat or dairy, such as bean soup, baked fish, nuts and pickles. An oak log, the badnik, is brought into the house and lit.^[1]
Stars in the Skopje procession: On Christmas Eve, thousands of children walk through Skopje and other cities singing Christmas songs. Each child carries a golden star on a stick to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and some carry nativity scenes.^[1]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Macedonian

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

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

See all 103 languages →

Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Macedonian?

The most common way to say Merry Christmas in Macedonian is Среќен Божиќ (Sreḱen Božiḱ). It is pronounced "SREH-chen BOH-zheech". Macedonians also say the traditional Orthodox greeting Христос се роди, meaning Christ is born, and answer Навистина се роди, meaning truly He is born, especially on Christmas Day itself.^[1][2]

How do you pronounce Merry Christmas in Macedonian?

Say it like this: SREH-chen BOH-zheech. The capital letters show the stressed syllable, so say that part a little louder and longer. The letter ќ is a soft ch-like sound, close to a quick t and y together, and ж sounds like the s in measure. Macedonian stress usually falls on the third syllable from the end, so a two-syllable word stresses the first.

What does Merry Christmas mean word for word in Macedonian?

Word for word it is 'среќен' (sreḱen, happy) plus 'Божиќ' (Božiḱ, Christmas). The spelling Божик (Božik) is also seen in everyday writing. So the greeting wishes happiness at Christmas, and a longer form wishes happiness for the new year as well.^[2]

How do you write Merry Christmas in Macedonian?

Write it in Cyrillic as Среќен Божиќ. In the Latin alphabet it is Sreḱen Božiḱ. The letter ќ appears in Macedonian but not in Russian or Bulgarian. The spelling Божик is also seen in everyday writing, but Божиќ is the form Wiktionary lists.

How do you say Happy New Year in Macedonian?

Happy New Year in Macedonian is Среќна Нова година (Sreḱna Nova godina), pronounced "SREHCH-nah NOH-vah GOH-dee-nah". It means happy new year, word for word 'happy new year'. Macedonians say it at New Year, and many families celebrate New Year's Eve with a big party, with Dedo Mraz, Grandfather Frost, bringing gifts.^[3][1]

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

Среќен Божиќ is polite and friendly with everyone. For Orthodox Christians, especially in church or with older people, the traditional Христос се роди, answered by Навистина се роди, feels more respectful and religious. Children can use the short form with anyone, and it never sounds rude.^[1]

When do people say Merry Christmas in Macedonian?

Most Macedonians celebrate on January 7, so greetings are heard around January 5, 6 and 7. Because Christmas shares the season with New Year, Среќна Нова година is often said first, in late December. Greetings usually continue through the following days of the holiday.^[1]

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

Christmas Eve is January 6 and Christmas Day is January 7, because the Macedonian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar. Christmas Eve has the Badnik meal and processions, and Christmas Day has church services and a big family feast, often with roasted meats.^[1]

What is Kolede in North Macedonia?

On January 5, called Kolede, people in North Macedonia go carol singing around the neighbourhood, and children are given fruit, nuts and coins. Afterwards families gather around big bonfires, and a coin bread is shared. Whoever finds the coin in their piece is said to have good luck in the year ahead.^[1]

How can I teach Merry Christmas in Macedonian to kids?

Teach the call and answer Христос се роди and Навистина се роди as a game, with one child asking and another answering. Then make golden paper stars on sticks and walk around the room saying Среќен Божиќ, like the children in Skopje.

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.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)