Merry Christmas in Norwegian
God jul
Say it like this: goo YOOL
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Norwegian, Merry Christmas is God jul, said like goo YOOL.
- Happy New Year is Godt nyttår.
- People say it in Norway.
What God jul means
'God' means good and 'jul' means Yule, the old Nordic midwinter feast. Norwegians still use the word jul for Christmas, so it is 'Good Yule'.
Other ways to say it in Norwegian
Gledelig jul
Say it like this: GLAY-deh-lee YOOL
Means 'joyful Yule'. Common on cards.
Happy New Year
Godt nyttår
Say it like this: got NEWT-ohr
Happy New Year (literally "good new year")
To write in a Christmas card
God jul og godt nyttår
Say it like this: goo YOOL oh got NEWT-ohr
Where people speak Norwegian
Norway
Norwegian (Norsk) 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 Oslo at about 12:05 AM local time, and kids learn to say God jul as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Oslo →Christmas traditions where people speak Norwegian
- Little Christmas Eve: December 23 is called lille julaften, or Little Christmas Eve. Many families use the day to decorate the Christmas tree, and some let children open one small present as a teaser for the big day.[3]
- Rice porridge with a hidden almond: On Christmas Eve, many Norwegian families eat rice porridge with one whole almond hidden inside. The person who finds the almond wins a prize, which is usually a marzipan pig.[3][4]
- Julenisse, the Christmas gnome: Norwegian gifts are brought by Julenissen, who looks like Santa, and by small gnomes called nisse. A bowl of rice porridge is sometimes left out for the nisse, who is believed to guard the farm animals.[3][4]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Norwegian
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- DanishGlædelig jul
- DutchVrolijk kerstfeest
- GermanFrohe Weihnachten
- IcelandicGleðileg jól
- SwedishGod jul
- SlovenianVesel božič
- AlbanianGëzuar Krishtlindjen
- BelarusianЗ Калядамі
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Norwegian?
The most common way is "God jul" (goo YOOL). Norwegians also say "Gledelig jul", which means joyful Yule, especially on cards. Both are friendly and polite, and both work across Norway. Cards often say "God jul og godt nyttår".[1][2]
How do you pronounce God jul?
Say "goo YOOL". The g is hard, as in go, and the d at the end of god is silent. The j in jul sounds like an English y. The u in jul is a special Nordic vowel: round your lips as for oo and try to say ee at the same time.[1]
What does God jul mean?
God means good and jul means Yule, the ancient midwinter feast that Norwegians still use as their word for Christmas. So the phrase means Good Yule. Compound words include julaften (Christmas Eve), julenisse (Christmas gnome) and julegave (Christmas gift).[1][3]
How do you write God jul?
Write it as God jul. Norwegian common nouns are not capitalized, so jul has a small j. On cards, only the first word is capitalized. Norwegian has three extra letters, å, æ and ø, but this greeting does not use them. Godt nyttår is written as one word.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Norwegian?
Say "Godt nyttår" (got NEWT-ohr), which means good new year. You can also write it as two words, godt nytt år. Cards often read "God jul og godt nyttår". Norwegians usually say it just after midnight on New Year's Eve, often with fireworks.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Norwegian?
God jul is polite for everyone, including teachers and neighbors. Norwegian uses du for almost everyone, so there is little difference between formal and casual. "Gledelig jul" is also common on cards. An easy full phrase is "Jeg ønsker deg en god jul", which means I wish you a Merry Christmas.[1]
When do people say God jul in Norway?
People say it in the last days before December 24 and on Christmas Eve itself. They also say it on December 25 and 26, which are public holidays. After the holidays, Norwegians switch to Godt nyttår.[3]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Norway?
Christmas Eve, julaften, is the main celebration. Families have a special dinner, walk around the tree and open gifts brought by Julenissen. The day before, December 23, is called lille julaften, Little Christmas Eve, when many decorate the tree. December 25 is calmer.[3][4]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Norway?
Many families eat rice porridge, risengrynsgrøt, on Christmas Eve, with a single almond hidden inside. The person who finds it wins a marzipan pig. Some families also leave porridge for the nisse, the little gnome who watches over the farm animals.[3][4]
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 Norway, Wikipedia
- Christmas in Norway, WhyChristmas.com