How to Say Merry Christmas in Persian (Farsi)

Middle East

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Persian (Farsi)

کریسمس مبارک

Kerismas mobarak

Say it like this: keh-ris-MAS mo-bah-RAK

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Persian (Farsi), Merry Christmas is کریسمس مبارک (Kerismas mobarak), said like keh-ris-MAS mo-bah-RAK.
Happy New Year is سال نو مبارک (Sal-e no mobarak).
People say it in Iran.

What Kerismas mobarak means

'Kerismas' is Christmas, borrowed from English, and 'mobarak' means blessed or congratulations.

Persian is written from right to left in an Arabic-based script with four extra letters, and short vowels are usually left out.

Other ways to say it in Persian (Farsi)

میلاد مسیح مبارک باد

Milad-e Masih mobarak bad

Say it like this: mee-LAHD-eh mah-SEEH mo-bah-RAK bahd

Means 'blessed be the birth of Christ'. A more formal wording listed by Wiktionary.

Happy New Year

سال نو مبارک

Sal-e no mobarak

Say it like this: SAHL-eh NOH mo-bah-RAK

Happy New Year: 'sal-e no' means 'the new year'.

Where people speak Persian (Farsi)

Iran

Persian (Farsi) (فارسی) belongs to the Indo-European (Iranian) language family.

Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Tehran at about 12:00 AM local time, and kids learn to say کریسمس مبارک as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Tehran →

Christmas traditions where people speak Persian (Farsi)

Armenian Christmas on January 6: Iran's Armenian Christians follow the Oriental Orthodox tradition and celebrate Christmas on January 6, together with the Epiphany. Vank Cathedral in Isfahan's Jolfa district holds a major service on Christmas Eve.^[1][2]
Assyrian fast and visits: Iran's Assyrian Christians celebrate on December 25. Before Christmas they fast for 25 days without meat or dairy, then break the fast. They visit their clergy to wish them a merry Christmas.^[2]
Trees and nativity scenes: In Armenian neighborhoods of Tehran and Isfahan, shops sell Christmas decorations. Trees with lights and nativity scenes appear in shop windows and at the entrances of malls and hotels.^[1][3]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Persian (Farsi)

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

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

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Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Persian?

Say کریسمس مبارک, 'Kerismas mobarak'. 'Mobarak' is also used in 'Eid-e shoma mobarak' and many other Persian celebrations, so the pattern is easy to reuse. The greeting is used by Iran's Christians and by friends and neighbors who want to share their happiness at Christmas time.^[4]

How do you pronounce Kerismas mobarak?

Say 'keh-ris-MAS mo-bah-RAK'. 'Kerismas' follows the English word, with a small 'e' sound added before the 'r'. In 'mobarak' the stress falls on the last syllable, 'RAK', and the 'a' sounds like the 'a' in 'father'. Say each part slowly, then join them together.^[4]

What does Kerismas mobarak mean?

'Kerismas' is the English word 'Christmas' borrowed into Persian, and 'mobarak' is an Arabic-origin word meaning blessed or congratulations. The phrase means 'blessed Christmas' or 'congratulations on Christmas'. The same word shows up in many Persian greetings, including birthdays and New Year.^[4]

How do you write and spell it in Persian?

Persian is written from right to left in an Arabic-based script: کریسمس مبارک. Letters connect and change shape inside a word. In Latin letters you will see 'Kerismas mobarak', 'Christmas Mobarak' or 'Krismas mobarak', because there is no single standard way to write Persian in English letters.^[4]

How do you say Happy New Year in Persian?

Say سال نو مبارک, 'Sal-e no mobarak', pronounced 'SAHL-eh NOH mo-bah-RAK'. It means 'happy new year'. Iran's main New Year is Nowruz, on the first day of spring in March, so people use the same phrase for it. They also say it on January 1, when Christians and many others greet the new year.^[4]

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

The greeting itself is the same for everyone. In writing or with elders, you can follow it with a polite wish for health and happiness. Among friends, a short 'Kerismas mobarak!' is perfectly good. Young people may also send an English 'Merry Christmas' by text.^[4]

When do people say it in Iran?

Christians are a small minority in Iran, less than one percent. The date depends on the community: Assyrian Christians celebrate on December 25 and Armenian Christians on January 6. Christmas is not a public holiday in Iran, so greetings are mostly shared within Christian neighborhoods and among friends.^[1][2][3]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

For Armenian Christians the main moment is a Christmas Eve service before January 6. Vank Cathedral in Jolfa holds a major service. Assyrian Christians celebrate on December 25 after a 25-day fast, visiting clergy and taking Communion. Many families also celebrate at home with relatives and friends.^[1][2][3]

What are Christmas customs in Iran?

Many Christians in Tehran and Isfahan decorate trees with lights and set out nativity scenes, and families share festive meals at home. Armenian neighborhoods sell decorations in their shops. The fast before Christmas, special church services and visits to clergy are also part of Assyrian celebrations.^[2][3]

How can I teach Kerismas mobarak to kids?

Start with 'Kerismas', which sounds like Christmas, then add 'mobarak' in three beats: mo-ba-RAK. Teach 'sal-e no mobarak' too. Children can draw a Christmas tree and say the greeting while showing the picture. Many Iranian families also eat pomegranates on Yalda Night, another winter celebration, which makes a fun comparison.^[1][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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