Merry Christmas in Polish
Wesołych Świąt
Say it like this: veh-SOH-wikh SHVYONT
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Polish, Merry Christmas is Wesołych Świąt, said like veh-SOH-wikh SHVYONT.
- Happy New Year is Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku.
- People say it in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine.
What Wesołych Świąt means
'Wesołych' means merry or cheerful and 'Świąt' means holidays, so it is 'Merry Holidays'. The full greeting adds 'Bożego Narodzenia', meaning 'of God's Birth', or Christmas.
Other ways to say it in Polish
Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia
Say it like this: veh-SOH-wikh SHVYONT boh-ZHEH-goh nah-roh-DZEN-yah
The full form, meaning "Merry Christmas holidays". Often written on cards.
Happy New Year
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
Say it like this: shchen-SHLEE-veh-goh noh-VEH-goh ROH-koo
Happy New Year (literally "happy new year")
To write in a Christmas card
Wesołych Świąt i szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
Say it like this: veh-SOH-wikh SHVYONT ee shchen-SHLEE-veh-goh noh-VEH-goh ROH-koo
Where people speak Polish
PolandLithuaniaBelarusUkraine
Polish (Polski) belongs to the Slavic (Indo-European) 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 Polish today, then follow his trip.
Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →Christmas traditions where people speak Polish
- Waiting for the first star: The Wigilia supper on December 24 begins when the first star appears in the sky, recalling the Star of Bethlehem. Children watch the sky, hoping to be first to shout that the star has come.[3][5]
- Opłatek, twelve dishes and an empty seat: The meal starts with sharing the opłatek, a thin Christmas wafer. There are twelve meatless dishes, often with carp, and one empty place is set for an unexpected guest. Hay is sometimes placed under the tablecloth.[3][4]
- St. Nicholas Day on December 6: The season begins informally on December 6, St. Nicholas Day. Well-behaved children receive small gifts, while those who were naughty may find a lump of coal or a twig.[3]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Polish
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- CzechVeselé Vánoce
- RussianС Рождеством!
- UkrainianЗ Різдвом!
- BulgarianВесела Коледа
- FrenchJoyeux Noël
- AlbanianGëzuar Krishtlindjen
- LatinFelix dies Nativitatis
- EsperantoFeliĉan Kristnaskon
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Polish?
The most common way is "Wesołych Świąt" (veh-SOH-wikh SHVYONT), which literally means Merry Holidays. The full greeting is "Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia", Merry Christmas holidays. Cards often add: "i szczęśliwego Nowego Roku", and a Happy New Year.[1][2]
How do you pronounce Wesołych Świąt?
Say "veh-SOH-wikh SHVYONT". The w sounds like v, and the ł in wesołych sounds like the English w. The ch is a rough sound like in the Scottish word loch. The ś sounds like sh, and the ą in świąt is a nasal on sound. Stress is on the second to last syllable.[1]
What does Wesołych Świąt mean?
Wesołych means merry and Świąt means holidays, so it literally means Merry Holidays. The phrase is also used at Easter, so the full Christmas version adds Bożego Narodzenia, God's Birth, which is the Polish name for Christmas. The word Gwiazdka, little star, is also used for Christmas Eve.[1][3]
How do you write Wesołych Świąt?
Write it as Wesołych Świąt. Both words start with a capital letter on cards. Polish has special letters: ł in wesołych, and ś and ą in świąt. They change the sounds, so they are important. The full version is Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia, with ż in Bożego.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Polish?
Say "Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku" (shchen-SHLEE-veh-goh noh-VEH-goh ROH-koo), meaning happy new year. A shorter, traditional wish is "Do siego roku", which wishes you many more years. Cards often combine the two holidays: Wesołych Świąt i szczęśliwego Nowego Roku. Say the long word slowly, in chunks.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Polish?
Wesołych Świąt is polite for everyone. For a more formal or religious card, use the full "Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia" or add "Życzę Państwu" (I wish you) for a group of adults. With close friends and children, the short wish is warm and friendly.[1]
When do people say Wesołych Świąt in Poland?
People say it in the last days of Advent and on Christmas Eve, December 24, which has been a public holiday since 2025. They also say it on December 25 and 26. After Christmas, the greeting switches to Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku for the New Year.[1][6]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Poland?
Christmas Eve, Wigilia, is the most important day. The family supper begins when the first star appears. Christmas Eve became a public holiday in Poland from 2025, while December 25 and 26 are also public holidays. Many families go to midnight Mass, called Pasterka.[3][6][7]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Poland?
Wigilia is the big tradition. The supper starts when the first star appears. Families share the opłatek wafer, eat twelve meatless dishes, often with carp, and set an empty place for an unexpected guest. Some place hay under the tablecloth to remember the manger.[3][4][5]
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 Poland, Wikipedia
- Wigilia, Wikipedia
- Observance of Christmas by country, Wikipedia
- Polish parliament approves making Christmas Eve day off work, Notes from Poland
- Christmas in Poland, WhyChristmas.com
