Merry Christmas in Scottish Gaelic
Nollaig Chridheil
Say it like this: NOLL-ik KHREE-yul
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Scottish Gaelic, Merry Christmas is Nollaig Chridheil, said like NOLL-ik KHREE-yul.
- Happy New Year is Bliadhna Mhath Ùr.
- People say it in Scotland (Highlands and Islands), Canada (Nova Scotia).
What Nollaig Chridheil means
'Nollaig' means Christmas and 'chridheil' means hearty or cheerful, from 'cridhe', the word for heart. So it is 'Hearty Christmas'.
Other ways to say it in Scottish Gaelic
Happy New Year
Bliadhna Mhath Ùr
Say it like this: BLEE-uh-nuh vah OOR
Happy New Year (literally "good new year")
To write in a Christmas card
Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr
Say it like this: NOLL-ik KHREE-yul AH-gus BLEE-uh-nuh vah OOR
Where people speak Scottish Gaelic
Scotland (Highlands and Islands)Canada (Nova Scotia)
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) belongs to the Celtic (Goidelic, 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 Scottish Gaelic today, then follow his trip.
Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →Christmas traditions where people speak Scottish Gaelic
- A quiet Christmas: Christmas was traditionally observed very quietly in Scotland, because the Church of Scotland never placed much emphasis on it. Christmas Day was a normal working day until the 1960s, and in some areas the 1970s.[3]
- Hogmanay and first-footing: New Year's Eve, called Hogmanay, was by far the biggest celebration. After midnight, the first guest of the new year, the first-foot, brings gifts such as coal, shortbread and black bun for good luck.[3][4]
- Oatmeal bannocks: Bannock cakes made of oatmeal are traditionally eaten at Christmas in Scotland. Edinburgh now has a traditional German Christmas market from late November until Christmas Eve.[3]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Scottish Gaelic
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Celebrate with kids
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- IrishNollaig Shona
- MalteseIl-Milied it-Tajjeb
- DanishGlædelig jul
- BasqueEguberri on
- IcelandicGleðileg jól
- NorwegianGod jul
- LithuanianLinksmų Kalėdų
- SlovakVeselé Vianoce
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Scottish Gaelic?
The Scottish Gaelic way to say Merry Christmas is "Nollaig Chridheil" (NOLL-ik KHREE-yul). It is used in Gaelic-speaking communities in the Highlands and Islands and by learners everywhere. Cards often add "agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr", and a Happy New Year.[1]
How do you pronounce Nollaig Chridheil?
Say "NOLL-ik KHREE-yul". The ch is a rough sound from the back of the throat, like the ch in the Scottish word loch. The dh in chridheil is almost silent, so the word flows as KHREE-yul. The ll in Nollaig is a firm l, and the final g sounds like k.[1]
What does Nollaig Chridheil mean?
Nollaig means Christmas and chridheil means hearty or cheerful, from the word cridhe, meaning heart. So the phrase is a heartfelt Merry Christmas. The word Nollaig is related to the Irish word for Christmas, as Scottish Gaelic and Irish are close cousins.[1]
How do you write Nollaig Chridheil?
Write it as Nollaig Chridheil, with a capital N and a capital C on cards. The ch at the start of chridheil is a spelling change that happens in Gaelic grammar. Scottish Gaelic uses a grave accent, as in Ùr, rather than the acute accent used in Irish.[1][2]
How do you say Happy New Year in Scottish Gaelic?
Say "Bliadhna Mhath Ùr" (BLEE-uh-nuh vah OOR), which means a good new year. In Scotland, New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay, and it was traditionally the biggest celebration. Cards often read "Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr", where agus means and.[2][4]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Scottish Gaelic?
Nollaig Chridheil is warm and polite for everyone. Gaelic has formal and informal words for you, so you can add dhut (to you, one person) or dhuibh (to you, a group or someone you respect). For simple greetings, the short phrase works well in every situation.[1]
When do people say Nollaig Chridheil in Scotland?
People say it from early December through December 25 and 26. Because Scotland has traditionally focused more on Hogmanay, many Gaelic speakers also share greetings for the New Year. Christmas Day only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958, which is part of why the New Year wishes are so important.[3]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Scotland?
Today, Christmas Day, December 25, is the main celebration, with Christmas Eve a time for preparing. For a long time, though, Christmas was quiet in Scotland. Christmas Day became a public holiday in 1958, and Hogmanay on December 31 was by far the biggest celebration.[3]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Scotland?
Hogmanay is the big tradition. After midnight, the first person to enter a home, the first-foot, brings gifts such as coal, shortbread, whisky and black bun, meant to bring good luck. Oatmeal bannocks are traditionally eaten at Christmas, and Edinburgh has a German Christmas market.[4][3]
How can I teach kids to say Nollaig Chridheil?
Say the two words slowly, then faster: NOLL-ik, KHREE-yul. Kids love the throaty ch sound. Share some shortbread, one of the first-foot gifts at Hogmanay, and write Nollaig Chridheil on the card. Remind them that Gaelic is spoken in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.[4][3]
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 Scotland, Wikipedia
- Hogmanay, Wikipedia
