Merry Christmas in Ukrainian
З Різдвом!
Z Rizdvom
Say it like this: z reez-DVOM
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Ukrainian, Merry Christmas is З Різдвом! (Z Rizdvom), said like z reez-DVOM.
- Happy New Year is З Новим роком! (Z Novym rokom).
- People say it in Ukraine, Poland, Canada, United States.
What Z Rizdvom means
'З' means 'with' and 'Різдвом' comes from 'Різдво', meaning Christmas or Nativity. So it is literally 'With Christmas!'.
Ukrainian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, which has 33 letters.
Other ways to say it in Ukrainian
З Різдвом Христовим!
Z Rizdvom Khrystovym
Say it like this: z reez-DVOM khris-TOH-vim
Means "with the Nativity of Christ". A fuller, more formal version.
Христос народився!
Khrystos narodyvsia
Say it like this: khris-TOHS nah-roh-DIV-syah
Means "Christ is born!". A traditional greeting. The reply is "Славимо Його!" (Slavymo Yoho), "Let us praise Him!".
Happy New Year
З Новим роком!
Z Novym rokom
Say it like this: z NOH-vim ROH-kom
Happy New Year (literally "with the new year")
To write in a Christmas card
З Новим роком та Різдвом Христовим!
Z Novym rokom ta Rizdvom Khrystovym
Say it like this: z NOH-vim ROH-kom tah reez-DVOM khris-TOH-vim
Where people speak Ukrainian
UkrainePolandCanadaUnited States
Ukrainian (Українська) belongs to the Slavic (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 Kyiv at about 12:25 AM local time, and kids learn to say З Різдвом! as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Kyiv →Christmas traditions where people speak Ukrainian
- Sviata Vecheria, the Holy Supper: On Christmas Eve, called Sviatyi Vechir (Holy Evening), families share a special meal. It traditionally begins when the first star appears and includes twelve meat-free dishes such as kutia, a sweet wheat dish.[3][4]
- The didukh: The head of the household brings in a sheaf of wheat called a didukh, which means grandfather spirit. It stands for the family's ancestors and for the importance of wheat in Ukraine, and it decorates the home.[3]
- Carols and spider-web decorations: Families sing carols called koliadky. Christmas trees are decorated with paper and silver wire spider webs called pavuchky, which means little spiders, because of an old Christmas spider story.[3][4]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Ukrainian
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- CzechVeselé Vánoce
- PolishWesołych Świąt
- RussianС Рождеством!
- SwedishGod jul
- GalicianBo Nadal
- GreekΚαλά Χριστούγεννα
- DutchVrolijk kerstfeest
- CroatianSretan Božić
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Ukrainian?
The most common way is З Різдвом, said "Z Rizdvom" (z reez-DVOM). A fuller version is З Різдвом Христовим. A traditional church greeting is Христос народився, Christ is born, and the reply is Славимо Його, Let us praise Him.[1][5]
How do you pronounce Z Rizdvom?
Say "z reez-DVOM". The first word is just a z sound joined to the next word. In Різдвом the stress is on the last part, DVOM. The first part, reez, rhymes with the English word fees, with a long ee, and the d and v are said together quickly.[1]
What does З Різдвом mean?
З means with, and Різдвом comes from Різдво, the Ukrainian word for Christmas, also meaning Nativity. So it literally means With Christmas, a short way to say Happy Christmas. Ukrainians use the same pattern for other holidays, such as З Новим роком, With the New Year.[1]
How do you write Merry Christmas in Ukrainian?
Write it in Cyrillic as З Різдвом. The Ukrainian alphabet has its own letters, such as і and ї, that Russian does not have. In Різдвом, the і sounds like ee. On cards, people often add an exclamation mark and write З Різдвом Христовим![1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Ukrainian?
Say З Новим роком (Z Novym rokom, z NOH-vim ROH-kom), which means with the New Year. Cards often combine both: З Новим роком та Різдвом Христовим. New Year, with a decorated tree and gifts, is a big holiday on December 31 and January 1 in Ukraine.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Ukrainian?
Yes. З Різдвом is friendly and polite, and З Різдвом Христовим is more formal and religious. The old greeting Христос народився! is used in churches and by families, and people reply Славимо Його! It is traditionally said from Christmas until Epiphany.[1][5]
When do people say З Різдвом in Ukraine?
Since 2023, Christmas is officially celebrated on December 25 in Ukraine, and the greeting is used then. Some families and churches still celebrate on January 7. Celebrations traditionally last from December 24 until January 6, the date of the baptism of Jesus.[3][4]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Ukraine?
Christmas Eve, December 24, called Sviatyi Vechir, has the special Holy Supper with twelve meat-free dishes, which starts when the first star appears. Christmas Day follows with church services, carols and visits. Since 2023, December 25 has been the official public holiday in Ukraine.[3][4]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Ukraine?
Families sing carols called koliadky, bring in the didukh, a sheaf of wheat that stands for ancestors, and share the Holy Supper with kutia. They also decorate the tree with pavuchky, ornaments shaped like spider webs, based on an old Christmas story.[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 Ukraine, Wikipedia
- Christmas in Ukraine, WhyChristmas.com
- Христос народився, Wiktionary
