Heiligabend
masculine
Christmas Eve in German is Heiligabend. Wiktionary also lists Vortag vor Weihnachten.
Meaning: day before Christmas Day (name)
Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Heiligabend | masculine |
| Vortag vor Weihnachten | masculine |
Heiligabend is the name for the day before Christmas Day. While it is the standard term for the entire day of December 24th, the word itself emphasizes the evening.
What does it mean word for word?
Heiligabend is a compound of heilig (holy) and Abend (evening), literally meaning 'holy evening'.
Did you know?
- The verb weihnachten was not an ancient word but was coined in 1862 by the poet Theodor Storm.
- In many German households, the arrival of gifts on Heiligabend is attributed to the Christkind or Weihnachtsmann.
- While English speakers celebrate Christmas on December 25th, for many Germans, the main festivities and gift-giving actually occur on Heiligabend.
Examples in context
- Am 24. Dezember ist Heiligabend.December 24th is Christmas Eve.This sentence is useful for stating the date of Heiligabend.Tatoeba #2718807 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2718489 by CK
- Ich gehe Heiligabend gerne in die Kirche.I love church on Christmas Eve.This sentence is useful for expressing an activity one enjoys doing on Heiligabend.Tatoeba #12115075 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #12113773 by CK
- Ich verbringe Heiligabend bei meiner Familie.I'm spending Christmas Eve with my family.This sentence is useful for describing how one spends Heiligabend.Tatoeba #2297289 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2267234 by _undertoad
- Ich wünsche Ihnen einen besinnlichen Heiligen Abend!I wish you a reflective Christmas Eve!
- Lass uns am Weihnachtsabend traditionelle deutsche Gerichte genießen!Let's enjoy traditional German dishes on Christmas Eve!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their plans for the holiday.
- SarahWas machst du an Heiligabend?What are you doing on Christmas Eve?
- JulianIch feiere Heiligabend mit meiner Freundin.I am celebrating Christmas Eve with my girlfriend.
- SarahDas klingt sehr schön, Julian.That sounds very nice, Julian.
- JulianJa, ich freue mich sehr darauf.Yes, I am really looking forward to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Christmas eve” translations and entries Heiligabend, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Heiligabend, Vortag, Weihnachten, vor, weihnachten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
