Kalėdos
[kɐˈlʲěːd̪oːs̪]feminine, plural
Christmas in Lithuanian is Kalėdos.
Kalėdos refers to the festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Meaning: festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ which in Western Christianity is celebrated on December 25 in most places (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the genitive form Kalėdų to express possession or to modify a noun, such as in the phrase Kalėdų vakaras (Christmas Eve). The instrumental form Kalėdomis is used with certain prepositions to indicate the time during which an event occurs, such as when saying Kalėdomis (at Christmas).
Did you know?
- The word Kalėdos is borrowed from the Belarusian word каля́ды, which originates from the Proto-Slavic root *kolęda.
- During Kalėdos, it is a custom to place a handful of straw under the tablecloth to symbolize the manger where Jesus was born.
- It is a tradition in Lithuania to look for the first star in the sky before beginning the Kalėdos feast.
Examples in context
- Rytoj Kalėdos.Tomorrow is Christmas.This sentence is useful for stating that tomorrow is Kalėdos.Tatoeba #1641498 by fanty, translation #386766 by Mouseneb
- Su Kalėdomis!Merry Christmas!
Example conversation
Andrius and Eglė are talking about their holiday plans.
- AndriusKada prasideda tavo Kalėdos?When does your Christmas start?
- EglėMano Kalėdos prasideda gruūdžio dvidešvogto vakarą.My Christmas starts on the evening of December 24th.
- AndriusKą tu rengi šiais metais?What are you organizing this year?
- EglėRengiau didelę vaklydelę šeimai.I organized a big dinner for the family.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Christmas” translations and entries Kalėdos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Kalėdos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
