Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| frohe Feiertage |
| frohe Festtage |
| frohes Fest |
These phrases are used as holiday greetings. If you want to be specific to Christmas rather than the general holiday season, you can say Frohe Weihnachten. You can also use Frohes Kwanzaa! as a specific greeting for Kwanzaa.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase frohe Feiertage is composed of the adjective frohe (happy/joyful) and the plural noun Feiertage (holidays/public holidays).
Which one should you use?
frohe Feiertage is a general greeting for the holiday season. In contrast, frohes Fest specifically refers to a single festive celebration or holiday. You may also use frohe Festtage as a variation.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because Feiertage is a plural noun in the accusative or nominative case used as an exclamation, the adjective froh takes the -e ending.
Did you know?
- The word fest is a linguistic chameleon. While it relates to 'celebration' in the context of 'frohes Fest', it also means 'firm' or 'solid', as seen in the German expression 'fest entschlossen', which means 'firmly determined'.
- Be careful with the word 'vacation'. While English speakers use 'holidays' to mean both festive seasons and trips to the beach, the German Feiertage refers strictly to days of public or religious celebration.
- The noun Fest shares a common ancestor with the English word 'feast'. Both words evolved from the Latin 'festum' to describe a time of joyful celebration.
Examples in context
- Frohe Feiertage.Happy holidays.This example shows a simple way to say 'Happy holidays.' using frohe Feiertage.Tatoeba #4942551 by Hans_Adler, translation #2044389 by CK
- Er hatte ihr frohe Feiertage gewünscht.He had wished her happy holidays.This example demonstrates the use of frohe Feiertage within a sentence describing a wish.Tatoeba #404784 by MUIRIEL, translation #510861 by wma
- Frohe Festtage!Happy holidays!This example shows how to use frohe Festtage as an exclamation.Tatoeba #7679278 by felix63, translation #2167977 by morgyn
- Ich wünsche dir frohe Feiertage und ein glückliches neues Jahr!I wish you happy holidays and a happy new year!
- Genieße die Feiertage mit deinen Liebsten!Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones!
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are saying goodbye to each other at a Christmas market.
- LukasSchöne Grüße an deine Familie und frohe Feiertage!Best wishes to your family and happy holidays!
- HannahVielen Dank, Lukas! Das wünsche ich dir auch.Thank you very much, Lukas! I wish you the same.
- LukasHast du schon Pläne für die Zeit?Do you already have plans for the holidays?
- HannahJa, ich reise zu meinen Eltern.Yes, I am traveling to my parents.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy holidays” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Fest, fest, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
