Nollaig Chridheil
Nollaig Chridheil is the Gaelic way to say merry christmas.
Nollaig Chridheil is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. In Scottish Gaelic, it is common to extend the greeting by saying Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr to wish someone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In Irish Gaelic, one might use Beannachtaí na Nollag duit to wish someone a Christmas blessing.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
Which one should you use?
Nollaig shona dhaoibh is a specific variation used when addressing a group of people formally.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Scottish Gaelic, the phrase Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr is a common way to wish someone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In Irish Gaelic, the expression Beannachtaí na Nollag duit is used to convey Christmas wishes or blessings.
Did you know?
- While chridheil is used for 'merry' in Scottish Gaelic, it shares a root with words relating to the heart. This suggests a 'heartfelt' wish rather than just a festive one.
- The word Nollaig is actually a linguistic descendant of the Latin word 'natalicia', which originally referred to a 'birthday party'.
- In Irish Gaelic, Christmas greetings often center on the word Beannachtaí, meaning 'blessings'. This reflects a cultural preference for wishing divine favor rather than just a 'merry' state of mind.
Examples in context
- Nollaig Chridheil!Merry Christmas!This example shows how to use Nollaig Chridheil as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #5751041 by Cainntear, translation #1723 by brauliobezerra
Example conversation
Mairead and Hamish meet in the street before the holidays.
- MaireadHalo, a Hamish! Nollaig Chridheil!Hello, Hamish! Merry Christmas!
- HamishNollaig Chridheil, a Mhairead!Merry Christmas, Mairead!
- MaireadCiamar a tha thu?How are you?
- HamishTha mi gu math, tapadh leat.I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry christmas” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nollaig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
