Ways to say it
| Macedonian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Среќен Божиќ | Sreḱen Božiḱ | [ˈsrɛcɛn ˈbɔʒic] (word by word, narrow) |
| Христос се роди | Hristos se rodi | [ˈxristɔs sɛ ˈrɔdi] (word by word, narrow) |
| Навистина се роди | Navistina se rodi | [naˈvistina sɛ ˈrɔdi] (word by word, narrow) |
The phrase is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. While Среќен Божиќ serves as a general way to say Merry Christmas, the phrase Христос се роди is a traditional religious greeting used specifically by Orthodox Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Среќен Божиќ is composed of the adjective среќен (happy) and the noun Божиќ (Christmas).
Which one should you use?
Среќен Божиќ is a general greeting for the holiday, whereas Христос се роди is a traditional liturgical greeting meaning 'Christ is born'.
How do you pronounce it?
Sreḱen Božiḱ
When do people say it?
In Macedonian Orthodox tradition, when someone greets you with the religious phrase Христос се роди, the traditional response is to say Навистина се роди, which means 'Truly He is born'.
Did you know?
- Because the Macedonian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7th, saying Среќен Божиќ in late December may be premature for traditionalists.
- In Macedonian culture, the greeting Христос се роди is often accompanied by the tradition of the 'badnik' oak log, which is burned on Christmas Eve to symbolize warmth and light.
- The word Христос was borrowed directly from the Ancient Greek Χρῑστός, reflecting the deep historical influence of Byzantium on the Macedonian language.
Examples in context
- Среќен Божиќ и светли празници!Merry Christmas and bright holidays
- Ти посакувам Среќен Божиќ.Ti posakuvam Sreќen Božiќ.I wish you a Merry Christmas.
- Среќен Божиќ и среќни празници.Sreќen Božiќ i sreќni praznici.Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street during the holidays.
- Марија MarijaЗдраво Марко, Среќен Божиќ!Zdravo Marko, Sreken Bozhik!Hello Marko, Merry Christmas!
- Марко MarkoФала ти, Марија! И на тебе Среќен Божиќ!Fala ti, Marija! I na tebe Sreken Bozhik!Thank you, Marija! Merry Christmas to you too!
- Марија MarijaДали ќе одиш на вечеря денес?Dali kje odish na vechera denes?Are you going to dinner today?
- Марко MarkoДа, одиме кај моето семејство.Da, odime kaj moeto semejstvo.Yes, we are going to my family's.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (среќен, Божиќ, Христос, се, роди, навистина) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Божиќ, Христос, роди, се, CC BY-SA 4.0.
