Nollaig Shona
The English phrase "merry Christmas" is translated into Irish as Nollaig Shona.
Nollaig Shona is used to express good wishes during the Christmas season.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
Did you know?
- The word Nollaig shares a common root with the French word 'Noël' and the Welsh word Nadolig. Both descend from the Latin word nātālīcia, meaning 'a birthday party'.
- The word Shona is a lenited form of sona. In Irish, adding the 'h' changes the consonant sound to make the adjective agree with the noun Nollaig.
- In Irish traditions, the phrase can be part of longer seasonal blessings that involve wishing for 'abundance' rather than just 'joy'.
Example sentences for Irish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Oisín and Siobhán are greeting each other at a holiday party.
- OisínNollaig Shona, a Siobhán!Merry Christmas, Siobhán!
- SiobhánGo raibh Airtírat, a Oisín!Thank you, Oisín!
- OisínAn bhfuil tú sásta leis an lá?Are you happy with the day?
- SiobhánTá, Nollaig Shona dom féin!Yes, a Merry Christmas for myself!
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.
