Merry Christmas from us all here at IrishCentral!
With the big day upon us, you may be on the hunt for some poignant Irish Christmas Blessings to share with your friends and family as you come together to celebrate.
Irish Christmas Blessing - the Light of the Star of Christmas
The light of the star of Christmas to you,
The warmth of a home and hearth to you.
The cheer and goodwill of friends to you,
The hope of a childlike heart to you.
The joy of a thousand angels to you,
The love of the Son and God's peace to you.
(Getty Images)
An Irish Christmas Blessing - bless your heart
God grant you lightness in your step,
A smile on every face you meet.
Loved ones gathered at your hearth,
A holy hymn upon your lips,
A window candle burning bright,
And may the good Lord bless your heart,
And come to dwell here Christmas night.
(Getty Images)
An Irish Christmas Blessing - peace and plenty
May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch at your door
And happiness be guided to your home by the candle of Christmas
God's blessings and peace be yours throughout this New Year.
(Getty Images)
An Irish Christmas Blessing - blessed and merry
With ivy, shamrock, and bright holly berry
be Christmas to you both blessed and merry!
(Getty Images)
How to say "Happy Christmas" in Irish
"Nollaig Shona!" is pronounced 'null-eg hunna' and means 'Happy Christmas!' in Irish. (Nollaig means Christmas in Irish, and shona means happy in Irish.)
However, this gets slightly more complicated when you're addressing someone, as in saying 'Happy Christmas' to someone.
"Happy Christmas to you" (one person) is "Nollaig Shona Dhuit," which is pronounced like 'null-eg hunna ditch.'
"Happy Christmas to you" (multiple people) is "Nollaig Shona Daoibh," which is pronounced like 'null-eg hunna deev.'
Now! How should you respond to someone when they wish you "Nollaig Shona Dhuit"?
You can respond with "Nollaig mhaith chugat," which is pronounced 'null-eg mah hu-gut.' This means 'a good Christmas to you.' This is the most common way to respond.
You can also try "Go mba hé duit," which is pronounced 'gom ah hey ditch,' meaning 'the same to you.'
Or, you can simply say "Nollaig Shona Dhuit!" back.
"Go raibh maith agat," pronounced 'gur ev mah agat,' mean 'thank you' in Irish, too.
Nollaig Shona Dhuit! (RollingNews.ie)
* Originally published in Dec 2023, updated in Dec 2024.
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