Nollaig shona
Word for wordA happy Christmas
What it meansHappy Christmas.
Approximate pronunciation guide
NULL-ig HUN-a
Written for English speakers and editorial rather than sourced. It will get you close enough to be understood, and it is not a substitute for a native speaker. Recorded audio is planned; see About.
When to use it The Christmas card standard: add duit (to one person) or daoibh (to several) to address it.
About this saying
The standard Christmas greeting, attested in Foras na Gaeilge’s dictionary under merry. Where it appears with an exclamation mark, as a thing said rather than written. The fuller traditional form, Nollaig faoi shéan agus faoi mhaise duit, sits beside it in the same entry.
Provenance
Where this wording comes from. We publish nothing we cannot point at.
- DictionaryForas na Gaeilge, Foclóir Nua Béarla–Gaeilge (New English-Irish Dictionary)s.v. merry (merry Christmas), prints "Nollaig Shona!"