Traditional Holiday Terms in German

Whether youre celebrating Christmas in a German-speaking country or you want to bring a few old-world traditions home, these German phrases and traditions will make your holiday truly authentic. The first two sections below contain general German Christmas  and New Years greetings followed by the English translations. The subsequent sections are grouped alphabetically, with the English word or phrase printed first, followed by the German translations. German nouns always start with a capital letter, unlike English, where only proper nouns or nouns that begin a sentence are capitalized. German nouns are also generally preceded by an article, such as  die  or der, which means the in English. So, study the tables, and youll be saying  Frà ¶hliche Weihnachten! (Merry Christmas) as well as many other German holiday greetings in no time. German Christmas Greetings German Greeting English Translation Ich wnsche I wish Wir wnschen We wish dir You Euch You all Ihnen You, formal deiner Familie Your family Ein frohes Fest! A joyous holiday! Frohe Festtage! Seasons Greetings! / Happy Holidays! Frohe Weihnachten! Merry Christmas! Frohes Weihnachtsfest! [A] joyous Christmas celebration! Frhliche Weihnachten! Merry Christmas! Ein gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest! A blessed/joyous Christmas! Gesegnete Weihnachten und ein glckliches neues Jahr! A blessed Christmas and a happy new year! Herzliche Weihnachtsgre! Best Christmas greetings! Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und alles Gute zum neuen Jahr! A joyful Christmas (festival) and best wishes for the new year! Zum Weihnachtsfest besinnliche Stunden! [We wish you] Contemplative / reflective hours during the Christmas celebration! Ein frohes und besinnliches Weihnachtsfest! A merry and reflective/thoughtful Christmas! German New Year’s Greetings German Saying English Translation Alles Gute zum neuen Jahr! Best wishes for the new year! Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! A good start in the new year! Prosit Neujahr! Happy New Year! Ein glckliches neues Jahr! Happy New Year! Glck und Erfolg im neuen Jahr! Good fortune and success in the new year! Zum neuen Jahr Gesundheit, Glck und viel Erfolg! Health, happiness, and much success in the new year! Advent to Baumkuchen Advent (Latin for arrival, coming) is the four-week period leading up to Christmas. In German-speaking countries and most of  Europe,  the first Advent weekend is the traditional beginning of the Christmas season  when open-air Christmas markets (Christkindlmà ¤rkte) appear in many cities, the most famous ones being in Nuremberg and Vienna. Baumkuchen, listed below, is a  tree cake, a layered cake whose interior resembles tree rings when cut. English Word of Phrase German Translation Advent calendar(s) Adventskalender Advent season Adventszeit Advent wreath Adventskranz Angel(s) der Engel Basel chocolate balls Basler Brunsli Baumkuchen der Baumkuchen Candles to Crà ¨che (Manger) Candles, with their light and warmth, have long been used in German winter celebrations as symbols of the sun in the dark of winter. Christians later adopted candles as their own symbols of the Light of the World. Candles also play an important role in Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. English Word or Phrase German Translation Carol(s), Christmas carol(s): Weihnachtslied (-er) Carp der Karpfen Chimney der Schornstein Choir der Chor Crche, manger die Krippe Christmas to Crescent Christ Child translates into German as  das Christkind or das Christkindl.  The moniker Kris Kringle is actually a corruption of  Christkindl. The word came into American English via the Pennsylvania Germans, whose neighbors misunderstood the German word for the bringer of gifts. With the passage of time, Santa Claus (from Dutch Sinterclaas) and Kris Kringle became synonymous. The Austrian town of  Christkindl  bei  Steyr  is a popular Christmas post office, an Austrian North Pole. English Word or Phrase German Translation Christmas das Weihnachten, das Weihnachtsfest Christmas bread/cake, fruit cake der Stollen, der Christstollen, der Striezel Christmas card(s) Weihnachtskarte Christmas Eve Heiligabend Christmas market(s) Weihnachtsmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt Christmas pyramid die Weihnachtspyramide Christmas tree der Christbaum, der Tannenbaum, der Weihnachtsbaum Cinnamon star(s) Zimtstern: Star-shaped, cinnamon-flavored Christmastime cookies Cookies Kekse, Kipferln, Pltzchen Cradle Wiege Crib Krippe, Kripplein Crescent(s) Kipferl Father Christmas to Glass Ball In the 16th century, Protestants, led by Martin Luther, introduced Father Christmas to replace Saint Nicholas and to avoid the Catholic saints. In the Protestant parts of Germany and Switzerland, Saint Nicholas became  der Weihnachtsmann  (Christmas Man). In the U.S., he came to be known as Santa Claus, while in England children look forward to a visit from Father Christmas. English Word of Phrase German Translation Father Christmas (Santa Claus) der Weihnachtsmann: Fir tree der Tannenbaum (-bume) Fruit bread (Christmas bread) der Stollen, das Kletzenbrot Garland die Girlande Gift(s) das Geschenk Gift giving die Bescherung Gingerbread der Lebkuchen Glass ball die Glaskugel Holly to Ring   In pagan times, Holly ( die Stechpalme)  was believed to have magical powers that kept evil spirits away. Christians later made it a symbol of Christs crown of thorns. According to legend, the holly berries were originally white but turned red from Christs blood. English Word or Phrase German Translation Holly die Stechpalme King(s) der Knig Three Kings (Wise Men) die Heiligen Drei Knige, die Weisen Kipferl das Kipferl: An Austrian Christmas cookie. Lighting die Beleuchtung Outdoor lighting die Auenbeleuchtung Lights die Lichter Marzipan das Marzipan (almond paste candy) Midnight mass die Christmette, Mitternachtsmette Mistletoe die Mistel Mulled, spiced wine der Glhwein (glow wine) Myrrh die Myrrhe Nativity die Krippe, Krippenbild, die Geburt Christi Nut(s) die Nuss (Nsse) Nutcracker(s) der Nussknacker Organ, pipe organ die Orgel Ornaments, ornamentation die Verzierung, der Schmuck Poinsettia die Poinsettie, der Weihnachtsstern Reindeer das Rentier Ring (bells) erklingen, klingeln Saint Nicholas to Wreath Saint Nicholas is not Santa Claus or the American Saint Nick. Dec. 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas, is the day upon which the original Bishop Nicholas of Myra (now in Turkey) is commemorated and is the date of his death in the year 343. He was later granted sainthood. The German  Sankt Nikolaus, dressed as a bishop, brings gifts on that day. According to legend, it was also Bishop Nicholas who created the Christmas tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace. The kindly bishop is said to have thrown bags of gold for the poor down the chimney. The bags landed in stockings that had been hung by the fire to dry. This Saint Nicholas legend may also partly explain the American custom of Santa coming down the chimney with his bag of gifts. English Word or Phrase German Translation Saint Nicholas der Sankt Nikolaus Sheep das Schaf (-e) Shepherd(s) der Hirt (-en), der Schfer Silent Night Stille Nachte Sing singen Sled, sleigh, toboggan der Schlitten Snow (noun) der Schnee Snow (verb) schneien (Its snowing - Es schneit) Snowball der Schneeball Snowflake die Schneeflocke Snowman der Schneemann Snow sled/sleigh der Schlitten Snowy schneeig Snow covered schneebedeckt Stable, stall der Stall Star(s) der Stern Straw star(s) der Strohstern (Strohsterne): a traditional Christmas decoration made of straw. Tinsel das Lametta, der Flitter Toy(s) das Spielzeug Wreath der Kranz