Here is how to say the word Merry Christmas And Happy New Year in Italian with translations, audio and example sentences.
Buon Natale means Merry Christmas and it is the most common way to say it in Italian. You can use it with friends, family, coworkers, or even with people you don’t know very well. Buon anno nuovo means Happy New Year and it is the expression Italians use on the first day of the year or in the days immediately before it.
If you want to say best wishes during the holidays, there are several more expressions you can use. Here are the most common ones:
Auguri is a very generic Italian greeting. It is not used only for Christmas, but also to say happy birthday or to celebrate any special occasion. You can also add the word Tanti (many) in front of it, so it becomes Tanti auguri (many wishes).
Tanti auguri di Buon Natale is, as you can guess, a combination of the expressions above and Merry Christmas.
Auguri a te e a tutta la tua famiglia means best wishes to you and your whole family. This expression is commonly used when speaking to someone you know well, especially if you want to be polite and kind.
Buone feste means happy holidays and is used only during the Christmas period, from around mid-December until New Year’s Eve.
Instead of saying Buon anno nuovo, you can also use the word felice (happy) instead of buono, so it becomes Felice anno nuovo.
When someone says Merry Christmas to you, you can answer with expressions that are also used when someone says thank you. For example, you can say Anche a te (to you too), Altrettanto (likewise), or simply Buon Natale / Buon anno anche a te (Merry Christmas / Happy New Year to you too).
Ti auguro un Natale pieno di gioia e serenità.
I wish you a Christmas full of joy and peace.
Felice anno nuovo! Che sia ricco di successi.
Happy New Year! May it be full of success.
Buone feste e un fantastico anno nuovo!
Happy holidays and a fantastic New Year!
Che il nuovo anno ti porti salute e felicità.
May the new year bring you health and happiness.
The following video is from an Italian language YouTuber who breaks down how Italians actually use these expressions in everyday situations. You can visit her channel if you’d like to explore more Italian learning content.
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