You will be thinking about writing your Christmas cards about now, so why not add a few words of Irish? Make them bi-lingual if you wish and remind everyone of our beautiful Irish tongue.

In Irish, Christmas is referred to as An Nollaig. (Don’t confuse that with Mí na Nollag, which is the month of December).

• Lá Nollag – Christmas Day
• Oíche Nollag – Christmas Eve
• Lá Fhéile Stiofáin – St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day in the UK)
• Nollaig na mBan – 6 January (This is traditionally the day when the women rested and the men and children did the cooking – it has in recent years been resurrected and the women take the opportunity for a girlie night out!)
• Athbhliain – New Year
• Crann Nollag – Christmas tree
• Daidí na Nollag – Santa or Father Christmas
• Féirín Nollag – Christmas present
• Maisiúchain na Nollag – Christmas decorations
• Cártaí Nollag – Christmas cards

Here are a few useful phrases for your cards:

• Nollaig Shona duit – Happy Christmas
• Guím gach sonas ort sa bhliain 2025 – wishing you every happiness in 2025
• Síochán an Tiarna leat um Nollag – Peace of the Lord be with you at Christmas
• Le sonas na féile – season’s greetings
• Beannachtaí na Nollag – Christmas blessings
• Le gach dea-ghuí - with every good wish (This one is worth learning as you can use it all the year round)

And to finish with, if you would like to address a specific relative in your card, here are a few handy words:

• Máthair – mother
• Athair – father
• Seanmháthair – grandmother
• Seanathair – grandfather
• iníon – daughter
• Mac – son
• Gariníon – granddaughter
• Garmhac – grandson
• To say my you just put mo in front of it:
• Mo mháthair - My mother (notice the spelling change: there is now a h after the m in mathair!
• M’athair – My father (shortened up mo athair because athair begins with a vowel)
• Mo sheanmháthair (h on sean)
• Mo sheanathair (note that extra h again!)
• M’iníon – My daughter
• Mo mhac – My son
• Mo ghariníon – My granddaughter
• Mo Gharmhac – My grandson

We’ll have a little more on Christmas next month!

Slan go fóill,
Terri