Tá Oíche Shamhna thart agus anois tá daoine ag smaoineamh faoin Nollaig.......

To preempt the 'How do you say Happy Christmas in Irish Gaelic?' question, I thought it might be timely to begin the Christmas thread so that anyone wishing to write/print Christmas cards in Irish has all the phrases and words they need.

One way to offer Christmas greetings in Irish is:
'Beannachtaí na Nollag duit' (The blessings of Christmas on you - one person)
'Beannachtaí na Nollag daoibh' (The blessings of Christmas on you - more than one person)

Note that the spelling of Nollaig changes to Nollag in the Tuiseal Ginideach/genetive case eg. Daidí na Nollag (Santa)

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Here's a set of greetings and expressions for Christmas and New Year's in Irish (Gaeilge). For greetings in Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), see the separate Gaelic part of the forum.

Merry (Happy) Christmas [to you/you all]
Nollaig Shona [dhuit / dhaoibh]

Merry (Happy) Christmas to [you/you all]. [response]
Nollaig Mhaith [chugat/chugaibh]

Christmas
Nollaig

Christmas time
um Nollaig / faoi Nollaig

Christmas Eve
Oíche Nollag

Christmas Day
Lá Nollag

Christmas Night
Oíche Lá Nollag

St Stephen's Day
Lá ‘le Stiofáin (Lá Féile Stiofáin)

Wren
Dreoilín

Little Christmas
Lá Nollag Beag / Nollaig Bheag
same day:
Women’s Christmas
Nollaig na mBan

Epiphany
Lá Chinn / Lá Dá Dhéag

New Year
Athbhliain / an Bhliain Úr

New Year’s Eve
Oíche Chinn Bhliana

Happy (Prosperous) New Year [to you/you all]
Athbhliain faoi [shéan 's faoi] mhaise [dhuit/dhaoibh]

The same [to you/you all]. [response]
Go mbá hé [dhuit/dhaoibh].

christmas pudding
putóg na Nollag

Christmas cake
ciste Nollag

mince pies
pióga mhionra

present (gift)
bronntanas / féirín

Christmas stocking
stoca na Nollag

mistletoe
drualas

holly
cuileann

Midnight Mass / Birth Mass
Aifreann Meán Oíche / Aifreann na Gine

carol / carols
carúl / carúil

choir
cór

manger
mainséar

Candle / Candles
Coinneal / coinnle

Christmas card(s)
cárta(í) Nollag

Christmas tree
crann na Nollag

decoration / decorations
maisiúchán / maisiúcháin

Father Christmas
Daidí (na) Nollag

snowman
fear sneachta

bell / bells / little bells
clog / cloig / cloigíní

I have written a long letter to Santa Claus [Father/Daddy Christmas].
Táim tar éis litir fada a scríobh chuig Daidí (na) Nollag.

Have you finished all your Christmas shopping yet?
An bhfuil do shiopadóireacht na Nollag críochnaithe agat fós?

I hope we will have snow at Christmastime.
Tá súil agam go mbeidh sneachta againn um Nollaig.

I love to go to Midnight Mass.
Is breá liom dul chuig Aifreann Meán Oíche.

I put up the lights and the decorations on the tree.
Chuir mé na maisiúcháin agus na soilsí in airde ar an chrann.

We will have a candle in the window on Christmas Eve.
Beidh coinneal againn sa bhfuinneog Oíche Nollag.

Wasn't the choir singing wonderful last night?
Nár iontach amhránaíocht na cór aréir?

The youngest child shall light the Christmas candle.
Is é an páiste is óige a lasfaidh an coinneal Nollag.

Father Christmas came down the chimney last night.
Tháinig Daidí na Nollag síos an tsimléar aréir.

We start our Christmas cooking in October.
Cuireann muid tús ar ár gcócaireacht Nollag i mí Deireadh Fómhair.

Christmas dinner will be ready at six o'clock.
Beidh dinnéar na Nollag réidh ag a sé a chlog.

I hope we’ll have a Christmas drink soon.
Beidh deoch na Nollag againn go luath tá súil agam.

Thank you so much for that great meal!
Go raibh míle buíochas leat as an béile iontach sin!

I wrote thank you letters for my presents.
Scríobh mé litreacha buíochais as mo bhrontannais.

Let's go outside to listen to the New Year bells.
Gabhaimis amach chun éisteacht le cloiginí na h-athbhliana.

May we be alive at this time next year.
Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

We always referred to Little Christmas as Nollaig na mBan. Nollaig Beag sounds very Béarlachas to me.

Nollaig Bheag couldn't be Béarlachas because "Little Christmas" isn't an English expression outside Gaeldom (Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man).

In fact, until I read Caoimhín's post above, I'd only ever heard the term "Little Christmas" referring to an Irish dance move.

This is definitely one where the Gaelic was first and the (Hiberno-)English came from it.

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WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

I have never heard it called anything else in Irish.

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But that only means that you weren't old enough to be around when the term Nollag na mBan took over from the older Nollaig Bheag (around the turn of last century).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Christmas

Dinneen has:



Indicating that both terms were in use around that time.

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WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

beithilín beo = live crib

http://www.araschronain.ie/article.html/id/3493661767

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Chuamar ann inniu - bhí sé ar fheabhas.

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Time to bump this up and sticky it for the season.

This thread is locked, because it gets spammed from time to time.
If you have additional greetings to add, start a separate thread and one of the moderators can merge them in if they fit the theme.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.