Going to Italy for Christmas or hosting Italian friends over the holidays?
Maybe, you just want to learn a few great Italian Christmas words, so you can share them with friends and family.
Well hello, and welcome.
Today, I am going to list the 100 best Italian Christmas Words, and I will give you the pronunciation too.
You’ll find one pronunciation audio clip for all the words in each category. That way, you can split the learning into categories, and expand your Italian Christmas Vocabulary at your own pace.
This lesson is also easy enough for your kids to follow, and since the explanations are in English, as long as your child can read, they won’t have any issues.
For smaller children, I suggest doing this as a fun Christmas family activity. You can follow it with a nice Christmas meal.
Ready to get in the Christmas Mood, “Spirito Natalizio”?
Let’s start!
Table of Contents
Italian Christmas Greetings Words & Phrases
Buon Natale – Merry Christmas
Felice Anno Nuovo – Happy New Year
Buone Feste – Happy Holidays
Auguri – Best Wishes
Practice How To Say Merry Christmas In Italian! Here you’ll find all the Auguri di Natale information you need, from all the ways to say that, to Christmas Sayings, Fun Facts, and even Italian Christmas Card messages.
Italian Christmas Holiday Names
In this section I am grouping the holiday names as well as other seasonal related words.
Dicembre – December
Avvento – Advent
Calendario – Calendar
La Vigilia – Christmas Eve
Natale – Christmas
Natività – Nativity
Santo Stefano – St. Stephen’s Day (December 26)
Capodanno – New Year’s Day
L’Epifania – Epiphany (January 6)
If you want to learn more about Italian Holidays, Christmas, and non, read this – Key Italian Holidays & Celebrations
If on the other hand, you want the details on each of the above Christmas celebrations & other lesser-known ones, check out these Italian Christmas Traditions.
Italian Christmas Characters
Here, I have listed the most important Christmas characters and their names in Italian. I have also added a few important related words.
Gesù Bambino – Baby Jesus
Babbo Natale – Santa Claus
La Befana – The Christmas Witch
I Re Magi – The Three Wise Men
La Madonna – Mary
San Giuseppe – Saint Joseph
Elfi – Elves
Pupazzo di Neve – Snowman
Slitta – Sleigh
Renna – Reindeer
Learn more about La Befana. I share the legend, the rhymes, the traditions, best events, and the food around this Italian Character and Holiday.
Italian Christmas Food & Drinks
Of course, the longest Italian Christmas words section is going to be the one about food! You don’t need to learn all of these at once. You can do it in sections, or pick your favorites.
Sweets and Desserts:
- Panettone – Traditional sweet bread loaf
- Pandoro – Star-shaped sweet bread similar to panettone
- Torrone – Nougat
- Struffoli – Honey balls
- Biscotti di Natale – Christmas cookies
- Frutta secca – Dried fruits and nuts
- Panpepato – Peppered bread (spiced fruit cake)
- Mostaccioli – Spiced diamond-shaped cookies
- Tronchetto di Natale – Yule log cake
Main Dishes:
- Cotechino con lenticchie – Large pork sausage with lentils
- Cappone al forno – Roasted capon
- Tortellini/Agnolotti in brodo – Stuffed pasta in broth
- Lasagna – Layered pasta dish
- Capitone fritto – Fried eel (it looks scary but it’s delicious!)
- Abbacchio al forno – Roasted lamb
- Vitello tonnato – Cold veal with tuna sauce
Fish & Seafood:
- Pesce – Fish
- Baccalà fritto – Fried salt cod
- Baccalà alla vicentina – Stockfish Vicenza-style
- Insalata di mare – Seafood salad
- Fritto misto di pesce – Mixed fried fish
- Sarde in saor – Sweet and sour sardines
Appetizers & Side Dishes:
- Antipasti – Appetizers
- Salumi – Cured meats
- Formaggi – Cheeses
- Torta Salata – Savory pie
- Stuzzichini – Finger foods
- Cavoletti di Bruxelles – Brussels sprouts
- Carciofi alla Romana – Roman-style artichokes
- Insalata di Rinforzo – Reinforcement salad (cauliflower and pickled vegetable salad)
Drinks:
- Prosecco – Italian sparkling wine
- Vin brulé – Mulled wine
- Bombardino – Egg liqueur drink
- Caffè Corretto – “Corrected” coffee (with liquor)
- Limoncello – Lemon liqueur
- Grappa – Grape-based pomace brandy
Do you know which 10 Christmas Food Staples Italians Can’t Live Without? Click to find out.
Italian Christmas Gift Giving & Celebrations
Regalo – Gift
Scambio di regali – Gift exchange
Dare un regalo – Give a gift
Ricevere un regalo – Receive a gift
Aprire i regali – Open the gifts
Calza della Befana – Epiphany stocking
Fuochi d’artificio – Fireworks (for New Year’s)
Brindare – To toast
Brindisi – Toast
Festeggiare – To celebrate
Festa – Feast/party
Stare sotto il vischio – Be under the mistletoe
Italian Christmas Activities
Mercatini di Natale – Christmas markets
Messa di mezzanotte – Midnight Mass
Cenone – Christmas Eve dinner
Tombola – Italian Christmas bingo
Giochi da Tavola – Table games
Canti di Natale – Christmas carols
Luci di Natale – Christmas lights
Presepe – Nativity scene
Lettera a Babbo Natale – Letter to Christmas Father
Say it like this:
Andare ai mercatini di Natale – go to the Christmas markets
Attendere la messa di mezzanotte – attend the midnight mass
Preparare il cenone – prepare the Christmas Eve dinner
Giocare a tombola – play Tombola
Fare l’albero – make the Christmas tree
Cantare le canzoni di Natale – sing the Christmas carols
Guardare le luci di Natale – look at the Christmas lights
Fare il presepe – make the nativity scene
Scrivere una lettera a Babbo Natale – write a letter to Santa
Speaking of Christmas Activities, discover the Best Italian Christmas Markets to visit in December. You’ll also find a full calendar with the best festive events.
Italian Christmas Decor & Symbols
Addobbo – Decoration
Agrifoglio – Holly
Albero di Natale – Christmas tree
Angelo – Angel
Camino – Chimney
Campana – Bell
Candele – Candles
Carta da regalo – Wrapping paper
Cartolina di Natale – Christmas card
Fili argentati – Tinsel
Fiocco di neve – Snowflake
Ghirlanda – Wreath
Nastro – Ribbon
Neve – Snow
Pallina di Natale – Christmas bauble
Pigna – Pinecone
Presepe – Nativity scene
Stelle di Natale – Poinsettias
Vischio – Mistletoe
Christmas In Italy + Continue Learning Italian
Don’t limit yourself to learning these Italian Christmas Words. Discover what Christmas in Italy looks like, and find the best places to visit during the Holidays.
Want to learn more Italian words & phrases? Read these articles next:
50 Basic Italian Phrases For Travel
