Spanish words related to Christmas

Christmas is one of the most important celebrations in the world and also in Spanish-speaking countries. Although it has deep religious significance for millions of people, it also represents a time for family gatherings, cultural traditions, food, music, and linguistic expressions.

If you are a student of Spanish, knowing Spanish words related to Christmas is essential for understanding conversations, Spanish carols, songs, and customs related to these holidays. That's why don Quijote brings you this article full of Spanish words related to Christmas that will help you expand your vocabulary and continue to improve your fluency in the language.

Christmas-related words in Spanish

In the Spanish-speaking world, Christmas is not limited to December 24 and 25. This season extends and includes a series of celebrations throughout December and January. During this period, words and expressions appear that are not used as frequently during the rest of the year, so learning them is especially useful for expanding your vocabulary and improving your communication skills.

Below is a selection of Spanish words related to Christmas, organized by topic to facilitate your learning.

• Navidad (Christmas)
• Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
• Nochevieja (New Year's Eve)
• Año Nuevo (New Year)
• Postal navideña (Christmas card)
• Belén / Nacimiento (Nativity scene / Manger)
• Árbol de Navidad (Christmas tree)
• Adornos navideños (Christmas decorations)
• Guirnaldas (Garlands)
• Acebo (Holly)
• Muérdago (Mistletoe)
• Velas (Candles)
• Bola de navidad (Christmas baubles)
• Campanas (Bells)
• Pesebre (Nativity scene/Crib)
• Figuras navideñas (Christmas figures)
• Luces navideñas (Christmas lights)
• Villancicos (Christmas carols)
• Cena de Navidad (Christmas dinner)
• Turrón (Nougat)
• Polvorones and mantecados
• Regalos (Gifts)
• Papel de regalo (Wrapping paper)
• Papá Noel (Santa Claus)
• Trineo (Sleigh)
• Renos (Reindeer)
• Nieve (Snow)
• Reyes Magos (Three Wise Men)
• Cabalgata de Reyes (Three Kings Parade)
• Uvas de la suerte (Lucky grapes)
• Campanadas (Chimes)
• Brindar (Toast)
• Propósitos (Resolutions)
• Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas)
• Feliz Año Nuevo (Happy New Year)
• Espíritu navideño (Christmas spirit)

Sentences with Spanish Christmas vocabulary

Once you have learned the Christmas vocabulary, you need to put it into practice. The sentences below are examples that show how and in what context to use the Christmas-related Spanish words you have just learned.

These examples will help you understand the practical use of each word:

• La Navidad es una época muy especial para compartir con la familia (Christmas is a very special time to share with family)
• En Nochebuena, cenamos todos juntos y abrimos algunos regalos (On Christmas Eve, we all have dinner together and open some presents)
• Durante la Nochevieja, muchas personas salen a celebrar con amigos (On New Year's Eve, many people go out to celebrate with friends)
• El Año Nuevo es un buen momento para hacer propósitos personales (New Year's Day is a good time to make personal resolutions)
• En mi casa siempre ponemos un Belén con muchas figuras diferentes (At my house, we always set up a nativity scene with many different figures)
• El árbol de Navidad ya está decorado con luces y adornos de colores (The Christmas tree is already decorated with lights and colorful ornaments)
• Me encanta pasear por la ciudad y ver los adornos navideños en las calles (I love walking around the city and seeing the Christmas decorations in the streets)
• Las luces navideñas iluminan los balcones y crean un ambiente festivo (Christmas lights illuminate the balconies and create a festive atmosphere)
• En la escuela cantamos villancicos antes de las vacaciones de invierno (At school, we sing Christmas carols before the winter break)
• La cena de Navidad suele incluir platos tradicionales y postres especiales (Christmas dinner usually includes traditional dishes and special desserts)
• En España es muy común comer turrón después de la comida (In Spain, it is very common to eat turrón after the meal)
• Los polvorones se deshacen en la boca y son muy típicos en Navidad (Polvorones melt in your mouth and are very typical at Christmas)
• A los niños les hace mucha ilusión recibir regalos (Children are very excited to receive gifts)
• Papá Noel llega por la noche y deja los regalos debajo del árbol (Santa Claus arrives at night and leaves gifts under the tree)
• Los Reyes Magos traen regalos el 6 de enero en muchos países (The Three Kings bring gifts on January 6 in many countries)
• Fuimos a ver la Cabalgata de Reyes y los niños estaban muy emocionados (We went to see the Three Kings Parade and the children were very excited)
• En Nochevieja, comemos las uvas de la suerte para tener un buen año (On New Year's Eve, we eat lucky grapes to have a good year)
• Las campanadas marcan el inicio del nuevo año (The bells mark the beginning of the new year)
• Todos levantamos la copa para brindar por la salud y la felicidad (We all raise our glasses to toast health and happiness)
• Siempre digo Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo a mis amigos y familiares (I always say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my friends and family)
• El espíritu navideño nos anima a ser más generosos y solidarios (The Christmas spirit encourages us to be more generous and supportive)

All this vocabulary will help you better understand many situations you will encounter during December if you are learning Spanish in Spain. Understanding traditions better, participating in conversations with friends and colleagues, and enjoying Christmas will allow you to improve your command of the language.