German Christmas Vocabulary

Christmas is a magical time in Germany, filled with traditions and festive celebrations. If you want to immerse yourself in the German Christmas spirit, it's helpful to know some basic Christmas vocabulary in German. In this blog post, we'll provide you with multiple lists of very useful German words related to Christmas.

Christmas Traditions

Let's start with some popular German Christmas traditions:

der Adventskranz

Advent wreath

die Weihnachtsmärkte

Christmas markets

das Lebkuchenhaus

gingerbread house

der Weihnachtsbaum

Christmas tree

die Weihnachtskarte

Christmas card

die Weihnachtsfeier

Christmas party

der Weihnachtsmann

Santa Claus

das Christkind

Christ Child

die Bescherung

gift-giving

der Glühwein

mulled wine

die Plätzchen

Christmas cookies

die Krippe

nativity scene

Christmas Decorations

Next, let's explore some common Christmas decorations in German:

die Lichterketten

string lights

die Weihnachtskugeln

Christmas baubles

der Lametta

tinsel

die Engel

angels

der Stern

star

die Räuchermännchen

smoking men

die Kerzen

candles

der Adventskalender

Advent calendar

die Schneeflocken

snowflakes

das Rentier

reindeer

der Schneemann

snowman

die Glocken

bells

Christmas Food and Drinks

Christmas is a time for delicious treats in Germany. Here are some Christmas foods and drinks:

der Stollen

Christmas fruit cake

der Weihnachtspunsch

Christmas punch

der Spekulatius

spiced Christmas cookie

die Marzipankartoffeln

marzipan potatoes

der Glühwein

mulled wine

der Christstollen

traditional Christmas bread

die Lebkuchen

gingerbread cookies

der Dominostein

Christmas confection

der Bratapfel

baked apple

die Weihnachtsgans

Christmas goose

der Eierpunsch

egg punch

das Gebrannte Mandel

roasted sugared almonds

Christmas Greetings and Wishes

Finally, let's learn some common Christmas greetings and wishes in German. Click on the grey boxes to reveal the translations:

Frohe Weihnachten!

Merry Christmas!

Frohes Fest!

Happy Holidays!

Ein gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest!

A blessed Christmas!

Fröhliche Feiertage!

Joyous holidays!

Alles Gute zum Fest!

Best wishes for the holidays!

Besinnliche Weihnachten!

Reflective Christmas!

Herzliche Weihnachtsgrüße!

Heartfelt Christmas greetings!

And, lastly, around christmas time many people here in Germany also already start wishing you a great start in the new year:

Gesundheit und Glück im neuen Jahr!

Health and happiness in the new year!

Ein frohes neues Jahr!

Happy New Year!

We hope this vocabulary list helps you embrace the spirit of Christmas in Germany! Whether you're enjoying the Christmas markets, decorating the tree, or savoring festive treats, these words will come in handy. Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr! (Merry Christmas and a happy new year!)

Remember that Christmas traditions can vary between families and regions, but the spirit of love and joy remains the same. If you have any other topics you'd like to learn about in German, feel free to let us know. Happy learning!