German Christmas VocabularyWord List & Pronunciation

vocabularyoccasions
09.12.2023

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!

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