Contents
- 1 How do you respond to Buon Natale?
- 2 What do Italians call Christmas?
- 3 What is Merry Christmas in Rome?
- 4 What do Italians call Little Christmas?
- 5 What is the meaning of buon anno?
- 6 What do you reply to grazie a tutti?
- 7 What is the best wish in Italian?
- 8 Can you say Tanti auguri for Christmas?
- 9 What is the meaning of buon anno?
How do you say Merry Christmas in Italian and Happy New Year?
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo combines Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Italian.
How do you respond to Buon Natale?
FAQs for Merry Christmas in Italian – How do you wish Merry Christmas in Italian? Generally, Christmas greetings are sent a few days before Christmas but The most common way to wish somebody Merry Christmas is Buon Natale, but there are many other expressions you can use to share the love.
Ti auguro un dolce e sereno Natale” means “I wish you a sweet and peaceful Christmas.” If you’re sending your wishes to multiple people you can use “Tantissimi Auguri di Buone Feste a te e alla tua famiglia” which means “Best wishes for the festive season to you and your family.” If you are unable to make it to Italy you can send “Anche se siamo lontani, il mio pensiero ti è sempre vicino.
Tanti cari Auguri” which means “Even if we are far away, my thoughts are always with you. Best wishes.” How do you respond to Buon Natale? Did someone wish you a Buon Natale? That’s fantastic! It’s appropriate to respond “Grazie, Buon Natale a te!” which aptly means “Thank you, Merry Christmas to you too!” a different but similar way to respond would be “Grazie, altrettanto, buone feste!” meaning “Thank you to you too, happy holidays!” and very simply you can also reply “Buon Natale” if someone wishes you.
How do you say I wish you happy holidays in Italian?
Contextual examples of ‘happy holidays’ in Italian buone feste!
What does buona vigilia di Natale mean?
Buona Vigilia di Natale! Merry Christmas Eve!
What do Italians call Christmas?
Christmas in Florence, Italy Christmas in Italy, or Natale in Italian, kicks off its festivities on December 8 with the feast of the Immaculate Conception when Italians traditionally put up the Christmas tree. The celebrations also typically end on January 6 of the following year with the Epiphany, which is also referred to as Three Kings’ Day.
- With a whole month dedicated to merriment, gift-giving, and holiday markets, winter is an ideal time to visit Italy.
- Not only are there fewer tourists and shorter wait times at the museums and monuments, but there are many unique festivities and traditions only found this time of year.
- For Italians, Christmas festivities focus on the family; locals head to their hometowns to celebrate with loved ones.
Meanwhile, light displays and Christmas markets pop up throughout the country. While spending the holidays in the spiritual home of Catholicism (or just a more temperate climate) sounds appealing, it can also be a bit daunting. That’s why we’ve put together this guide of our favorite places to spend Christmas in Italy, and what to do in our top 5 cities.
What is Merry Christmas in Rome?
Merry or happy Christmas in Italian are Buon Natale.
What do Italians call Little Christmas?
Here is La Befana, a Christmas Tradition in Italy La Befana is the last festivity of Christmas time in Italy and we celebrate it every 6 January. According to the Christian tradition, on the day of Ephiphany, the three biblical Magi finally meet the baby Jesus.
In Italian Christmas folklore, we also celebrate the coming of La Befana. La Befana is represented by an old woman that, riding a broomstick through the air, delivers sweets and candies to the good kids. But she also brings coal, garlic, and onions to rascals. The name Befana probably derives from Epiphany, Epifania in Italian.
The word has Greek origins and means ” manifestation of divinity “. The Epiphany is the last festivity of Christmas time. For this very reason, we usually say „ L’Epifania tutte le feste si porta via “. Literally, Epiphany takes all the festivities away. Cover photo credits We can trace back the origins of La Befana to the X-VI century BC. At that time, people celebrated with pagan propitiatory rituals the end of the year’s harvest and the beginning of a new season in the agriculture calendar, The ancient Romans inherited these rituals to celebrate the twelve days after the winter solstice and Sol Invictus anniversary, which ended the calendar year.
On the twelfth night after the winter solstice, they officiated Earth Mother that, passing away, set off the death and re-birth of nature, During those nights the Romans believed that unknown female figures, flying over cultivated fields, would ensure excellent results for future crops, Similarly to these mythological figures, the Befana also flies.
La Befana is an old and ugly woman because she represents the end of the year. In fact, one of her symbols is her broom. She uses to sweep all the past things away, preparing a clean space for new ones. According to a Tuscan custom, the act of burning a Befana doll symbolized the end of the year.
The remaining coal was placed in the children’s socks along with candies as a reminder of the past year. La Befana is not exactly beautiful, She is an old lady with an aquiline nose and some rotten, crooked teeth. Her face has several warts and moles. However, she always shows a smiling face even if she looks grim.
She wears an old black shawl and is covered by a layer of soot because she enters children’s homes through the chimney. Befana Puppet. Ph Credits: We use to sing this little folk song: La Befana vien di notte, Con le scarpe tutte rotte, Col vestito alla romana Viva, Viva La Befana! Here is the English version: The Befana comes by night With her shoes all tattered and torn, She comes dressed in the Roman way, Long live the Befana! On the night of 5 January, she goes around carrying a big hamper, or a sack, full of candies and gifts for the kids.
At home, children hang their stockings on the mantel (or shoes out of the window) so that Befana could fill them with presents. If you want to break through the heart of an Italian woman’s heart, never say that she looks like a Befana. She will be greatly offended! According to a Christian legend, the Three Wise Men met the Befana on their way to Bethlehem to honor the Son of God.
They told this elderly lady they were following a Comet Star in the sky. They asked for more information, but she was completely uninvolved in the matter. Anyway, she provided them shelter for the night, She was considered the best housekeeper in the village with the warmest house. After the Three Magi left, she regrets it and ran out in the middle of the night to look for them and Baby Jesus. To make sure of giving presents to the right baby, she left something for every child. From then on she spends the night of January 5 bringing presents to all the children in Italy.
Another Christian legend says that Befana was an ordinary woman with a son, She loved him dearly but unfortunately, he died. Naturally, She was full of sorrow and pain. But after a few days, having heard about the birth of baby Jesus, she decided to visit and honor him by bringing his baby’s clothes as a gift.
Jesus, noticing the pain of her loss, gave her a gift in return. She was to be the mother of all the babies in Italy, I have a funny memory from when I was about 5 years old. I remember I was waiting for the Befana gazing at the night sky with my mother.
We noticed a red light in the dark, probably an airplane. But to me, that was the red light from the engine of the Befana’s broomstick. My mother didn’t tell me the truth. She merely confirmed my thought while holding back laughter, Moreover, when I was a kid, I used to participate in the ritual of “Pefani”, which has fallen into disuse today.
The Pefani was an autonomous group of boys all dressed as the Befana, generally with someone older as their leader. My friends and I went around singing and playing the popular Befana songs, We wanted to collect as much money or candies as possible. This ritual reminds me of a kind of, Befanini Cookies Moreover, on Epiphany’s Eve on 5 January, my mother used to prepare Necci, a kind of crepe made with chestnut flour and filled with fresh ricotta cheese. So yummy. To discover other food cravings of the Tuscan Christmas tradition, have a look at the post below. Montignoso is a small municipality in the province of Massa-Carrara, in northern Tuscany. Here the tradition of Befana is still very much alive, and both adults and children celebrate her with fun and joy. On the night of Epiphany´s Eve, small groups of people, dressing like the Befana, visit every family in town. Three ladies dressed as Befana – Photo Credits: On January 6, in the village of Equi Terme in northern Tuscany, La Befana flies for real. Through a zipline, an acrobatic Befana on her broomstick flies high into the sky crossing a canyon to reach the nativity cave.
In addition, every year, this small hamlet located in hosts a wonderful living nativity scene that attracts visitors from all over the region. Here we give all information you need if you want to attend the event. On the day of Epiphany, three real wise Kings walk along the narrow alleys to reach the grotto where baby Jesus lies quietly surrounded by the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the ox, and the donkey.
Looking up instead, the Befana will be flying over your heads taking all the holidays with her!
How do you say seasons greetings in Italian?
‘Season’s greetings!’ in Italian Buone Feste!
What is the meaning of buon anno?
Happy New Year! Buon anno! to wish sb a happy New Year augurare buon anno a qn.
What do you reply to grazie a tutti?
Learning Italian: Common courtesies – Collins Dictionary Language Blog Whether you’re visiting Italy or even planning to live there, you’ll want to be able to chat to people and get to know them better. The nuts and bolts of conversations revolve around common courtesies.
As in English, in Italian there are several ways you can ask someone how they are, and a variety of ways to reply. Among friends, the most common thing to say is come va? or come stai? ( how are you? ) or come te la passi? ( how’s it going? ). In a more formal situation, it’s best to use the polite form of the verb, so come sta? ( how are you? ).
When it comes to replies, there are, of course, a multitude of things you can say. We’re only going to cover a handful of them here to get you started. Assuming you’re well, the most straightforward reply to the question how are you? would be bene ( fine ), sto bene ( I’m fine ) or even benissimo! ( great! ).
- Other less positive replies could be così e così ( so-so ), non male ( not bad ), potrebbe andare peggio ( could be worse ).
- To get the conversation going, you could flesh out your questions and answers a little.
- Come va? – Bene, e tu? How are you? – Fine, and you? Come sta, signora? – Bene, grazie, e lei? How are you? – Fine thanks, and you? Salve! Come te la passi? – Non male, grazie.
E tu? Hello! How’s it going? – Not bad thanks. And you? In any language, it’s good manners to say please and thank you. The most common way to say please in Italian is per favore, but per piacere and per cortesia are also used. Thanks, as seen in the examples above, is translated by grazie,
To be more effusive, you could say mille grazie or molte grazie ( many thanks or thank you very much ). You might also hear ti ringrazio, or the formal form la ringrazio, which literally means I thank you, The response to grazie that you’re most likely to use or hear is prego ( you’re welcome ), or you could say di niente ( not at all ).
For greater emphasis you can use s’immagini or si figuri in the formal form, and figurati informally ( don’t mention it ). Due chili di arance, per favore. Two kilos of oranges, please. Grazie del regalo. – Prego! Thank you for the present. – You’re welcome! Molte grazie, Andrea.
Does Buon Natale mean?
What does Buon Natale mean? – When December 25th arrives, in Italy everyone starts wishing, from the cashier at the grocery store to your closest friends, a ” Buon Natale “. Directly translated, buon Natale means ” good Christmas “.
Meaning and history of the Italian word Ciao
The meaning of the word “Natale” is rooted in the word “birth” in Latin. Therefore, by wishing each other a Merry Christmas in Italy, we wish each other “a good birth”. Christmas is a day of birth. It is origin, celebration, warmth, sharing. Someone’s Christmas explains who they are, where they come from.
10 classic Italian proverbs to master
It seems that Italy is one of the few places in Europe and the U.S. where the expression of Christmas wishes hasn’t been changed to ” Happy Holidays “‘. In Belgium and Holland, for example, it is now practice to simply wish each other “happy holidays” and Christmas school vacations are no longer called that, but are simply “winter vacations” (in Italy the term “vacanze di Natale” is commonly used).
The history of the Italian national flag
Of course, Italy is known for its strong sense of culture. “Buon Natale” is another example of Italians upholding tradition through language.
Do you say auguri at Christmas?
Auguri / Auguri di buon Natale – Auguri is a general greeting that goes well for every celebration. It literally just means ” greetings “. If you want to be more specific, you can say ” auguri di buon Natale “.
What is the best wish in Italian?
How to say Good luck in Italian – When it comes to wishing someone Good luck in Italian, we’re lucky enough to have lots of options at our fingertips. Let’s break it down with a literal translation. Fortuna means luck, and buona means good. So, quite simply, you can say Buona fortuna when wishing someone good luck in Italian.
- However, you’re more likely to hear another Italian phrase to convey the same meaning: In bocca al lupo! This phrase is literally translated to “Into the wolf’s mouth!”, and there are a few theories about its exact origins, which we’ll cover at the end of the article.
- Basically, using this somewhat “dangerous” or negative phrase to wish someone good luck is supposed to ward off the possibility of accidents.
The idea is similar to the idiom, “Break a leg!” It’s important to remember that if someone wishes you In bocca al lupo, the standard response is Crepi il lupo, or simply, Crepi, This response replaces Grazie and shows that you will defeat “the wolf”, which represents the potentially scary thing you’re about to confront, like difficult exams or making your debut as the lead actor on opening night.
English | Italian | Pronunciation | IPA |
Good luck! | Buona fortuna! / In bocca al lupo! | bwon-a four-too-na / een bok-kah al loo-poe | ˈbwɔna forˈtuna / im ˈbokka al ˈlupo |
Good luck my friend. | Buona fortuna, amico/a mio/a! In bocca al lupo, amico/a mio/a! | bwon-a four-too-na ah-me-ko / ah-me-ka mee-ah! een bok-kah al loo-poe ah-me-ko / ah-me-ka mee-ah! | ˈbwɔna forˈtuna | aˈmiko ˈmio ˈbwɔna forˈtuna | aˈmika ˈmia im ˈbokka al ˈlupo | aˈmiko ˈmio im ˈbokka al ˈlupo | aˈmika ˈmia |
Break a leg! | In bocca al lupo! | een bok-kah al loo-poe | im ˈbokka al ˈlupo |
You’re lucky! | Sei fortunato/a! | say four-too-nah-to / four-too-nah-tah | ˈsɛi̯ fortuˈnato ˈsɛi̯ forˈtunata |
I wish you success. | Ti auguro il successo. | tee ow-goo-roh eel soo-chess-oh | ti ˈau̯ɡuro il sutˈtʃɛsso |
I wish you the very best. | Ti auguro il meglio. | tee ow-goo-roh eel mel-yo | ti ˈau̯ɡuro il ˈmɛʎʎo |
I wish you the very best. (more colloquial) | Tante belle cose. | tan-teh beh-leh ko-seh | ˈtante ˈbɛlle ˈkɔze |
Best wishes! | Auguri!* | ow-goo-ree | ˈau̯ɡuri |
Good luck and best wishes. | In bocca al lupo e auguri! | een bok-kah al loo-poe eh ow-goo-ree! | im ˈbokka al ˈlupo ˈe ˈau̯ɡuri |
Good luck tomorrow! | Buona fortuna domani! | bwon-a four-too-na doe-mah-nee | ˈbwɔna forˈtuna doˈmani |
Good luck on your test. | Buona fortuna per l’esame. | bwon-a four-too-na per leh-sah-meh | ˈbwɔna forˈtuna ˈper leˈzame |
Fingers crossed! | Incrociamo le dite! | een-kro-chya-moh leh dee-teh | inkroˈtʃamo ˈle ˈdite |
Knock on wood! | Tocca ferro! | toe-kah fer-roh | ˈtokka ˈfɛrro |
Have courage! | Coraggio! | ko-rah-joe | koˈraddʒo |
I hope everything goes well. | Spero che tutto vada bene. | spe-roh ke two-toe vah-dah beh-neh | ˈspɛro ˈke ˈttutto ˈvada ˈbɛne |
This can also be used to say ” Happy birthday! ” or “Congratulations!”
Can you say Tanti auguri for Christmas?
Tanti Auguri di Buone Feste – Tanti auguri di buone feste means ‘best wishes for a happy holiday season.’ Again, it’s a general phrase used to wish someone more than just a ‘Merry Christmas’ – also a great Christmas Eve, Santo Stefano Day, and New Year’s Eve.
What does Tanti Auguri mean?
TANTI AUGURI: BEST WISHES! – To give someone your best wishes on a holiday, tanti auguri is an easy and versatile greeting. For example, if you run into your neighbors on New Year’s Day, you can simply tell them tanti auguri! Here are some other holidays when you can use the tanti auguri greeting:
Natale | Christmas |
Pasqua | Easter |
Festa della Mamma | Mother’s Day |
Festa del Papà | Father’s Day |
In Italy, a Catholic country, it is common to give someone best wishes on their patron saint day, or onomastico, For example, December 13 is Santa Lucia, or Saint Lucia’s Day. Is your neighbor’s name Lucia? You can wish her tanti auguri that day. Here are some other patron saint days:
March 19 | San Giuseppe |
April 29 and November 25 | Santa Caterina |
June 21 | San Luigi |
August 10 | San Lorenzo |
December 26 | Santo Stefano |
What do Italians call the day after Christmas?
St. Stephen’s Day in Italy
This year: | 26 2023, |
---|---|
Next year: | 26 2024, |
Last year: | 26 2022, |
Type: | National holiday |
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St Stephen’s feast Day ( Il giorno di Santo Stefano ) is celebrated as a public holiday across Italy on December 26. It is the day after ( Natale ).
What does buona pasqua mean?
Buona Pasqua = Happy Easter.
What is the meaning of buon anno?
Happy New Year! Buon anno! to wish sb a happy New Year augurare buon anno a qn.
What do Italians call Christmas?
Christmas in Florence, Italy Christmas in Italy, or Natale in Italian, kicks off its festivities on December 8 with the feast of the Immaculate Conception when Italians traditionally put up the Christmas tree. The celebrations also typically end on January 6 of the following year with the Epiphany, which is also referred to as Three Kings’ Day.
- With a whole month dedicated to merriment, gift-giving, and holiday markets, winter is an ideal time to visit Italy.
- Not only are there fewer tourists and shorter wait times at the museums and monuments, but there are many unique festivities and traditions only found this time of year.
- For Italians, Christmas festivities focus on the family; locals head to their hometowns to celebrate with loved ones.
Meanwhile, light displays and Christmas markets pop up throughout the country. While spending the holidays in the spiritual home of Catholicism (or just a more temperate climate) sounds appealing, it can also be a bit daunting. That’s why we’ve put together this guide of our favorite places to spend Christmas in Italy, and what to do in our top 5 cities.