SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

CHRISTMAS

The words and phrases you’ll need to survive a Christmas in Italy

Spending your first Christmas with Italian friends or relatives? These useful words and phrases will help you make a good impression and enjoy the holiday season.

The words and phrases you'll need to survive a Christmas in Italy
Christmas in Italy is even more magical when you understand what's going on. Photo: DepositPhotos<

You probably know that babbo natale is Father Christmas and that Italians are very partial to a presepe, or homemade Christmas nativity scene. But when you’re spending Christmas in Italy for the first time, you’ll need a few more practical phrases. Here are a few that might help.

READ ALSO: How to celebrate Christmas like an Italian

You might also know that one alternative to saying Buon Natale is Buone Feste, and that you can say them both together if you like.

– Buon Natale e Buone Feste!

– Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Meanwhile Auguri di buon Natale! Is a heartier way of wishing someone a merry Christmas.

A lot of people will just use a simple auguri, which roughly translates as “congratulations” or “best wishes”, when they meet friends and neighbours in the street on Christmas day.

Another common and informal Christmas greeting is tante cose, which translates as “lots of things”. Which things? All the good things, of course. The phrase has come to mean something like “all the best”.

A Christmas tree in Verona. Photo: Depositphotos

With family being paramount to Italians, it’s very common to pass on your season’s greetings to people’s relatives, too.

– Dare i nostri saluti ai tuoi

– Greetings to your family (used for parents in particular)

And if you have a good relationship with your Italian in-laws or other relatives, you might want to tell them how you feel. But as reader Nicole Richey tells us, you’ll need to be careful; she accidentally used the wrong phrase on her mother in law.

She learned that ti amo (I love you) is only used in a romantic context, and to anyone else you’d say ti voglio bene.

If you give someone a present, especially an older Italian family member, they’re likely to exclaim:

– Dovresti risparmiare i tuoi soldi!

– You should save your money!

(But of course they will secretly appreciate the thought.)

If you’re watching Christmas movies, be aware that some classics have very different names in Italian; Home Alone, for example, is known as Mamma ho Perso l’Aereo, or “Mamma, I Missed the Plane.”

Photo: Depositphotos

If you’d like to help out the inevitably overworked and frazzled chef, reader Mary Hassan Ali Rizzo suggests a more polite alternative to Hai bisogno d’aiuto? (“Do you need help?”) Instead use Posso aiutarti? (Can I help you?)

They will probably say non è necessario (There’s no need) then you will say, ma a me fa piacere! (But it’s a pleasure!)

“This puts you in the position of asking a favour of them, rather than them seeming incompetent and in need of help, and it’s good for bonding,” she says.

If you’re visiting someone’s house, you might be told non fare complimenti, which means that you should feel free to do what you like (eat more food, stay a little longer…) a little like “make yourself at home.”

READ ALSO: The food and drink you need for an Italian Christmas feast

Durng the huge Christmas meal, which isn’t known as il cenone (the big dinner) for nothing, you’ll probably need a polite way of turning down some of the endless helpings of food. A flat refusal might not work, so we recommend:

solo un assaggino

– just a little taste

And after eating, you’ll ingratiate yourself even further with your hosts by telling them:

– Tutto molto buono

– Everything is very good

Or you could even try telling them it was buono da leccarsi i baffi, which roughly translates as “Good enough to lick your chops!”

Siclian Buccellati, a festive treat made with dried figs and nuts. Photo: Depositphotos

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

CHRISTMAS

Thousands more families in Denmark seek Christmas charity

A significant increase in families have sought Christmas help from the Danish Red Cross compared to last winter.

Thousands more families in Denmark seek Christmas charity

Higher process for food, electricity, gas and fuel are being felt by vulnerable families in Denmark, driving more to apply for Christmas packages offered by the Red Cross, broadcaster DR writes.

The NGO said in a statement that more people than ever before have applied for its Christmas help or julehjælp assistance for vulnerable families.

While 15,000 people applied for the charity last year, the number has already reached 20,000 in 2022.

“We are in an extraordinary situation this year where a lot more people have to account for every single krone to make their finances work,” Danish Red Cross general secretary Anders Ladekarl said in the press statement.

“For many more, their finances no longer work, and this is unfortunately reflected by these numbers,” he said.

The Red Cross Christmas assistance consists of a voucher worth 900 kroner redeemable at Coop stores or, in some stores, a hamper consisting of products.

READ ALSO: These are Denmark’s deadlines for sending international mail in time for Christmas

SHOW COMMENTS