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What to Write in a Christmas Card in Irish (Nollaig Shona Duit)
How to spell it, say it, reply to it, and what to write after it
By Natali, Printarelle · Handmade in Mallow, Co. Cork · Updated September 2026
Short answer
The Irish for Merry Christmas is Nollaig shona duit to one person and Nollaig shona daoibh to more than one, said NULL-ig HUN-a ditch or DEE-iv. Write it first inside the card, then carry on in English. Printarelle’s handmade Christmas cards start from €3.99, made in Mallow, Co. Cork.
In this guide
At a glance
One person Nollaig shona duit
A group or family Nollaig shona daoibh
Sounds like NULL-ig HUN-a ditch
Add the New Year agus athbhliain faoi mhaise
Christmas cards From €3.99
Nollaig Shona scratch cards From €4.99
Nollaig shona duit is how you write Merry Christmas in Irish, and it is the line that turns an ordinary Christmas card into an Irish one. Most people only need one phrase, a rough idea of how to say it, and a sentence or two of English to follow it. That is what this guide gives you, along with blessings, replies and ready-made messages for the people on your Christmas card list in Ireland.
One slip catches almost everyone: the fada. It is Nollaig, with no accent on the o, while the accent belongs on the í in Beannachtaí na Nollag. An earlier version of this very guide had the first one wrong, so every phrase below has since been checked against Teanglann.ie and several other Irish-language sources before it goes near a card.
How Do You Say Merry Christmas in Irish?
Say Nollaig shona duit to one person and Nollaig shona daoibh to two or more. Nollaig is Christmas, sona is happy (it becomes shona after a feminine noun, which is why the s softens) and duit means “to you”. Happy Christmas and Merry Christmas are the same phrase in Irish.
| Writing to | In Irish | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| One person | Nollaig shona duit | NULL-ig HUN-a ditch (some say gwitch) |
| A couple, family or group | Nollaig shona daoibh | NULL-ig HUN-a DEE-iv |
| One person, with the New Year | Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise duit | NULL-ig HUN-a AG-us ah-VLEE-in fwee WASH-a ditch |
| A group, with the New Year | Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh | NULL-ig HUN-a AG-us ah-VLEE-in fwee WASH-a DEE-iv |
The last word changes with where you are in the country, so you will hear duit as ditch in some places and gwitch in others. Neither is wrong. For a card, only the spelling matters, and the spelling is the same everywhere.
Irish Christmas Blessings and Greetings
Beyond the main greeting, these are the lines worth writing on a card. Swap duit for daoibh (and ort for oraibh) when you are writing to more than one person.
| In Irish | What it means | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Nollaig faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit | A blessed and prosperous Christmas to you | A fuller, more traditional greeting for close family |
| Beannachtaí na Nollag ort | Christmas blessings to you | A short closing line above your name |
| Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise duit | Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year | Cards posted in December that double as New Year wishes |
| Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit | Happy New Year to you | After the main greeting, or on a New Year card |
Irish and English Christmas Card Messages by Recipient
You do not have to write the whole card in Irish. Open with the Irish greeting and carry on in English. The name after the comma changes form in Irish (a Mhamó, a dheirfiúr), which is a lovely detail if you get it right, so it is written out for you here.
| Who it is for | Open with | Then continue |
|---|---|---|
| Mamó or Nanny | Nollaig shona duit, a Mhamó | Thank you for every Christmas dinner and every story. Wishing you a warm, peaceful Christmas. Cards: Mamó or Nanny. |
| Your sister | Nollaig shona duit, a dheirfiúr | Thank you for being the person I ring first. Here is to a Christmas with no washing up. |
| Your brother and sister-in-law | Nollaig shona daoibh | Wishing the two of you a Christmas full of good food and very little driving. |
| Your son and his fiancée | Nollaig shona daoibh | Wishing you both a happy Christmas as you plan your next big day. We are so proud of you. |
| A couple on their first Christmas married | Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh | Happy first Christmas as a married couple. Here is to many, many more. |
| A great grandson | Nollaig shona duit | Wishing you the happiest Christmas. You are so loved by all of us. |
Is an Irish-Language Christmas Card Right for You?
Choose an Irish card when
- The person reads or speaks Irish, or learned it at school and loved it
- It is going to a grandparent, an Irish family abroad or a Gaelscoil household
- You want a short Irish line and a warm message in English underneath
- You want the card to hide a surprise, such as a trip, under a scratch panel
Choose something else when
- The message matters more than the language, where an English card with an Irish sign-off from our Christmas cards suits better
- You are giving a surprise gift, where a scratch reveal card does the job
- You want a card for someone in particular, such as a husband or a nana, where our named Irish cards give you more choice
- You want a wide choice of designs already printed in Irish: at the time of writing our Nollaig Shona range is three designs, so it is a small range
How to Use Irish in Your Christmas Card
Fully Irish, Bilingual or English With an Irish Sign-Off?
| Fully in Irish | Bilingual | English with an Irish sign-off | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chance of a mistake | Highest: every word has to be right | Medium: one or two phrases to check | Lowest: a single phrase to copy |
| Feels like | Formal and traditional | Warm and natural | Personal, with an Irish touch |
| Works if the reader has no Irish | Rarely | Yes | Yes |
| Choose this if | The reader is a fluent speaker and you are confident in your Irish | You want it to sound Irish and still be understood by everyone at the table | Your message is the point and the Irish is a finishing touch |
See the Irish Language Greeting Cards guide for birthday, wedding and Communion phrases as well.
Irish and Irish-Themed Christmas Cards
Found your Irish line? Now choose the card
Every Printarelle Christmas card is handmade in Mallow, Co. Cork. Write your Irish greeting inside and post it with your own words underneath.
Shop Christmas cards →Questions We Get Asked
Is it Nollaig or Nólaig?
Nollaig is correct: two l’s and no fada on the o. The fada belongs on the í in Beannachtaí na Nollag. The wrong spelling turns up on plenty of cards and websites, so if you are copying a phrase for a card, copy it letter for letter from this page.
When do I use duit and when do I use daoibh?
Use duit for one person and daoibh for two or more, so a couple, a family or a whole household gets daoibh. The same rule covers the New Year greeting: Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit for one person, and Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh for a group.
How do I reply when someone says Nollaig shona duit to me?
The simplest reply is Go mba hé duit, which means the same to you. You can also just say Nollaig shona duit back. If they have sent you a card or a gift as well, Go raibh maith agat is the way to say thank you.
How do you pronounce Nollaig shona duit?
It sounds like NULL-ig HUN-a ditch. The duit at the end changes by region, so you may hear ditch or gwitch, and daoibh sounds like DEE-iv. There is no single correct accent, so say it the way you would hear it where you live.
Do Printarelle have Christmas cards with Nollaig Shona on them?
Yes. Our Nollaig Shona scratch reveal cards come in three designs from €4.99, and the As Gaeilge collection has our other Irish-language cards. Every card is handmade in Mallow, Co. Cork, and you can write your own Irish line inside using the phrases on this page.
Where are Printarelle Christmas cards made?
Every Printarelle Christmas card is handmade in Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland. Orders are processed within 1 to 2 working days, with free shipping on qualifying orders across Ireland, which leaves plenty of time to write the Irish inside and post it.
Still not sure, or need something we have not listed? Tell us the occasion, the numbers and the date and we will tell you honestly whether we can do it.
Ask us →Keep reading
Natali, founder of Printarelle
I design, print and hand finish every order from our studio in Mallow, Co. Cork, and I check every Irish phrase before it goes on a card.
Nollaig shona daoibh from Printarelle
Browse our Irish-language cards and write your greeting inside.
Shop As Gaeilge cards →✦ ✦ ✦
Handmade with love in Mallow, Co. Cork · printarelle.com
