If you’ve been studying Italian for at least a few months, you probably already know how to say Merry Christmas in Italian. But what do Italians say on Christmas Eve? In Italian, Christmas Eve is most commonly known as la Vigilia di Natale, with vigilia referring to the eve of a festival or holy day …
December, or dicembre in Italian, is the month in which winter (inverno) officially begins in the northern hemisphere. The days may be short and the weather variable, but it is certainly the most magical time to visit Italy thanks to the festive atmosphere. Some things that characterise Italy in December include elaborate nativity scenes (presepi) …
Il Natale è alle porte is a very common expression used when Christmas is only days away. It literally translates as “Christmas is at the doors” and equates to the English expressions: Il Natale è alle porte. Christmas is just around the corner. The use of the definite article il (the) is optional. You can …
The air is getting colder, the streets are filled with colourful lights, the trees are covered in beautiful decorations: that’s right, Christmas is just around the corner! In Italy, Christmas is everyone’s favourite time of year. Children, in particular, spend Christmas Eve anxiously waiting for Santa Claus, the jolly fellow who has spent the entire …
The Italian word for wreath or garland is ghirlanda. Although its origin is uncertain, it is thought that it might derive from the Provençal word guirlanda. Ghirlanda is a feminine noun whose plural form is ghirlande. la ghirlandathe wreath una ghirlandaa wreath le ghirlandethe wreaths delle ghirlande(some) wreaths Lucia sta attaccando una ghirlanda fatta a …
Christmastime is upon us yet again, and if you are studying Italian, you may well be wondering what Christmas is called in Italy! Natale/na·tà·le/(masculine noun) Christmas Unlike the English word Christmas, there is no explicit mention of Christ, but instead a direct reference to his birth (nascita). Indeed, the etymology of the term Natale can …