In Italy, when Christmas approaches and you find yourself writing greeting cards to friends and relatives, or you meet someone in the streets, the standard formula you use to greet them is: “Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!”. It literally translates as “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”. There are slight variations to this set phrase, of course, and you can feel free to be as elaborate as you want in your greetings. In fact, Italian is a very flexible language which can be easily adapted to the speaker’s needs.

 

Some examples of Christmas greetings:

- Caro amico, ti faccio tanti auguri per un Natale sereno e pieno di amore / Dear friend, I wish you a Christmas, full of peace and love

- Auguro a te e ai tuoi cari un Natale felice e che il nuovo Anno sia pieno di pace e serenità / I wish you and your dear ones a happy Christmas, and may the new year be full of peace and joy