Christmas Pages

Resources for Classics Departments in the Christmas season.

Christmas Index Page
Latin Carols
Christmas Readings in Latin
Making Latin Christmas cards
The Saturnalia

Latin Christmas Cards

These suggestions are unashamedly for the Christian festival. I have not tried to cater for "X" - mas, where "X" stands for an unknown quantity, nor for Saturnalia, let alone 'Crimbo' or 'Winterval'.

Greetings

I have not found a generally accepted Latin version of 'Merry Christmas'. I therefore offer a selection of possibilities. Additions in brackets are optional.

omnia felicia et fausta (tibi sint)
(May you have) everything lucky and auspicious.

felix nativitas (sit)
(May it be) a lucky/happy Nativity/Christmas
(This is very close to the Spanish greeting)

Instead of nativitas you might like to use dies natalis Christi

Gaude/Gaudete
Rejoice! (singular and plural)
Possibly add: in Nativitate Christi (on Christ's birthday)
or: Christus natus est (Christ has been born)

Caecilius Metellae Nativitatem felicem optat
Caecilius (or any name in the nominative) wishes a happy Christmas to Metella (or any name in the dative, or matri suae, patri suo, parentibus suis. If the name does not decline, add amico suo or amicae suae.)

Quotations

Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men/people of goodwill
(The song of the angels, Luke 2)

Verbum caro factum est
The Word was made flesh
(John 1)

Puer nobis nascitur
Unto us a born is born
(from the carol)

parvulus enim natus est nobis. filius datus est nobis.
For unto us is born a little child. Unto is a son is given.
(Isaiah 9)

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