Spanish Christmas Vocabulary: Words and expressions for the holiday season

Niall QuinnNiall Quinn in Vocabulary
A close-up of a man with a white beard and glasses, dressed as Santa Claus, surrounded by soft, blurred lights of a festive setting. The image evokes a Christmas atmosphere, relevant to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

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Learning the most common Spanish Christmas vocabulary is essential to enjoying the holidays en español, be it in a Spanish speaking country or in your home country with a couple of close amigos.

In this post we’ll cover the essential Spanish Christmas vocabulary, followed by a bunch of Christmas expressions in Spanish that you can use throughout the holiday season.

A lot of Spanish Christmas vocabulary is pretty straightforward, so a simple translation and sample sentence will do, while for others we’ll give some additional explanations. We’ll wrap up with a list of common Spanish Christmas expressions, and end with the full list of Spanish Christmas vocabulary we’ve introduced in the post.

Once you’re well-versed on your Christmas vocabulary, why not read about the family traditions of BaseLang teacher Estefany in her guest post: A Very Venezuelan Christmas, or another by teacher Juan on his family’s Christmas traditions in Venezuela.

!Deseamos un feliz navidad y un prospero año nuevo! – We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

1. Christmas Tree – Árbol de Navidad

A decorated Christmas tree with colorful ornaments and a star on top, standing next to a pile of wrapped gifts in red, green, and white, set against a red background. This image reflects the theme of Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • The Christmas tree is gigantic. – El árbol de navidad es gigante.

2. Christmas Décor – Decoración Navideña

A festive street illuminated with colorful Christmas lights, lined with shops. Snow is visible on the ground, and a church steeple is in the background, creating a picturesque holiday atmosphere and showcasing Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • This year, the Christmas décor is beautiful. – Este año, la decoración navideña es hermosa.

3. Christmas Lights –  Luces Navideñas

A dark background with colorful Christmas lights arranged around the edges. The lights are red, green, blue, and yellow, creating a festive border suitable for a holiday theme, emphasizing Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • We must buy new Christmas lights. – Debemos comprar nuevas luces navideñas.

4. Ornaments – Adornos

A red glass Christmas ornament in the shape of a star, featuring a white snowflake design. The ornament has a gold cap and is placed on a sparkly silver surface with blurred lights in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere.

  • This Christmas tree has so many ornaments. – Este árbol de navidad tiene muchos adornos.

5. Bells – Campanas

A silver decorative Christmas bell with a red ribbon and red berries on top, placed on a brown surface. In the background, there are small silver gift boxes and tinsel, suggesting a festive atmosphere related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • The garland has some silver bells. – La guirnalda tiene unas campanas plateadas.

6. Tinsel – Oropel, Espumillón

Colorful strands of tinsel in various shades including blue, yellow, pink, purple, silver, green, and gold, arranged vertically, commonly used for Christmas decorations. This image supports learning about Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • My cousin decorated the Christmas tree with ornaments and tinsel. – Mi prima decoró el arbolito de navidad con adornos y espumillón.

7. Candles – Velas

A decorative centerpiece featuring four white candles on a wooden slice, surrounded by colorful Christmas baubles in red, green, and blue, with a red star and small festive figures, highlighting Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Carolina likes vanilla candles. – A Carolina le gustan las velas de vainilla.

8. Garland, Wreath – Guirnalda

A decorative holiday wreath made of green foliage, dried orange slices, pine cones, and cinnamon sticks, hanging on a dark green door with a vintage door knocker. Represents festive decorations related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • There is a wreath on the door of my house. – Hay una guirnalda en la puerta de mi casa.

In Spanish, las guirnaldas refer to strings of festive pine boughs used as holiday decoration, regardless of the shape.

9. Holly –  Acebo

A decorative bow made of red and white striped candy canes, positioned among green holly leaves and red berries on a glittery surface, symbolizing festive holiday themes and seasonal decorations.

  • There’s a lot of holly on the table. – Hay muchos acebos en la mesa

10. Mistletoe – Muérdago

A decorative mug featuring an illustration of a deer, placed next to a candle and a sprig of pine with red berries. The scene is set on a textured brown surface, evoking a cozy holiday atmosphere. This image relates to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • It is said that mistletoe has mystical powers which bring good luck on Christmas. – Se dice que el muérdago tiene poderes místicos y atrae la buena suerte en Navidad.

11. Snow – Nieve

A pair of hands wearing blue knitted gloves holding a white snowflake against a snowy background. The scene conveys a winter theme and could be related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • During Christmas, there is a lot of snow on the streets. – Durante la Navidad hay mucha nieve en las calles.

12. Snowman – Muñeco de Nieve

A group of four cheerful snowman figurines in a snowy setting, each playing different instruments or holding items like a champagne bottle, a flute, and a tambourine, with miniature evergreen trees in the background. This image relates to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • My kids love to make snowmen. – A mis hijos les encanta hacer muñecos de nieve.

13. Santa Claus – San Nicolás, Papá Noel

A small figurine of Santa Claus skating on a white surface, holding a tiny Christmas tree. The background features a golden sparkling pattern which enhances the festive atmosphere, highlighting the theme of Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • The children still believe in Santa Claus. – Los niños aún creen en San Nicolás.

There are a couple of ways to say Santa Claus in Spanish. You have similar options in English with Saint Nick and Father Christmas!

14. The North Pole – El Polo Norte

A red signpost pointing left with the text 'NORTH POLE' on it, set against a blue sky filled with snowflakes and a bright star. The ground is covered in white snow, enhancing the winter theme.

  • Santa Claus lives in the North Pole. – San Nicolás vive en el Polo Norte.

Recommended: How to Learn Spanish Fast in 2026

15. Elves – Duendes

Two holiday-themed elf dolls, named Buddy and Judy, wearing bright red and green sweaters, posed playfully in front of a decorated Christmas tree with ornaments and lights.

  • Elves help Santa Claus. – Los duendes ayudan a Santa Claus.

16. Sleigh – Trineo

A decorative Santa Claus figurine in a red outfit, holding a bell, stands beside a wooden sled with a red apple and star anise on snow-covered ground. Small evergreen trees surround the scene, enhancing the festive atmosphere, related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Santa Claus has a sleigh with reindeer. –  San Nicolás tiene un trineo con renos.

17. Reindeer – Reno

A young girl in a red dress and striped stockings interacts with a reindeer adorned with a festive decoration in a snow-covered landscape, featuring a green tree and a red barn in the background, conveying a festive atmosphere.

  • Santa’s favorite reindeer is Rudolph. – El reno favorito de San Nicolás es Rodolfo.

18. Presents – Regalos, Obsequios

Two beautifully wrapped Christmas presents under a tree, one gold with red stars and ribbons, and the other in shiny red with a white ribbon, set against a backdrop of green pine branches. This image relates to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • I have some presents for the children. – Tengo algunos regalos para los niños.

19. Toys – Juguetes

A colorful wooden stacking toy in the shape of a clown, featuring a round head with a red nose and a blue hat, placed on a light background with soft, blurred holiday lights. This image connects to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • The children have many toys. – Los niños tienen muchos juguetes.

20. Advent Calendar – Calendario de Adviento

A festive Christmas calendar with a decorated tree and Santa Claus on a red background. The calendar features numbered boxes for each day leading up to Christmas, with the number '24' highlighted. Keywords: spanish christmas vocabulary.

  • I’m ready for Christmas! I’ve got my Christmas tree, and my advent calendar. – ¡Estoy listo para la Navidad! Tengo mi arbolito navideño, y mi calendario de adviento.

21. Christmas Card – Tarjeta de Navidad

A decorative border featuring green garlands, red and green ornaments, and gold stars. A Santa Claus figure stands on the right side, holding a bag and a sprig of holly. This image supports themes related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Santiago gave us a Christmas card. – Santiago nos dio una tarjeta de navidad.

22. Christmas Sweater, Christmas Jumper – Suéter de Navidad

A person wearing a dark patterned sweater stands with arms crossed in front of a backdrop of warm, glowing lights hanging from trees. This setting suggests a cozy atmosphere, often associated with the holiday season.

  • Cristina bought a new Christmas sweater last month. She just loves this holiday! – Cristina compró un suéter navideño el mes pasado. ¡Ella simplemente le encanta esta época!

23. Christmas Carols – Villancicos, Aguinaldos

Two decorative straw figures wearing hats and ruffled collars, holding sheet music with notes. The figures are adorned with red ribbons at their waists and are designed to represent carolers, suitable for holiday decorations.

  • They always sing Christmas carols in December. –  Ellos siempre cantan villancicos en diciembre.

Villancicos are very popular throughout Latin America. In some countries such as Venezuela and Aruba, these carols are often called aguinaldos.

24. Christmas Dinner – Cena de Navidad

A festive table setting with a red Christmas cracker placed on a decorative plate. The background features glasses, cutlery, and holiday decorations, conveying a cheerful atmosphere associated with Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Sofía invited me to Christmas dinner with her family. – Sofía me invitó a la cena de navidad con su familia.

25. Turkey – Pavo

A golden-brown roast turkey breast garnished with herbs, served on a plate with green Brussels sprouts and diced carrots. Colorful bokeh lights are in the background, suggesting a festive atmosphere, suitable for discussing Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • My family always cooks turkey for Christmas dinner. – Mi familia siempre cocina pavo para la cena navideña.

26. Eggnog – Ponche

Two festive cocktails topped with cherries and candy canes are displayed in crystal glasses on a red and green plaid tablecloth. Nearby, assorted chocolate confections are arranged on a red plate, with decorative ribbon and greenery in the setting. This image relates to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Do you want some eggnog? It’s very tasty. – ¿Quieres un poco de ponche? Está muy rico.

In many Spanish-speaking countries eggnog is also called ponche de navidad, or literally Christmas punch. This beverage is normally served cold, and represents a very common tradition on every Latin American dining table. For this reason you should prepare enough, and always have it ready to offer it your guests! Its main ingredients are egg yolks, rum, water, and condensed milk.

27. Cookies – Galletas

A variety of decorated Christmas cookies in shapes like stars, trees, and stockings, covered in red and green icing with detailed designs, placed on a wooden surface, illustrating festive holiday treats and related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Cristina baked some Christmas cookies. – Cristina horneó algunas galletas de navidad.

28. Nougat – Turrón

Two pieces of nougat with visible nuts, including almonds and hazelnuts, on a white background. This sweet treat is often associated with Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Raquel really likes the nougat. – A Raquel le gusta mucho el turrón.

In Spain, you can find so many varieties of turrón. It’s a very popular Christmas gift!

29. A Toast – Un Brindis

Several people toasting with glasses filled with a reddish-brown beverage, celebrating together in a warm social setting.

  • I want us to make a toast. – Quiero que hagamos un brindis.

30. Baby Jesus – El niño Jesús

A nativity scene depicting Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus in a manger, surrounded by onlookers in traditional attire. Light falls on the figures, highlighting their expressions in a dimly lit setting. This image embodies themes of Christmas and can relate to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Baby Jesus was born in December. – El niño Jesús nació en diciembre.

31. The Three Wise Men – Los Tres Reyes Magos

Silhouettes of three figures riding camels against a starry, red background, symbolizing the Three Wise Men journeying. The scene highlights themes related to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • The three wise men follow the star of Bethlehem. – Los tres reyes magos siguen la estrella de Belén.

32. The Spirit of Christmas – El Espíritu de la Navidad

A white angel figurine holding a small object, positioned in front of a Christmas tree decorated with red and gold ornaments and soft lights. The background is blurred, emphasizing the angel and holiday theme.

  • On the 21st of December, we celebrate the Spirit of Christmas. – El 21 de diciembre celebramos el espíritu de la navidad.

In many Spanish-speaking countries, the espíritu de la navidad is one of the important characters of the season.

33. The Star of Bethlehem – La estrella de Belén

A silhouette of a nativity scene featuring Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger under a bright star, set against a starry night sky with light rays illuminating the scene. This image relates to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • The Star of Bethlehem is the brightest one. – La estrella de Belén es la más brillante.

34. Nativity Scene – Pesebre, Belén, Nacimiento

A wooden nativity scene featuring Mary and Joseph standing beside the baby Jesus in a manger, all set against a backdrop of straw. This image represents traditional Christmas themes and can relate to Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • At Bianca’s house there is a huge nativity scene. – En la casa de Bianca hay un pesebre enorme.

Nativity scenes are very popular in Spanish speaking countries over the holidays. Depending on the region, it might be called un pesebre, un Belén, or un nacimiento.

35. Donkey – Burro

Two donkeys with distinct colors, one dark and the other light gray, peering over the edge of a wooden structure in a rural setting. The background features trees, suggesting a natural environment. This image could be used in a context discussing Spanish Christmas vocabulary related to rural life.

  • There is always a donkey and an ox in every Nativity Scene. – Siempre hay un burro y un buey en cada pesebre.

36. April Fool’s Day – Día de los Santos Inocentes

A playing card featuring a Joker design, displaying a jester in colorful attire with a checkered pattern. The card is placed on a blurred brown background.

Image credit: imgur

  • April Fool’s Day is a very funny day. – El dia de los santos inocentes es un día muy divertido.

The reason we included this here is because, in most Latin American countries and Spain, the equivalent of April Fool’s Day takes place on the 28th of December. Once you fool someone, it’s common practice to reveal your prank by shouting: “¡Caiste por Inocente!” meaning “You fell for Innocent!” to the unfortunate victims, similarly to in English cultures where you tell them “April Fool’s!”

37. New Year’s Eve – Noche vieja

Several people toasting with champagne glasses amidst falling confetti at a festive gathering. Soft lighting and festive decorations create a celebratory atmosphere, suitable for discussing Spanish Christmas vocabulary.

  • Tonight is New Year’s Eve! – ¡Esta noche es noche vieja!

Depending on the country, December 31st is also known as víspera de año nuevo, fin de año, or simply año viejo.

38. The New Year – El Año Nuevo

An overhead view of a celebratory setup including a calendar page for January, champagne bottle, two glasses, dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, a silver disco ball, and a sequined clutch bag, surrounded by confetti and ribbons.

  • ¡We wish you a happy new year! – ¡Te deseamos un feliz año nuevo!

39. New Year’s Resolution – Propósito de Año Nuevo

A printed checklist with several checked boxes, placed on a wooden surface. A white marker lies beside the checklist, suggesting it is being used for organization or task management.

  • This time I’ll fulfill my new year’s resolutions. – Esta vez cumpliré mis propósitos de año nuevo.

(PS, this is where you follow through on that promise to learn Spanish!)

Spanish Christmas Expressions

Now that you know the most common Spanish Christmas vocabulary, it’s also a good idea to memorize some common Spanish Christmas expressions that you can use during the holidays.

  1. Merry Christmas! – ¡Feliz Navidad!
  2. Happy Holidays! – ¡Felices Fiestas!
  3. Happy New Year! – ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
  4. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! – ¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!
  5. Peace and love in these holidays! – ¡Paz y amor en estas fiestas!
  6. May peace reign in every home this new year. – Que la paz reine en cada hogar en el nuevo año.
  7. My best wishes for you and your family on Christmas. – Mis mejores deseos en esta Navidad para ti y tu familia.
  8. God bless you this new year! – ¡Que Dios te bendiga este nuevo año!
  9. I hope all your dreams come true! – ¡Que se cumplan todos tus sueños!
  10. Have a blast during these holidays! – ¡Que lo pases de lo mejor en estas fiestas!
  11. Christmas is just around the corner. – La Navidad está a la vuelta de la esquina.
  12. It smells like Christmas! – ¡Se respira ambiente Navideño!
  13. I hope you haven’t been too naughty this year. – Espero no te hayas portado mal este año.
  14. What did Santa Claus / Baby Jesus bring you? – ¿Qué te trajo Papá Noel / el Niño Jesús?
  15. What did … get you? – ¿Que te regalaron …?
  16. I toast to … – Brindo por …
  17. Cheers! – ¡Salud!

Conclusion: Spanish Christmas Vocabulary

We hope you enjoyed this fun post as much as we enjoyed putting it together with all this festive holiday imagery. In closing, we’ll just leave you with the list of Christmas vocabulary in Spanish that we covered through the post.

¡Que lo pases de lo mejor en estas fiestas! – Have a blast during these holidays!

1 Christmas tree Árbol de navidad
2 Christmas décor Decoración navideña
3 Christmas lights Luces navideñas
4 Ornaments Adornos
5 Bells Campanas
6 Tinsel Oropel, Espumillón
7 Candles Velas
8 Garland, Wreath Guirnalda
9 Holly Acebo
10 Mistletoe Muérdago
11 Snow Nieve
12 Snowman Muñeco de nieve
13 Santa Claus San Nicolás, Papá Noel
14 The North Pole El Polo Norte
15 Elves Duendes
16 Sleigh Trineo
17 Reindeer Reno
18 Presents Regalos, Obsequios
19 Toys Juguetes
20 Advent calendar Calendario de adviento
21 Christmas card Tarjeta de navidad
22 Christmas sweater, Christmas jumper Suéter de navidad
23 Christmas carols Villancicos, Aguinaldos
24 Christmas dinner Cena de navidad
25 Turkey Pavo
26 Eggnog Ponche
27 Cookies Galletas
28 Nougat Turrón
29 Toast Brindis
30 Baby Jesus El niño Jesús
31 Three wise men Lost tres reyes magos
32 The Spirit of Christmas El espíritu de la navidad
33 The Star of Bethlehem La estrella de Belén
34 Nativity scene Pesebre, Belén, Nacimiento
35 Donkey Burro
36 April Fool’s Day Día de los Santos Inocentes
37 New Year’s Eve Noche vieja, Víspera de año nuevo, Fin de año
38 The New year El año nuevo
39 New year’s resolution Propósito de año nuevo

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