Do you know the definition of Feliz Navidad? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the Spanish term Feliz Navidad, including its definition, etymology, usage, and more!
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Kevin
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June 15, 2021
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Common Questions
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What does the term Feliz Navidad mean?
According to Merriam-Webster Unabridged English Dictionary and Definitions, the term Feliz Navidad is Spanish for “Merry Christmas.” In Spanish, the word feliz means happiness. According to Spanish Etymology, the word feliz comes from the Latin word felix meaning happy or fertile. This is also where we get the English word felicity meaning happiness, as well as the English words fecund and fetus. According to Word Sense, the word Navidad comes from the Spanish natividad, from the Latin nativitas meaning birth. This comes from the Latin nativus, from the perfect past participle natus, meaning born. This is a conjugation of the deponent Latin verb nasci meaning to be born. This is also where we get the English words nativity and natal.
How can you say Feliz Navidad in other languages?
Many different languages have their word way of saying Feliz Navidad, or Merry Christmas. It is very useful to know how to wish people Merry Christmas in different languages if you are going to be traveling out of the country as well as if you are communicating with someone who does not speak English, like someone who is from Italy, Norway, Thailand, Portugal, Irelans or Denmark. This list of translations for the phrase Merry Christmas is provided by Interpro Inc and Word Sense, and can all be used to spread festive merriment after a challenging year.
- Korean: 즐거운 성탄절, 메리 크리스마스
- Swedish: god jul
- Czech: Veselé Vánoce
- Kazakh: рождество құтты болсын
- Cebuano: malipayong pasko
- German: frohe Weihnachten, fröhliche Weihnachten
- Cyrillic: Срећан Божић, Сретан Божић, Христос се роди, Ваистину се роди
- Yup’ik: Alussistuaqegtaarmek piamken, Alussistuaqegcikici (plural subject, plural object)
- Esperanto: ĝojan Kristnaskon
- Lower Sorbian: Wjasołe gódy
- Burmese: Hnit thit ku mingalar pa
- Persian: میلاد مسیح مبارک باد (milâd-e masih mobârak bâd), کریسمس مبارک (kerismas mobârak)
- Faroese: gleðilig jól
- Slovene: Vesel božič
- Dutch: vrolijk kerstfeest, prettig kerstfeest
- Khmer: រីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យណូអែល, បុណ្យណូអែល
- Lule: buorre javla
- Javanese: sugeng Natal
- Japanese: メリークリスマス (Meri Kurisumasu)
- Cornish: Nadelik Lowen
- West Frisian: noflike krystdagen
- Belarusian: з Каляда́мі, з Нараджэ́ннем, з Нараджэ́ннем Хрыстовым
- Amharic: መልካም ገና
- Ukrainian: з Різдво́м, з Різдво́м Христо́вим
- Irish: Nollaig Shona
- Roman: Srećan Božić, Sretan Božić, Hristos se rodi, Vaistinu se rodi
- Sinhalese: සුභ නත්තලක්
- Bulgarian: Весела Коледа
- Urdu: کرسمس مبارک (krismas mubārak), میری کرسمس (merī krismas), شبھ کرسمس (shubh krismas), شبھ بڑا دن (shubh baṛā din)
- Swahili: heri ya Krismasi, Krismasi njema
- Polish: Wesołych Świąt, Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia
- Occitan: Bon Nadal
- Hawaiian: mele Kalikimaka
- Breton: nedeleg laouen
- Jingpho: ngwi pyaw ai X’mas rai u ga!
- Silesian: Radosnych Godōw
- Vietnamese: chúc mừng Giáng sinh, chúc mừng Nô-en, chức mừng Giáng sinh, chức mừng Nô-en
- Turkish: mutlu Noeller
- Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
- Karo Batak: selamat wari Natal
- Maltese: il-Milied it-Tajjeb
- Russian: с Рождество́м, с Рождество́м Христо́вым, Весёлого Рождества́, Счастли́вого Рождества́
- Norman: bouan Noué (Jersey)
- Georgian: შობას გილოცავთ
- Latvian: priecīgus Ziemassvētkus
- Thai: สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (sòoksăn wan krítmâat)
- Catalan: bon Nadal
- Romanian: Crăciun fericit
- Hungarian: boldog karácsonyt
- Hebrew: חג מולד שמח (khag molad sameakh)
- Armenian: շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ
- Luxembourgish: schéine Chrëschtdag
- Sundanese: wilujeng Natal
- Chichewa: khrisimasi yabwino
- Malay: selamat hari Natal, selamat Natal
- Greek: καλά Χριστούγεννα
- Tajik: мавлуди Исо муборак
- Tamil: கிறிஸ்துமஸ் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்
- Alutiiq: Nunaniqsaakici Aʀusistuami
- Slovak: Veselé Vianoce
- Macedonian: Среќен Божиќ, Христос се роди (greeting), Навистина се роди (reply)
- Danish: glædelig jul, god jul
- Lushootseed: haʔɬ pədx̌aʔx̌aʔ
- Albanian: gëzuar Krishtlindja
- Livonian: rīemliži talšpivḑi
- Southern: buerie jåvle
- Finnish: hyvää joulua, hauskaa joulua
- Azeri: xoşbəxt milad
- Navajo: Yáʼátʼééh Késhmish, Nizhónígo Késhmish Adííłeeł
- Mongolian: Зул сарын мэнд хүргэе
- Lithuanian: Linksmų Kalėdų
- Portuguese: Feliz Natal
- Estonian: häid jõule
- French: joyeux Noël
- Indonesian: selamat hari Natal, selamat Natal
- Norwegian: god jul
- Yiddish: פֿרײלעכע ניטל
- Latin: felix dies Nativitatis, Natale Hilare
- Galician: bo Nadal! (masc.)
- Telugu: మెర్రీ క్రిస్మస్
- Kyrgyz: Жаратканнын туысымен
- Zulu: uKhisimusi oMuhle
- Haitian Creole: Jwaye Nowèl
- Cherokee: ᎤᏬᏢᏗ ᏓᏂᏍᏓᏲᎯᎲ
- Samoan: Manuia le Kerisimasi
- Mandarin: 聖誕快樂, 圣诞快乐 (Shèngdàn kuàilè), 聖誕節快樂, 圣诞节快乐 (Shèngdànjié kuàilè)
- Northern: buorre juovla
- Afrikaans: geseënde kerfees
- Basque: Eguberri on
- Icelandic: gleðileg jól
- Moksha: Роштува мархта
- Greenlandic: juullimi pilluarit, juullisiorluarit
- Scottish Gaelic: Nollaig Chridheil
- Arabic: عِيد مِيلَاد مَجِيد, مِيلَاد مَجِيد
- Tagalog: maligayang pasko
- Italian: buon Natale
- Uzbek: rojdestvo muborak
- Hindi: शुभ बड़ा दिन, शुभ क्रिस्मस, मेरी क्रिसमस, क्रिसमस मुबारक
- Asturian: feliz navidá
What is the history of the song Feliz Navidad?
According to Lyrics and iNews, the song “Feliz Navidad” is a Christmas song that was written by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. This simple song was released in 1970 on his holiday album, and is one of the only bilingual Christmas songs. It only has about a minute run time, and features an iconic guitar on the studio recording. According to WBKR, there are a few interesting facts about this song that people may not know. This recording was produced by Rick Jarrard, who added the horns. This is one of the 25 most popular Christmas songs of all time worldwide. People love listening to classic Christmas music in December. To some, these kind of songs make Chrismas, Christmas, like a poinsettia. According to Billboard, the song hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in December of 2020 for the first time, exactly 50 years after the song’s initial release. The song’s lyrics are simple but catchy. It features a Spanish verse wishing a prosperous year and happiness, and an equally simple English verse, wishing a sincere Merry Christmas. This much loved Christmas pop song has been used in many movies and tv shows like Glee and is still a popular caroling song on Christmas Eve. The lyrics of the popular tune are below.
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Próspero año y felicidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Próspero año y felicidad
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart
Overall, the term Feliz Navidad is the Spanish translation of the phrase “Merry Christmas.” This is also a popular Christmas song with bilingual lyrics by Jose Feliciano. This song has a simple Spanish chorus and is great for spreading holiday cheer. The charm of the song comes from its simplicity. Don’t be a Grinch, wish someone Feliz Navidad or Feliz Año Nuevo (Happy New Year) today!
Sources:
- https://www.interproinc.com/blog/merry-christmas-languages
- https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9499418/jose-feliciano-feliz-navidad-hot-100-top-10
- https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3591518/Jos%C3%A9+Feliciano/Feliz+Navidad
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Feliz%20Navidad%21#:~:text=%3A%20Merry%20Christmas!
- https://wbkr.com/5-feliz-navidad-facts/
- https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/christmas/feliz-navidad-meaning-lyrics-merry-christmas-song-translation-how-say-other-languages-804871
- https://www.definitions.net/definition/feliz+navidad
- https://spanishetymology.com/feliz-and-felicity-fecund/#:~:text=Feliz%20(Spanish%20for%20%E2%80%9Chappiness%E2%80%9D,happy%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9Cfertile%E2%80%9D.
- https://www.wordsense.eu/Navidad/
