Germans celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December. Most people get together with their families and have a meal together. Here are some phrases you might like to know: Frohe Weihnachten = Merry Christmas Frohes neues Jahr = Happy new year Alles Gute für das neue Jahr = All the best for the new year One expression that is commonly used is "Guten Rutsch" which literally translates as "Slide well", but it actually means "Have a good new year"

I'm puzzled by the term "Frohe Weihnachten". I thought it was something like "Freulich Weihnachten"? I using personal memory banks that are 40 to 50 years old for this, so my spelling may not be correct! And I didn't speak German as a child, but I heard my grandmother do so (but not my mother!). Thanks Judy

Hi Judy, thanks for your post. Both versions - "Frohe Weihnachten" and "Fröhliche Weihnachten"- are used commonly and mean exactly the same. They are only different from a grammatical point of view. They are interchangeable, so you can use them in exactly the same situations. Nathalie

Thanks! And thanks for giving me the correct spelling... Judy