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Christmas Manx Phrases
Nollick
Christmas is called "Nollick" in Manx. The phrase to know first is "Nollick Ghennal!" (Merry Christmas!).
The Manx Christmas greeting is Nollick Ghennal, "a merry Christmas". Below are the greetings and card lines that Learn Manx recommends, the singular and plural forms, a traditional blessing, and the Christmas words you will meet in Manx.
Greetings
Nollick Ghennal!
Merry Christmas!
Ghennal is a form of gennal, "jolly" or "merry".
Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The usual double wish. As means "and".
Nollick Ghennal erriu as Blein Vie Noa!
A Merry Christmas and a Good New Year to you!
Erriu is "on you" for more than one person, the form Culture Vannin uses to greet its readers.
Bannaghtyn
Blessings, greetings
A one-word greeting for the top of a card.
For cards and messages
Shee as boggey ort
Peace and joy to you (one person)
Use ort for one person.
Shee as boggey erriu
Peace and joy to you (more than one, or polite)
Use erriu for a family, a group, or politely.
Lesh yeearreeyn share son y Nollick as y Vlein Noa
With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year
A full sign-off line. The short form is Lesh yeearreeyn share, "with best wishes".
Lesh shee as graih
With peace and love
A warm sign-off above your name.
Nollick Ghennal erriu, as blein feer vie, Seihll as slaynt da'n slane lught-thie
Merry Christmas to you, and a very good year, long life and health to the whole household
Part of a traditional Manx blessing, as given by Learn Manx.
Useful words
Oie'll Voirrey
Christmas Eve
Culture Vannin writes the old carol night as Oie'll Verree.
Laa Nollick
Christmas Day
Laa means "day".
Jishag y Nollick
Father Christmas
The Manx name for Santa.
Billey Nollick
Christmas tree
Billey means "tree".
Kaart Nollick
Christmas card
The same pattern as Billey Nollick.
Carval
Manx Christmas carol
The plural is carvalyn, the long carols of the Oie'll Verree.
Jough y Nollick
Christmas drink
Traditionally a spiced ale drunk after the carols.
Mee ny Nollick
December
Literally "the month of Christmas".
The history of Nollick
Manx Nollick comes from Old Irish Notlaic, from Latin nātālīcia, and is the same word as Irish Nollaig. The old Manx Christmas season ran from Black Thomas' Eve, now 21 December, to Shenn Laa Nollick, Old Christmas Day, on 6 January. On Christmas Eve, after the church service, came the Oie'll Verree, when men sang long Manx carols called carvalyn. On St Stephen's Day people still go out to Hunt the Wren, with the song and a circle dance in the street, and no real wrens are harmed.
Common questions
How do you say Merry Christmas in Manx?
Nollick Ghennal. For Christmas and New Year together, Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa.
Christmas in the other Celtic languages
Further reading
Manx is on blas. now
Grammar, mutations, vocabulary, and reading with spaced repetition. The Manx course is in the blas. app now.
Start learning ManxManx phrases for the year ahead
Manx phrases for everyday occasions
Sources
Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Culture Vannin
- Culture Vannin
- Learn Manx (Culture Vannin)
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- blas. course data
- Phil Kelly, Manx dictionaries (learnmanx.com, January 2026): Manx–English: Oie'll Voirrey
- Phil Kelly, Manx dictionaries (learnmanx.com, January 2026): English–Manx: Christmas Day
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Phil Kelly, Manx dictionaries (learnmanx.com, January 2026): English–Manx: Christmas tree
- Phil Kelly, Manx dictionaries (learnmanx.com, January 2026): English–Manx: Christmas card
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.