How to Write a Christmas Card in Welsh

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Person writing a Welsh-language Christmas card.

A Christmas card is an easy place to use Welsh because the message can be as short or as detailed as you like.

Follow the five steps below, then copy one of the complete examples and change the names or details.

1. Begin with a Welsh greeting

Nadolig Llawen!
Merry Christmas!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
Happy New Year!
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Address one person with Annwyl [enw]-Dear [name]. For a family, use I’r teulu annwyl-To the dear family.

Snowy Llyn Padarn with a bilingual Christmas greeting
Snowy Llyn Padarn with a bilingual Christmas greeting. Source: Hefin Owen from Wales via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

2. Add a heartfelt message

Choose one message or combine two shorter sentences.

Gobeithio y cewch chi Nadolig hyfryd gyda’ch teulu a’ch ffrindiau.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas with your family and friends.

Hoffwn ddymuno Nadolig bendigedig i chi, yn llawn llawenydd a chariad.

I would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and love.

Diolch o galon am eich cefnogaeth drwy gydol y flwyddyn.

Heartfelt thanks for your support throughout the year.

Rydyn ni’n meddwl amdanoch chi y Nadolig hwn.

We are thinking of you this Christmas.

An illustrated Christmas greeting card published by L. Prang and Company in 1897
An illustrated Christmas greeting card published by L. Prang and Company in 1897. Source: L. Prang & Co. via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

3. Close with a warm sign-off

Gyda chariad, [eich enw]
With love, [your name]
Cofion cynnes, [eich enw]
Warm regards, [your name]
Pob dymuniad da ar gyfer y Flwyddyn Newydd
Best wishes for the New Year
Oddi wrth deulu [cyfenw]
From the [surname] family
A Victorian Christmas card decorated with primroses
A Victorian Christmas card decorated with primroses. Source: Hildesheimer & Faulkner via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

4. Add festive Welsh vocabulary

These individual words work well as decoration or as inspiration for your message.

  • Llawenydd-joy
  • Cariad-love
  • Heddwch-peace
  • Cymuned-community
  • Teulu-family
  • Gobaith-hope
Nadolig Llawen a heddwch ar y ddaear.
Merry Christmas and peace on earth.

A religious card could include a short Bible verse. A secular card can focus on family, friendship, gratitude or good wishes for the year ahead.

5. Complete Christmas-card examples

Simple card for a friend

Annwyl Siân,

Nadolig Llawen! Gobeithio y cewch chi Nadolig hyfryd gyda’ch teulu a’ch ffrindiau.

Cofion cynnes,
Megan

Card for a family

I’r teulu annwyl,

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Rydyn ni’n meddwl amdanoch chi y Nadolig hwn.

Gyda chariad,
Teulu Jones

Card for a customer or colleague

Nadolig Llawen!

Diolch o galon am eich cefnogaeth drwy gydol y flwyddyn.

Pob dymuniad da ar gyfer y Flwyddyn Newydd.

Fast formula
Annwyl + greeting + one personal sentence + sign-off

An orange thank-you card beside a pen
An orange thank-you card beside a pen. Source: Aaron Burden aaronburden via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Write the card now

Annwyl [name],

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.

[One personal sentence.]

Cariad,
[your name]

Read it aloud once. That catches missing names and helps you notice whether the greeting matches one person, a family or a group.

Participants exchanging thank-you cards at the ESEAP Strategy Summit
Participants exchanging thank-you cards at the ESEAP Strategy Summit. Source: Vanjpadilla via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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2 comments

Very helpful. Diolch yn fawr iawn a Nadolig Llawen I chi.

Stephen Thomas

I love this. Diolch I have been looking for phrases to write on my daughter’s Christmas Card as shevis working in the USA at the moment and won’t be home for Christmas. Nadolig Llawen

Jane Petty

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