Holidays vocabulary covers words for celebrations, seasons, and special days in Spanish. Use these to ask about, describe, or make plans for holidays.
Spanish Holidays
These are common holidays in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.
| Spanish Holiday | English Holiday | Example Sentence (Spanish) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Año Nuevo | New Year’s Day | Celebramos el Año Nuevo con fuegos artificiales. | We celebrate New Year’s Day with fireworks. |
| Navidad | Christmas | La Navidad es una época para estar en familia. | Christmas is a time to be with family. |
| Semana Santa | Holy Week | Semana Santa tiene procesiones en muchas ciudades. | Holy Week has processions in many cities. |
| Día de los Muertos | Day of the Dead | En México, el Día de los Muertos honra a los antepasados. | In Mexico, Day of the Dead honors ancestors. |
| Día de la Independencia | Independence Day | El 16 de septiembre es el Día de la Independencia en México. | September 16 is Independence Day in Mexico. |
Holiday Types
These words describe different kinds of holidays and celebrations.
| Spanish Type | English Type | Example Sentence (Spanish) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| fiesta | party/festival | Mañana hay una fiesta en la plaza. | Tomorrow there is a party in the square. |
| celebración | celebration | Organizamos una celebración por el cumpleaños. | We organized a celebration for the birthday. |
| vacaciones | vacation | Vamos de vacaciones a la playa. | We are going on vacation to the beach. |
| desfile | parade | El desfile de Carnaval es muy colorido. | The Carnival parade is very colorful. |
| banquete | banquet | Hubo un banquete después de la boda. | There was a banquet after the wedding. |
The Carnival parade is very colorful.
El desfile de Carnaval es muy colorido.
'Desfile' means 'parade.' The sentence highlights a lively, colorful parade during Carnival.
Holiday Activities
Use these verbs and nouns to describe what people do during holidays.
| Spanish Activity | English Activity | Example Sentence (Spanish) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| celebrar | to celebrate | Vamos a celebrar con música y comida. | We are going to celebrate with music and food. |
| regalar | to give (gifts) | En Navidad, regalamos juguetes a los niños. | At Christmas, we give toys to the children. |
| decorar | to decorate | Decoramos la casa con luces y guirnaldas. | We decorate the house with lights and garlands. |
| cantar | to sing | Cantamos villancicos en la nochebuena. | We sing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve. |
| bailar | to dance | Bailamos salsa en la fiesta. | We dance salsa at the party. |
Seasonal Vocabulary
These words help you talk about the seasons and time of year when holidays happen.
| Spanish Season | English Season | Example Sentence (Spanish) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| invierno | winter | La Navidad es en invierno. | Christmas is in winter. |
| primavera | spring | En primavera celebramos la Semana Santa. | In spring we celebrate Holy Week. |
| verano | summer | Las vacaciones de verano son en julio. | Summer vacation is in July. |
| otoño | autumn/fall | En otoño hay muchas fiestas tradicionales. | In autumn there are many traditional festivals. |
| temporada | season/time | Esta es la temporada de festivales. | This is the festival season. |
In spring we celebrate Holy Week.
En primavera celebramos la Semana Santa.
‘Primavera’ means ‘spring.’ Semana Santa (Holy Week) typically occurs in the springtime around Easter.
Common Expressions
Here are some useful phrases to talk about holidays and celebrations.
| Spanish Expression | English Expression | Example Sentence (Spanish) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¡Feliz Navidad! | Merry Christmas! | Le dije: “¡Feliz Navidad!” con una sonrisa. | I said, “Merry Christmas!” with a smile. |
| ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! | Happy New Year! | Brindamos y dijimos: “¡Feliz Año Nuevo!” | We toasted and said, “Happy New Year!” |
| ¡Felices fiestas! | Happy holidays! | En la tarjeta escribí: “¡Felices fiestas!” | I wrote on the card: “Happy holidays!” |
| Que lo pases bien | Have a good time | Que lo pases bien en la fiesta esta noche. | Have a good time at the party tonight. |
| ¡Salud! | Cheers! | Al brindar, todos dijeron: “¡Salud!” | When toasting, everyone said: “Cheers!” |
I said, “Merry Christmas!” with a smile.
Le dije: “¡Feliz Navidad!” con una sonrisa.
'¡Feliz Navidad!' means 'Merry Christmas!' It is a common holiday greeting used with joy.
Conclusion
This holidays vocabulary lets you talk about Spanish celebrations from small parties to major festivals. Practice these words to join in conversations and create your own holiday stories.
Flashcards (1 of 25)
- English Holiday: New Year’s Day
- Example Sentence (English): We celebrate New Year’s Day with fireworks.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
