Поздра́вьте свои́х друзе́й с Рождество́м по-ру́сски! [Wish a Merry Christmas to your friends in Russian!] Watch the video below and learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in Russian language.

С РОЖДЕСТВО́М!  –  [S  RAH-ZH-DEES-TVOH-M]  –  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The most common way to wish a Merry Christmas in Russian language is to say c Рождество́м. The phrase literally translates into English as “with Christmas.” It may sound funny to an English ear at first, but when the Russian phrase is used in a full sentence, it begins to make more sense:

Мы поздравля́ем вас c Рождество́м! – We congratulate you with Christmas!

Just like English speakers, who end up dropping “we wish you” and simply use the phrase “Merry Christmas,” Russians, too, drop “мы поздравля́ем вас” and just say “c Рождество́м” to one another. Russian preposition c [with] requires the use of Instrumental case, therefore the ending changes from Рождество́ in the Nominative to (с) Рождество́м in the Instrumental.

Grammar digression:

The noun Рождество́ [Christmas] in Nominative case has the ending –o, which means that the noun is singular and neuter. In Instrumental case, singular neuter nouns receive endings -ом, -ем. Since the stem of the noun Рождеств–о [Christmas] ends in a hard consonant, in Instrumental case the word will gain the ending -ом: (с) Рождеств-ом.

Grammar tip: 

In Russian language, the preposition c [with] is often used with Instrumental case!

Рождество́ is mostly a религио́зный [religious] пра́здник [holiday] in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. However, after the fall of Сове́тского Сою́за [the Soviet Union], more and more people are starting to celebrate Рождество́ in the former Soviet republics. And now you can поздра́вить [congratulate] someone you know с Рождество́м by calling them or sending them откры́тку [a postcard]!

ПОЗДРАВЛЯ́ЕМ ВСЕХ С РОЖДЕСТВО́М! – MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!