Christmas Blessing: Catholic Christmas Blessings and Prayers

A Christmas blessing asks God to give someone the gifts that came into the world with the birth of Jesus: peace, joy, light and the closeness of God, who became one of us. You can pray it over your family, write it in a card or send it to a friend. Below are a Christmas blessing prayer, blessings taken from the Bible, the priest’s Christmas blessing at Mass explained, Irish Christmas blessings, short blessings for cards, blessings for family, friends and colleagues, and blessings for people who are grieving or sick at Christmas.

A Christmas blessing prayer

Written for this page, to pray over your family on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning:

Lord God, on this holy night your Son was born for us in Bethlehem.
Bless this family, gathered in his name.
May the light that shone on the shepherds shine in our home;
may the peace the angels sang fill our hearts;
may the joy of Mary and Joseph be ours today and all year long.
Bless those who are far from us, those who are sick, and those we have lost.
And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
come down on us and remain with us forever. Amen.

Christmas blessings from the Bible

The oldest blessings are in Scripture. These verses (Douay-Rheims) are fitting for Christmas cards, a table blessing or a blessing over your children.

The priestly blessing, which God gave to Moses for Aaron to pray over the people (Numbers 6:24-26):

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.
The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee.
The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.

The song of the angels on the night Jesus was born (Luke 2:14):

Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.

The good news to the shepherds (Luke 2:10-11):

And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:
For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.

The Child promised by the prophet (Isaiah 9:6):

For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.

The Word made flesh (John 1:14):

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

St. Paul sums up Christmas in one line, read at Midnight Mass: “The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).

The priest’s Christmas blessing at Mass

At the end of the Christmas Masses the priest may give a solemn blessing for the Nativity of the Lord. It has three parts, and the people answer “Amen” to each:

That God, who by the birth of his Son scattered the darkness of the world, may also scatter the darkness of sin from our hearts.
That God, who sent the angels to announce great joy to the shepherds, may fill us with that joy and make us messengers of the Gospel.
That God, who joined heaven and earth in the Incarnation, may give us his peace and make us sharers in his life.

Then comes the usual final blessing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is one more reason to stay until the end of Christmas Mass. See Christmas Mass.

Irish Christmas blessings

In Ireland the Christmas greeting is “Nollaig Shona Duit” (NUL-ig HUN-a ditch), “Happy Christmas to you”; to a group, “Nollaig Shona Daoibh”. An old Irish custom is to place a lit candle in the front window on Christmas Eve, traditionally lit by the youngest child, to welcome the Holy Family who found no room at the inn and every traveller passing by.

Irish-style Christmas blessings, written for this page:

May the candle in your window guide home all you love,
may the Child in the manger keep your hearth warm,
and may Mary and Joseph find a welcome at your door. Amen.

May the peace of the Christmas night be on your house,
the joy of the shepherds be in your heart,
and the light of the star go before you all the year. Amen.

May God give you, for every storm, a shelter;
for every tear, a friend;
and for every Christmas, the Christ Child close beside you.

For an Irish blessing for those who have died, see the Irish prayer for the dead.

Short Christmas blessings for cards

Written for this page, free to copy into cards and messages:

“May the Christ Child bring you peace this Christmas and every day of the new year.”
“Christmas blessings to you and your family. You are in our prayers.”
“May the joy of Bethlehem fill your home.”
“Wishing you a holy Christmas, full of God’s light and love.”
“May the Prince of Peace give you his peace this Christmas.”
“God is with us. A blessed Christmas to you!”
“May the light of the Christmas star guide you through the year ahead.”
“May the love that came down at Christmas stay in your heart all year.”
“Christ is born! May he be born again in your heart this Christmas.”
“With prayers for a blessed and peaceful Christmas.”
“May Mary and Joseph watch over your family this Christmas.”
“Glory to God in the highest! Wishing you a joyful Christmas.”

Christmas blessings for family

May our family be like the family of Nazareth:
patient with one another, quick to forgive,
and always making room for Jesus. Amen.

Lord, thank you for the gift of my family.
Bless each of us this Christmas, those at this table and those far away. Amen.

More prayers for the home, the tree and the children are on Christmas prayers and blessings for family, and a grace for the meal on Christmas dinner prayer.

Christmas blessings for friends and colleagues

“Thank you for your friendship this year. May God bless you and all you love this Christmas.”
“Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and every blessing in the new year.”
“It has been a joy to work with you. May this Christmas bring you rest, peace and time with the people you love.”
“May the hope of Christmas stay with you through the new year.”

For someone who is grieving or alone at Christmas

Christmas can be the hardest time of the year after a death, a separation or a move. A blessing to send or to pray:

May the God who came to us as a little child
come close to you in your sorrow this Christmas.
May you feel the love of those who remember you,
and may the light of Christ shine in your darkness. Amen.

For someone who is sick

Lord Jesus, born in a poor stable,
be close to [name], who is sick this Christmas.
Give them strength, comfort and peace,
and bless those who care for them. Amen.

Blessing your children on Christmas

Parents can bless their children at any time, and Christmas is a beautiful moment to begin the habit. Trace a small cross on your child’s forehead with your thumb and say:

May the Child Jesus bless you, keep you and make you grow in his love.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Blessing the home at Christmas

Many families bless their home during the Christmas season, especially at the Epiphany, when the door is marked with chalk (20 + C + M + B + 27). See the Epiphany house blessing and the Catholic house blessing.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Christmas blessing?

A prayer asking God to grant someone the gifts of Christmas: the peace, joy and light that came with the birth of Christ. It can be prayed aloud over others, written in a card or prayed silently for someone.

What do you say for a Christmas blessing?

A simple one is: “May the peace and joy of the Christ Child be with you this Christmas.” The priestly blessing of Numbers 6, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee”, is also a perfect Christmas blessing.

Can a layperson give a Christmas blessing?

Yes. Every baptized person is called to bless, and parents in particular bless their children (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1669). Some blessings of places and objects are reserved to priests and deacons, but anyone can ask God’s blessing on family and friends.

What is the Irish Christmas greeting?

“Nollaig Shona Duit,” Irish for “Happy Christmas to you.” To several people you say “Nollaig Shona Daoibh.”

When is the Christmas season?

From the evening of December 24 until the Baptism of the Lord in January. See the Octave of Christmas for the eight days after Christmas.

More Christmas prayers

Texts and sources

Numbers 6:24-26, Luke 2:10-11 and 2:14, Isaiah 9:6, John 1:14 and Titus 2:11: Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
The solemn blessing for the Nativity of the Lord is summarized from the Roman Missal, not quoted.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1669.
Christmas blessing prayer, Irish-style blessings, card messages and the other blessings written for biddingprayers.com by seminarian Giuseppe.