Spanish word

Nochebuena

Pronunciation

IPA/notʃeˈβwena/

Meaning

  • feminine nounChristmas Eve

Example

¿Qué vas a hacer en Nochebuena?

What are you going to do on Christmas Eve?

Illustration for Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)

More examples

Vamos a celebrar la Nochebuena en casa de mis abuelos.

We are going to celebrate Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house.

Core concept

Festive December 24 evening marked by family customs and meals.

Common phrases

  • celebrar la Nochebuena

    celebrate Christmas Eve

  • cenar en Nochebuena

    have dinner on Christmas Eve

  • pasar la Nochebuena

    spend Christmas Eve

Similar words

víspera: The day before a particular date or event.
Navidad: The day of Christmas (December 25), observed with gatherings, worship, and gift-giving.

Definition in Spanish

La noche del 24 de diciembre, la víspera de la Navidad, celebrada con cenas y tradiciones que varían según el país o la familia.

Word origin

From the compound of noche 'night' and buena 'good', literally 'good night', specialized to mean the Christmas Eve vigil on December 24.

Usage tips

  • In many Spanish-speaking regions nochebuena also names the poinsettia plant, so context shows whether the speaker means the evening or the flower.

Word lists with this word