Italian Phrase
Il Natale è il 25 dicembre.
Meaning
The sentence means “Christmas is on December 25th.” It simply states the calendar date of the holiday, using the standard Italian construction for dates.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell someone the exact day Christmas falls on, such as in a conversation about holiday plans, school schedules, or when comparing different cultural celebrations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IlNataleèil25dicembre.
Definite article before holidays
In Italian, most holidays take the definite article (il, la, i, le) before the name, e.g., il Natale, la Pasqua.
Verb essere (present)
è is the third‑person singular present of essere, used here to equate Natale with a date.
Definite article before dates
When you state a specific calendar date, you repeat the article il before the day and month: il 25 dicembre.
Cardinal numbers as dates
The day is expressed as a cardinal number (25) followed directly by the month name.
🗨In Conversation
Il Natale è il 25 dicembre.
Christmas is on December 25th.
Sì, e il Capodanno è il 1° gennaio.
Yes, and New Year's Day is on January 1st.
✕Common Mistakes
Natale è 25 dicembre.
Missing the definite article before both the holiday and the date.
Il Natale è 25 dicembre.
The article il is required before the date as well.
Il Natale è il dicembre 25.
In Italian the month comes after the day, not before.
↔Alternatives
Il giorno di Natale è il 25 dicembre.
The day of Christmas is December 25th.
Natale cade il 25 dicembre.
Christmas falls on December 25th.
Il 25 dicembre è Natale.
December 25th is Christmas.
Cultural Tip
In Italy the main celebration begins on the evening of 24 December (la Vigilia) with a big dinner, but the official holiday day is 25 December. Italians always use the article before the holiday name (il Natale) and before the date (il 25 dicembre). In some regions you’ll also hear “Natale” used without the article in informal speech, but the full form is safest for learners.