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As the winter season and chilly days continue in the northern hemisphere, I know I’m not the only one looking forward to Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan – literally “The Night of the Seven Suppers” aka Winter Solstice! In just about a week the days will start to get a little longer and the nights a little shorter. Until then, here’s a little Scottish Gaelic Nollaig Chridheil word search to help pass the time — and review some winter and holiday season vocabulary!

The download includes both a colour and a black-and-white version for printing.

Tha mi an dòchas gun còrd e ribh! I hope you enjoy it!

A word search worksheet of holiday words in Scottish Gaelic. The words Nollaig Chridheil are in red at the top and there are illustrations of a bird wearing a hat, a pair of candy canes, and a fox with a scarf in each of the cornersNollaigChridheil_wordSearch_2024moreGaelic.pdf

December 6 An Dùbhlachd 2024

Hooray it’s Bandcamp Day! I love supporting great music. I’ve discovered so many traditional musicians on Bandcamp and am excited to share some of them with you again this month. On Bandcamp Day, Bandcamp waives their revenue share so every purchase goes directly to the artist.

Today’s list features a dozen holiday trad albums with artists from Cape Breton, Scotland, USA, and more. I like Bandcamp because you can download the music you purchase and build your own music collection (just like the old days.) You can listen on the website or via the Bandcamp app, and the best part is that you don’t need to rely on any streaming services or an internet connection once you download your collection.

Click the album cover art to go to each Bandcamp page or scroll down for the full list with links:

  1. A Very Very Cassie and Maggie Christmas  by Cassie and Maggie
  2. Christmas Star by The Outside Track
  3. The Pear Tree by Adrianna Ciccone & Ellen Gibling
  4. The Fire’s Very Scottish Christmas by The Fire
  5. A Celtic Family Christmas (Deluxe Digital Edition) by Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy
  6. Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking  by Lodaidh MacFhionghain / Lewis MacKinnon, poetry collection published by Bradan Press
  7. Celtic Christmas by Kim Robertson
  8. Celtic Guitar Duets: Christmas Edition by Stephen Wake
  9. A Midwinter’s Night by Jackie Oates & John Spiers
  10. A Celtic Christmas by Iain MacHarg 
  11. MydWynter by Mediæval Bæbes
  12. The Back of Winter by Adrianna Ciccone

 

Here’s a game for Scottish Gaelic learners that you can play with a partner or a larger group. Fichead Ceist – Twenty Questions is a classic game that builds vocabulary around describing things. In this game, one person thinks of an item and then the rest of the players ask questions until they guess what it is. However, players can only ask questions that can be answered with a yes or a no.

If you’re competitive, try to do it as quickly as possible – in less than 20 questions. Use your questions strategically to help you narrow things down.

Questions and Answers

Playing this game will also help you practice two very common Scottish Gaelic question and answer structures. The first let’s you ask about the item’s size, colour, or other characteristics. You’ll use this structure any time your question involves a describing word, i.e. an adjective. 

A bheil e/i ___?  Tha/Chan eil 

Examples:

Is it black? 

Is it smaller than a fork? 

A bheil e dubh? 

A bheil e nas lugha na leabhar?

You’ll use the second structure when you’ve figured it out and you’re ready to guess! It’s known as the copula and it let’s you ask if the item is a noun, i.e. a person, place, or thing:

An e ___ a th’ ann? ‘S e/Chan e

Examples:

Is it a cat?

Is it a shoe?

An e cat a th’ ann?

An e bròg a th’ ann?

When our group started playing this game, we stuck to 10-ish questions because our vocabulary was limited. Do what works for your group. Playing games is a great way to practice your growing vocabulary and understanding of grammar. A game like this gives lots of chances to practice asking questions and answering yes and no. Plus, it can be played with limited and/or subject-focused vocabulary, This combo is what makes it a great game for Gaelic learners at any stage of fluency.

And don’t worry if you use the wrong structure! You can make a lot of mistakes in this game and still be understood. Games like this are for practice and fun. Do your best to have fun!

Deiseil agus deònach? Ready and willing? Keep reading to see how a game might play out!

Beathag & Anna play Fichead Ceist

Anna is thinking about the fridge in her kitchen. It’s a North American fridge. It’s white and has two doors. 

graphic of a stick figure about to open a fridge. Brown background and a white person and fridge

Beathag: A bheil e nas motha na càr?

Anna: Chan eil

Beathag: A bheil e nas motha na bròg? 

Anna: Tha

Beathag: A bheil e ann an taigh? 

Anna: Tha

Beathag: A bheil e ann an seòmar-cadail?

Anna: Chan eil

Beathag: A bheil e anns a’ chidsin?

Anna: Tha!

Beathag: An e frids a th’ ann?

Anna: ‘S e!

 

And now for the replay in Beurla (English): 

Beth: Is it bigger than a car?

Anna: No

Beth: Is it bigger than a shoe? 

Anna: Yes

Beth: Is it in a house? 

Anna: Yes

Beth: Is it in a bedroom?

Anna: No

Beth: Is it in a kitchen?

Anna: Yes!

Beth: Is it a fridge?

Anna: Yes!

If you want more games to try with your group, scroll through our Resources section for more games for Gaelic learners.

And if you’re looking for vocabulary, why not take a look at these online dictionaries: Am Faclair Beag  or LearnGaelic.scot’s Faclair.