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Feliz Natal, professor!

Feliz Natal, professor!
Merry Christmas, teacher!
From Lesson 28:Prepositions of direction (a, para)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Feliz Natal, professor!

o professor
the teacher (m)
feliz Natal
Merry Christmas

Questions & Answers about Feliz Natal, professor!

Why do we use Feliz instead of a specific word for 'Merry'?
In Portuguese, you simply use Feliz (Happy) for most holiday greetings. So, 'Merry Christmas' translates literally as 'Happy Christmas' (Feliz Natal).
Is Natal always capitalized in Portuguese?
Yes! Unlike days of the week and months, which are written in lowercase in Portuguese, the names of holidays and festive dates like Natal (Christmas) are capitalized.
Does professor only mean a university professor?
No, in Portuguese, professor (and the feminine professora) is the general word for a teacher at any level of education, from primary school all the way to university.
Why isn't there a word like o (the) before professor?
Because you are talking directly to the teacher. When addressing someone directly like this to get their attention, you drop the article. If you were talking about him, you would include it and say o professor.
If I wanted to say 'Merry Christmas TO the teacher', would I use a or para?
You would use a, which combines with the article o to become ao (Feliz Natal ao professor). We generally use a for the recipient of a greeting or message. While para is mostly used for physical destinations or giving physical gifts, you might still hear it used in casual speech.

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