Christmas Around the World

By Sue Lavene

Thanks to Jose Feliciano, most of us are already familiar with how to say "Merry Christmas" in Spanish. However, how do you say it in other languages? Let's take a look at some common and not so common languages. I have included country and pronunciations where possible.

Arabic: Milad Majid
Blackfoot (US/Canada): I'taamomahkatoyiiksistsikomi [Merry big holy day]
Bohemian (Czech Republic): Vesele Vanoce
Catalan (Spain): Bon Nadal
Croatian (Croatia): Sretan Bozic
Danish (Denmark): Glædelig Jul (glaidherlee yool)
Dutch (Netherlands): Prettige Kerstdagen
Eskimo (Inupik, spoken in Greenland, Canada, Northern Alaska): Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo
French: Joyeux Noel
German: Froehliche Weihnachten (frurlikher vighnahkhtern)
Greek: Kala Christouyenna (kahlah khreestooyehnah)
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Italian: Buon Natale
Jiberish (Everywhere): Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latin: Natale hilare
Monegasque (Monaco): Festusu Natale
Navajo (US): Merry Keshmish
Occitan (Southern France): Polit Nadal
Pennsylvania Dutch (US): En frehlicher Grischtaag
Polish: Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese (Portugal): Feliz Natal
Portuguese (Brazil): Boas Festas
Quechua (Peru): Sumaj kausay kachun Navidad ch'sisipi
Rapa Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul
Tagalog (Philipines): Maligayan Pasko
Tahitian (French Polynesia & Oceanía): Ia orana no te Noere (yo-rah-nah noh tay noh-ay-ray)
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai
Tok Pisin (Northern Papua New Guinea): Meri Krismas
Tongan (Tonga): Kilisimasi Fiefia
Ukranian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang Sinh
Yiddish: Gute Vaynakhtn

For more Merry Christmas translations, probably more than you'd ever know what to do with, go to World Of Christmas.

And don't forget a childhood favorite for many, in Pig Latin, it is "erry May ristmas Chay!" Or Happy Holidays everyone!

(If you are tired of saying Merry Christmas a hundred different ways, check out this neat website with tongue twisters in different languages!)