How to Say Merry Christmas in Hausa

Africa

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Hausa

Barka da Kirsimati

Say it like this: BAR-kah dah keer-see-MAH-tee

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Hausa, Merry Christmas is Barka da Kirsimati, said like BAR-kah dah keer-see-MAH-tee.
Happy New Year is Barka da sabuwar shekara.
People say it in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Cameroon and more.

What Barka da Kirsimati means

'Barka da' (blessings on, greetings on) + 'Kirsimati' (Christmas, borrowed from English). Together it means greetings on Christmas.

Other ways to say it in Hausa

Happy New Year

Barka da sabuwar shekara

Say it like this: BAR-kah dah sah-BOO-wahr sheh-KAH-rah

greetings on the new year

Where people speak Hausa

NigeriaNigerGhanaCameroonChad

Hausa (Harshen Hausa) belongs to the Afroasiatic (Chadic) language family.

Say it with Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train to more than 100 places and teaches kids how to say Merry Christmas at every stop. Practice Hausa today, then follow his trip.

Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →

Christmas traditions where people speak Hausa

Church choirs and carols: In Nigeria, church choirs visit members' homes to sing carols. On Christmas morning families go to church to give thanks, and in Hausa speaking areas Christians are a minority who celebrate with their local church.^[2]
New clothes and presents: Families exchange cards and presents, and some parents take children, dressed in new clothes, to see Santa Claus. Homes and streets are often decorated.^[2]
Pounded yam and jollof rice: The Christmas meal can include jollof rice, pounded yam, fried rice, vegetable salad and stew, with goat, beef, ram or chicken. Many families gather for the meal after church.^[2]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Hausa

Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

See all 103 languages →

Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Hausa?

You can say "Barka da Kirsimati". Barka da means greetings or blessings on, and it is the usual start of many Hausa greetings. This is the most common way to wish someone a happy Christmas in Hausa.^[1][2]

How do you pronounce "Barka da Kirsimati"?

Say it like this: BAR-kah dah keer-see-MAH-tee. The capital letters show the part to stress. Barka has two beats with the stress on the first. Say the r with a light tap of the tongue, and keep the vowels short and clear. Hausa is a tonal language, so a recording from a native speaker is the best guide.

What does "Barka da Kirsimati" mean?

It means greetings on Christmas, or blessings of Christmas. Barka da is a common opening for congratulations and festival greetings in Hausa, and Kirsimati is the Hausa word for Christmas, borrowed from English. You may also see it spelled Kirsimeti.^[1][3]

How do you write Merry Christmas in Hausa?

Hausa uses the Latin alphabet, so it is written Barka da Kirsimati. Some writers use tone marks, as in barka dà Kirsìmatì, but ordinary writing leaves them out. Other spellings such as Kirsimeti are also seen, so check which one your community uses.^[1][3]

How do you say Happy New Year in Hausa?

Happy New Year is "Barka da sabuwar shekara", said like BAR-kah dah sah-BOO-wahr sheh-KAH-rah. It means greetings on the new year. Most Hausa speakers are Muslim and also have their own festivals, so Barka da sabuwar shekara is used mainly for January 1.

Is there a formal and a casual way to say Merry Christmas in Hausa?

Barka da Kirsimati works for everyone. With elders, it is polite to open with a respectful greeting before wishing them a happy Christmas, and to speak slowly and warmly. With friends it can be said quickly. Christmas is a minority holiday in Hausa-speaking areas, so wishing Christian friends well is a kind gesture.^[2]

When do people say Merry Christmas in Hausa?

Hausa speaking Christians and their neighbours say it on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, after church, at family meals and in messages. Christians are a minority in Hausa speaking northern Nigeria, so the greeting is especially welcome among friends.^[2]

Is the main Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for Hausa speakers?

Christmas Day, December 25, is the main day. Many Nigerian families hold parties on Christmas Eve, then go to church on Christmas morning to give thanks, followed by a family meal. The greeting is used on both days, and it is especially welcome at church and at the table.^[2]

What is a Christmas tradition for Hausa speaking Christian families?

Families go to church on Christmas morning, and church choirs visit members' homes to sing carols. Many parents dress their children in new clothes, and the meal often includes jollof rice and pounded yam. Ask families about their own customs, since homes differ.^[2]

How can I teach Hausa Christmas words to kids?

Teach barka first, the word for blessings, then add da and Kirsimati, which sounds a little like the English word Christmas. Clap the syllables: bar-ka da kir-si-ma-ti. Children can write the phrase on a card and practice with a Hausa-speaking friend or a recording of a native speaker, since the sounds are easier to hear than to read.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor by Leslie Dunn. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)