How to Say Merry Christmas in Māori (Te Reo Māori)

Pacific

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Māori (Te Reo Māori)

Meri Kirihimete

Say it like this: MEH-ree kee-ree-HEE-meh-teh

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Māori (Te Reo Māori), Merry Christmas is Meri Kirihimete, said like MEH-ree kee-ree-HEE-meh-teh.
Happy New Year is Ngā mihi o te tau hou.
People say it in New Zealand.

What Meri Kirihimete means

'Meri' is 'merry' and 'Kirihimete' is 'Christmas', both borrowed from English and written with Māori sounds.

Other ways to say it in Māori (Te Reo Māori)

Happy New Year

Ngā mihi o te tau hou

Say it like this: NGAH MEE-hee oh teh TAH-oo HOH-oh

Greetings of the new year: 'ngā mihi' means greetings and 'tau hou' means new year.

Where people speak Māori (Te Reo Māori)

New Zealand

Māori (Te Reo Māori) (Te Reo Māori) belongs to the Austronesian (Polynesian) language family.

Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Auckland at about 12:33 AM local time, then visits Wellington, and kids learn to say Meri Kirihimete as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Auckland →

Christmas traditions where people speak Māori (Te Reo Māori)

The pōhutukawa tree: Kiwis use the pōhutukawa, a native tree with bright red flowers in December, as their own Christmas tree. Its flowers appear on cards and decorations.^[3]
A summer Christmas: Christmas falls in summer, so many people spend it at the beach, camping or at holiday homes called baches. Barbecue lunches are popular, and pavlova with berries is a classic dessert.^[2][3]
Santa parades: Towns hold Santa parades with decorated floats from November. Santa may wear jandals and an All Blacks shirt, and in Māori he is called Hana Kōkō.^[3][5]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Māori (Te Reo Māori)

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

Celebrate with kids

Christmas events for kids in New Zealand

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

See all 103 languages →

Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Māori?

Say 'Meri Kirihimete'. It is the standard greeting in te reo Māori and is widely used across New Zealand, including in schools, shops and on cards. Both words are borrowed from English and written with Māori sounds, so the greeting is easy for English speakers to learn and say with confidence.^[1][4]

How do you pronounce Meri Kirihimete?

Say 'MEH-ree kee-ree-HEE-meh-teh'. Māori vowels are pure: e as in bed, i as in machine. The 'r' is a soft tap, close to a quick 'd' or 'l' sound. Every vowel in Kirihimete is clear, so say each of the five syllables. The 'wh' in other Māori words is different, but there is none here.^[4]

What does Meri Kirihimete mean?

'Meri' is the English word 'merry' and 'Kirihimete' is 'Christmas', both borrowed into Māori and written with Māori letters, because the language has no 'ch', 'st' or 's'. So the phrase literally means 'Merry Christmas'. Learning it is a popular way for New Zealand children to practice te reo.^[4]

How do you write and spell it in Māori?

Māori uses a small Latin alphabet. Long vowels get a macron, as in 'Māori' and 'Ngā', but this greeting has none: Meri Kirihimete. Capitalize both words on a card. The New Year phrase 'Ngā mihi o te tau hou' has a macron on 'Ngā', which makes the 'a' longer.^[1]

How do you say Happy New Year in Māori?

Say 'Ngā mihi o te tau hou', which means greetings of the new year. For a group, add 'ki a koutou katoa', meaning 'to you all'. Mihi means a greeting or good wishes, so this is a respectful phrase. Summer in New Zealand falls in December and January, so this wish is often said at beach barbecues.^[1][4]

Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?

'Meri Kirihimete' works for everyone and is the usual card message. For a formal message at school assemblies or events, people may add 'Ngā mihi o te tau hou ki a koutou katoa' for all present. With friends, a simple 'Meri Kirihimete!' with a smile is perfect.^[1]

When do people say it in New Zealand?

Throughout December, especially from the Santa parades in November through Christmas Day. December 25 and Boxing Day are statutory holidays in New Zealand. In summer, people say it at the beach, at barbecues and at carol services, in both English and Māori.^[2][3]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Churches hold celebrations on both days, with carols and hymns in English and Māori. Christmas Day is the main day: families open presents together before the midday meal, then enjoy a barbecue or a traditional roast. It is one of the few days when almost all businesses close.^[2][3]

What are some Christmas traditions in New Zealand?

Kiwis use the pōhutukawa as a Christmas tree, spend summer days at the beach or at a bach, and eat pavlova. Towns hold Santa parades, and children leave carrots out for the reindeer. The carol 'Te Harinui' is sung at many services in te reo Māori, and many families share a barbecue or a roast.^[2][3]

How can I teach Meri Kirihimete to kids?

Teach it in five claps: Me-ri Ki-ri-hi-me-te, with the stress on 'hi'. Compare it to 'Merry Christmas' so they hear the match. Children can draw a pōhutukawa tree with red flowers and say the greeting as they show it. Add 'Hana Kōkō' for Santa as a fun extra word.^[3][4]

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)