Merry Christmas in Samoan
Manuia le Kerisimasi
Say it like this: mah-NOO-ee-ah leh keh-ree-SEE-mah-see
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Samoan, Merry Christmas is Manuia le Kerisimasi, said like mah-NOO-ee-ah leh keh-ree-SEE-mah-see.
- Happy New Year is Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou.
- People say it in Samoa, American Samoa, New Zealand.
What Manuia le Kerisimasi means
'Manuia' means blessed or good fortune, 'le' means 'the', and 'Kerisimasi' is Christmas, borrowed from English.
Other ways to say it in Samoan
Ia manuia le Kerisimasi
Say it like this: ee-ah mah-NOO-ee-ah leh keh-ree-SEE-mah-see
'May Christmas be blessed', a slightly fuller wish.
Happy New Year
Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou
Say it like this: ee-ah mah-NOO-ee-ah leh tow-SAH-ngah FOH-oo
May the new year be blessed: 'tausaga fou' means new year.
Where people speak Samoan
SamoaAmerican SamoaNew Zealand
Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa) 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 Pago Pago at about 12:00 AM local time, then visits Apia, and kids learn to say Manuia le Kerisimasi as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Pago Pago →Christmas traditions where people speak Samoan
- Manuao singing: After the Christmas Eve church service, Methodist church groups hold a manuao. Members visit homes and sing until about 3 or 4 a.m., and families usually give gifts in return.[1]
- Christmas Eve Tea: On Christmas Eve, the village gathers at the chapel for prayer. Families then share a Christmas Eve tea at home with koko Samoa (cocoa), bread, biscuits and butter.[4]
- Feast and games: On Christmas Day, families cook taro, breadfruit, pig and fish in an umu (ground oven). After the big family lunch they play games such as kirikiti (Samoan cricket), rugby and volleyball.[4]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Samoan
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- HawaiianMele Kalikimaka
- Māori (Te Reo Māori)Meri Kirihimete
- TonganKilisimasi fiefia
- FijianMe nomuni na marau ni siga ni sucu
- Tok PisinMeri Krismas
- Punjabiਕ੍ਰਿਸਮਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਸ਼ੁਭਕਾਮਨਾਵਾਂ
- IndonesianSelamat Natal
- CroatianSretan Božić
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Samoan?
Say 'Manuia le Kerisimasi', or the slightly fuller 'Ia manuia le Kerisimasi', which is the form Omniglot lists. 'Manuia' is a Samoan word of blessing, used for many happy occasions. Both are used by Samoan communities in Samoa, American Samoa and New Zealand.[1][3][5]
How do you pronounce Manuia le Kerisimasi?
Say 'mah-NOO-ee-ah leh keh-ree-SEE-mah-see'. Samoan vowels are pure: a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, u as in rule. Every syllable is said clearly, and the stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, so ke-ri-SI-ma-si and ma-NU-i-a.[3]
What does Manuia le Kerisimasi mean?
'Manuia' means blessed, fortunate or well, and Samoans also say it as a toast or as 'good luck'. 'Le' means 'the'. 'Kerisimasi' is Christmas, borrowed from English and shaped to fit Samoan sounds, which have no 'ch' or 'st'. So the phrase is 'Blessed be the Christmas'.[3]
How do you write and spell it in Samoan?
Samoan uses a small Latin alphabet. In careful writing there are two extra marks, a glottal stop mark and a macron over long vowels, but this phrase needs neither. It is written 'Manuia le Kerisimasi'. Capitalize the first word and Kerisimasi.[3]
How do you say Happy New Year in Samoan?
Say 'Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou', pronounced 'ee-ah mah-NOO-ee-ah leh tow-SAH-ngah FOH-oo'. 'Tausaga fou' means new year. The 'g' in Samoan is a soft 'ng', as in 'singing'. Samoans often use the same blessing word, manuia, for both Christmas and the New Year.[1][3]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?
'Manuia le Kerisimasi' is friendly and works everywhere. Samoan culture is respectful, so with elders, chiefs or pastors people speak a little more formally and warmly. Friends and family may switch to English 'Merry Christmas', and some messages close with 'Soifua', meaning 'be well'.[1][3]
When do people say Manuia le Kerisimasi?
From early December through Christmas Day and into the New Year. Churches hold services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with songs and plays about the birth of Jesus. Families come together, so greetings are heard at church, at the village and at the family table.[1][2]
Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Both are special. On Christmas Eve, the village gathers at the chapel for prayer, there is a Christmas Eve tea, and Methodist groups may sing at homes until 3 or 4 a.m. On Christmas Day thousands attend church, then families share a big meal and play games.[1][2][4]
What are some Samoan Christmas traditions?
The manuao, when church groups visit homes and sing through the night, is a favorite. Churches hold choir performances and nativity plays. Families cook food in an umu, including taro, pig and palusami, and play kirikiti, rugby and volleyball after lunch.[1][4]
How can I teach Manuia le Kerisimasi to kids?
Teach the sounds of the vowels first: ah, eh, ee, oh, oo. Then clap the beats ma-NU-i-a le ke-ri-SI-ma-si. Children can pretend to be manuao carolers, visiting a classmate's desk to sing a short song and say the greeting. Add 'Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou' for New Year.[3]
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 AmazonSources
We check every greeting against dictionaries, language institutes and cultural sources.
- Christmas in the 2 Samoas, Samoa News
- Church thanksgiving services mark Christmas in Samoa, Samoa Observer
- Useful Samoan phrases, Omniglot
- Christmas Traditions of Polynesia, Polynesia.com
- Summer Xmas Day: we wish you a mere Kiritimiti, Pacific Media Network