Merry Christmas in Tok Pisin
Meri Krismas
Say it like this: MEH-ree KRIS-mahs
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Tok Pisin, Merry Christmas is Meri Krismas, said like MEH-ree KRIS-mahs.
- Happy New Year is Hapi Niu Yia.
- People say it in Papua New Guinea.
What Meri Krismas means
'Meri' is 'merry' and 'Krismas' is 'Christmas', both from English, written the way they sound in Tok Pisin.
Other ways to say it in Tok Pisin
Happy New Year
Hapi Niu Yia
Say it like this: HAH-pee NEE-oo YEE-ah
Happy New Year: written the way English words sound in Tok Pisin.
Where people speak Tok Pisin
Papua New Guinea
Tok Pisin belongs to the English-based creole language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Port Moresby at about 12:50 AM local time, and kids learn to say Meri Krismas as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Port Moresby →Christmas traditions where people speak Tok Pisin
- Torches to the hilltop church: In Mariant, in Enga Province, children gather dried pit-pit grass into torches. On Christmas Eve, villagers carry them along bush tracks to a church on a hilltop for midnight Mass.[4]
- Canoes and bonfires: In Busong Village, Morobe, boys decorate canoes and light bonfires on a hilltop that other villages can see. On Christmas Day, the canoes are brought into the village and people dance and sing.[4]
- Family and flowers: Families travel to their home villages, share gifts and plenty of food. Homes and churches are decorated with local plants and flowers, and children love meeting their grandparents.[4]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Tok Pisin
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- Māori (Te Reo Māori)Meri Kirihimete
- HawaiianMele Kalikimaka
- FijianMe nomuni na marau ni siga ni sucu
- SamoanManuia le Kerisimasi
- TonganKilisimasi fiefia
- SwahiliKrismasi njema
- SerbianСрећан Божић
- MalaySelamat Hari Krismas
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Tok Pisin?
Say 'Meri Krismas'. A Pacific language guide published by the New Zealand government lists it as the Tok Pisin greeting. Tok Pisin is a creole language that grew from English and is a main language of Papua New Guinea, so the words look and sound familiar to English speakers.[1][2][3]
How do you pronounce Meri Krismas?
Say 'MEH-ree KRIS-mahs'. Tok Pisin is spelled as it sounds, and there are no accent marks. The vowels A, E, I, O and U are pronounced as in te reo Māori and most Pacific languages, and the consonants are pronounced as in English. It sounds like 'Merry Christmas' said with the Pacific vowels.[1]
What does Meri Krismas mean?
It means 'Merry Christmas'. Tok Pisin is a creole language that grew from English, and many words, like 'meri' (merry) and 'Krismas', are spelled the way they sound. Careful, though: in Tok Pisin 'meri' on its own also means a woman or girl, so context tells you whether it means merry or a woman.[1]
How do you write and spell it in Tok Pisin?
Tok Pisin uses the Latin alphabet and is spelled as it sounds, with no accents. It is written 'Meri Krismas', with capital letters for both words on a card. Spelling can vary a little between writers, because Tok Pisin is a spoken language first, but this form is the one in the official language guide.[1][3]
How do you say Happy New Year in Tok Pisin?
Say 'Hapi Niu Yia', which is 'Happy New Year' spelled the way it sounds. A pacific language guide lists it right next to 'Meri Krismas'. You can pronounce it 'HAH-pee NEE-oo YEE-ah'. The words are easy for English speakers because they sound so similar.[1]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?
'Meri Krismas' is friendly and works for everyone, from friends to church elders. The same guide also lists 'Yu gat gutpela holidei', which means have a good holiday, for general holiday wishes. English is also an official language in Papua New Guinea, so many people mix in 'Merry Christmas' with friends.[1][2]
When do people say it in Papua New Guinea?
In the weeks before Christmas and on December 24 and 25. Papua New Guinea is a tropical country with temperatures in the 80s or 90s Fahrenheit even on Christmas Day. Many families travel to their home villages, so greetings are heard at church and along village paths.[3][4]
Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Both are important. Christmas Eve centers on church services, such as midnight Mass, and family time. In one village, torches carry people to a hilltop church that night. On Christmas Day, villages may hold singing, dancing and feasts, and families who have travelled home share gifts and food with grandparents.[3][4]
What are some Christmas traditions in Papua New Guinea?
In some villages, children bundle dried pit-pit grass into torches and carry them to a hilltop church on Christmas Eve. In others, boys decorate canoes and light bonfires. Families travel to their home villages, and homes and churches are decorated with local plants and flowers.[4][5]
How can I teach Meri Krismas to kids?
Since the words sound like English, children learn them quickly. Say 'Meri Krismas', then 'Hapi Niu Yia', and point out that Tok Pisin is spelled just as it sounds. Let children make a paper torch like the ones in Enga and say the greeting as they carry it around the classroom.[1][4]
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.
- 2026 Pacific Language Guide: PNG Tok Pisin, Ministry for Pacific Peoples (New Zealand)
- Summer Xmas Day: we wish you a mere Kiritimiti, Pacific Media Network
- Remembrances of Christmas Past: Christmas in the tropics of Papua New Guinea, DeWitt Media
- Christmas in Papua New Guinea, DocShare (WPS)
- A season of light: Christmas traditions across Asia and Oceania, Daily Tribune
