How to Say Merry Christmas in Tongan

Pacific

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Tongan

Kilisimasi fiefia

Say it like this: kee-lee-see-MAH-see fee-eh-FEE-ah

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Tongan, Merry Christmas is Kilisimasi fiefia, said like kee-lee-see-MAH-see fee-eh-FEE-ah.
Happy New Year is ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha taʻu foʻou monūʻia.
People say it in Tonga, New Zealand, Australia.

What Kilisimasi fiefia means

'Kilisimasi' is Christmas, borrowed from English, and 'fiefia' means happy or joyful.

Other ways to say it in Tongan

ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha Kilisimasi fiefia

Say it like this: OH-fah keh moh MAH-oo hah kee-lee-see-MAH-see fee-eh-FEE-ah

A fuller wish, roughly 'may you all have a joyful Christmas', given in a New Zealand government Tongan language guide.

Happy New Year

ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha taʻu foʻou monūʻia

Say it like this: OH-fah keh moh MAH-oo hah TAH-oo FOH-oh-oo moh-NOO-ee-ah

A wish that you all receive a blessed new year: 'taʻu foʻou' means new year and 'monūʻia' means blessed.

Where people speak Tongan

TongaNew ZealandAustralia

Tongan (Lea faka-Tonga) 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 Nuku'alofa at about 12:17 AM local time, and kids learn to say Kilisimasi fiefia as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Nuku'alofa →

Christmas traditions where people speak Tongan

Singing in the villages: On Christmas Eve, local choirs and musicians walk through villages singing hymns and Christmas songs. Churches also hold plenty of singing before Christmas and after, often in rich harmonies with no instruments.^[2][4]
Plates of food: Food is the center of Christmas. Families exchange plates of food rather than gifts, and some cook an umu, a traditional underground oven.^[2]
Visiting the oldest sister: Family rank is important in Tonga. Relatives visit the oldest sister on Christmas Eve to give gifts and thank her for her service to the family.^[4]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Tongan

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 Tongan?

Say 'Kilisimasi fiefia', which means a happy Christmas. A fuller version is 'ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha Kilisimasi fiefia', roughly 'may you all have a joyful Christmas'. Tongan communities in Tonga, New Zealand and Australia use these wishes on cards, in church and at family gatherings.^[3][6]

How do you pronounce Kilisimasi fiefia?

Say 'kee-lee-see-MAH-see fee-eh-FEE-ah'. Tongan vowels are pure and short: a as in father, i as in machine, e as in bed. Stress is on the second-to-last syllable, so kili-si-MA-si and fie-FI-a. Clap each syllable and keep your voice bright and friendly.^[2]

What does Kilisimasi fiefia mean?

'Kilisimasi' is the Tongan form of the English word Christmas, adapted to Tongan sounds. 'Fiefia' means happy, glad or joyful, and the same word appears in many happy wishes. Put together, the phrase means 'happy Christmas', matching English 'Merry Christmas'.^[2]

How do you write and spell it in Tongan?

Tongan uses the Latin alphabet with a glottal stop mark, shown as ʻ, and a macron over long vowels. This greeting is simply 'Kilisimasi fiefia'. The New Year wish uses both marks: ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha taʻu foʻou monūʻia. Without those marks, people can still read it.^[6]

How do you say Happy New Year in Tongan?

Say 'ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha taʻu foʻou monūʻia', roughly 'may you all have a blessed new year'. 'Taʻu foʻou' means new year and 'monūʻia' means blessed. It is the New Year wish printed in a Tongan language guide from the New Zealand government, so it matches how Tongans write it.^[6]

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

'Kilisimasi fiefia' is warm and used by everyone. For a more formal card, the fuller wish 'ʻOfa ke mou maʻu ha Kilisimasi fiefia' is a polite choice, especially for elders. Friends often mix in the English 'Merry Christmas'. Tongan culture values respect for family elders, so a gentle tone always helps.^[3][6]

When do people say it in Tonga?

From the weeks before Christmas through Boxing Day and New Year. December 25 and 26 are public holidays, and many shops, businesses and services close. Tongans spend the holiday with family, going to church, sharing food and visiting beaches.^[2]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Both matter. On Christmas Eve, families buy fireworks, there may be bingo, relatives visit the eldest sister with gifts, and choirs walk through villages singing. On Christmas Day, families go to church, share a feast, and often picnic at the beach. Gifts are modest, mainly for children.^[2][5]

What are some Tongan Christmas traditions?

Food is the center: families cook an umu, trade plates of food, and may roast a pig. Churches fill with a cappella harmonies and sometimes brass bands. Fireworks are sold in towns, and children often receive small gifts, while the biggest gifts go to the eldest sister.^[2][5]

How can I teach Kilisimasi fiefia to kids?

Teach it in two short parts: ki-li-SI-ma-si, then fie-FI-a. Children can clap the five-beat rhythm, then sing it to a simple tune. Decorate a pretend tree with balloons, candy and paper chains, as Tongans do, and say the greeting when the tree is finished.^[2]

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)