HOW TO SAY "Merry Christmas" IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Asia's 2 Christian-dominated nations is in our region (the Philippines and Timor Leste) are celebrating the Christmas today! Whether we admit it or not, the Christian holiday that falls on the 25th of December has evolved into something more "universal".
Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei cites it. We in Thailand never fails to surprise visitors that we, indeed, celebrate Christmas in our own way. So as the largely Buddhist Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
So, here it is...today is Christmas. The holiday that shed its 'religious' tone and considered as a day of peace and gift-giving around the world.
We say สุขสันต์วันคริสตร์มาส in Thailand. It's "Souksarn wan Christmas". It's "Krit-sa-mat" or loosely pronounced like that, ok? This is the most awaited event of the kids in International schools around the country! They also say "Souksan wan Christmas" in Laos.
The Filipinos say "Maligayang Pasko" for the Tagalogs. "Naragsak a Pascua" for the Ilocanos in the north. "Masayang Pasku keko ngan" in my second home Pampanga. "Masinadyahon nga Paskua" in Central Philippines. "Maugmang Capascuhan" in Bicol and many many other languages in this country.
The Timorese would say "Feliz natal" in Portuguese. How do you say it in Tetun?
And for our Chinese bros in Singapore and across the region: 圣诞快乐 "Sheng Dankuai Le" in Mandarin and "Sing Daan Faai Lok" in Cantonese.
It's "Christmas nay hma mue pyaw pa" in Burma. "Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh" in Vietnam and "Soursdey Noel" in Cambodia.
"Selamat Hari Natal" is how they say it in Malaysia (Malay) and Brunei, and also acceptable in Indonesia but better "Selamat Natal" to be more accurate. "Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal" from our Tamil brothers.
Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei cites it. We in Thailand never fails to surprise visitors that we, indeed, celebrate Christmas in our own way. So as the largely Buddhist Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
So, here it is...today is Christmas. The holiday that shed its 'religious' tone and considered as a day of peace and gift-giving around the world.
We say สุขสันต์วันคริสตร์มาส in Thailand. It's "Souksarn wan Christmas". It's "Krit-sa-mat" or loosely pronounced like that, ok? This is the most awaited event of the kids in International schools around the country! They also say "Souksan wan Christmas" in Laos.
The Filipinos say "Maligayang Pasko" for the Tagalogs. "Naragsak a Pascua" for the Ilocanos in the north. "Masayang Pasku keko ngan" in my second home Pampanga. "Masinadyahon nga Paskua" in Central Philippines. "Maugmang Capascuhan" in Bicol and many many other languages in this country.
The Timorese would say "Feliz natal" in Portuguese. How do you say it in Tetun?
And for our Chinese bros in Singapore and across the region: 圣诞快乐 "Sheng Dankuai Le" in Mandarin and "Sing Daan Faai Lok" in Cantonese.
It's "Christmas nay hma mue pyaw pa" in Burma. "Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh" in Vietnam and "Soursdey Noel" in Cambodia.
"Selamat Hari Natal" is how they say it in Malaysia (Malay) and Brunei, and also acceptable in Indonesia but better "Selamat Natal" to be more accurate. "Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal" from our Tamil brothers.
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