The town of Bethlehem, which is typically lively with Christmas Eve celebrations, appeared deserted today, December 24. Bethlehem lies 10 kilometers south of the city of Jerusalem, in the fertile limestone hill country of the Holy Land. Since at least the 2nd century AD people have believed that the place where the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, now stands is where Jesus was born.
The usual festive decorations and holiday spirit were absent in Manger Square, with a noticeable absence of foreign tourists who typically gather to commemorate the occasion. Palestinian security forces were seen patrolling the empty square, and some gift shops opened later in the evening after the rain had subsided.
Despite the difficult situation, very few tourists were seen in Bethlehem. This year the birthplace of Jesus is without the Christmas tree and the Christmas lights after cancellation of Christmas festivities.
Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year for more than 2.38 billion Christians.
There are so many beautiful Christmas songs, but perhaps Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World translates this spirit to everyone, followed by Christmas greetings in more than 100 languages.
It’s a Wonderful World
I see trees of green – Red roses too – I see them bloom – For me and you – And I think to myself What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue – And clouds of white – The bright blessed day – The dark sacred night – And I think to myself – What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow – So pretty in the sky – Are also on the faces – Of people going by – I see friends shaking hands – Saying, “How do you do?” – They’re really saying – I love you
I hear babies cry – I watch them grow – They’ll learn much more – Than I’ll ever knowAnd I think to myself – What a wonderful world – Yes, I think to myself – What a wonderful world – Ooh, yes
Christmas Greetings from Africa:
- Afrikaans (South Africa, Namibia) Geseënde Kersfees
- Akan (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin) Afishapa
- Amharic (Ethiopia) Melikam Gena! (መልካም ገና!)
- Ashanti/Asante/Asante Twi (Ghana) afehyia pa
- Chewa/Chichewa (Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)
- Moni Wa Chikondwelero Cha Kristmasi or Christmas yabwino
- Dagbani (Ghana) Ni ti Burunya Chou
- Edo (Nigeria) Iselogbe
- Ewe (Ghana, Togo) Blunya na wo
- Efik (Nigeria) Usoro emana Christ
- Fula/Fulani (Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Togo, Guinea, Sierra Leone) Jabbama be salla Kirismati
- Hausa (Niger, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo) barka dà Kirsìmatì
- Ibibio (Nigeria) Idara ukapade isua
- Igbo/Igo (Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea) E keresimesi Oma
- Kinyarwanda (Rwanda, Uganda, DR Congo) Noheli nziza
- Lingala (DR Congo, Rep Congo, Central African Republic, Angola) Mbotama Malamu
- Luganda (Uganda) Seku Kulu
- Maasai/Maa/Kimaasai (Kenya, Tanzania) Enchipai e KirismasNdebele (Zimbabwe, South Africa) Izilokotho Ezihle Zamaholdeni
- Shona (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana) Muve neKisimusi
- Soga/Lasoga (Uganda) Mwisuka Sekukulu
- Somali (Somalia, Djibouti) Kirismas Wacan
- Sotho (Lesotho, South Africa) Le be le keresemese e monate
- Swahili (Tanzania, Kenya, DR Congo, Uganda) Krismasi Njema / Heri ya Krismasi
- Tigrinya (Ethiopia and Eritreia) Ruhus Beal Lidet
- Xhosa/isiXhosa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho)
- Krismesi emnandi
- Yoruba (Nigeria, Benin) E ku odun, e ku iye’dun
- Zulu (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland) uKhisimusi oMuhle
Christmas Greetings from Around the World
- Afganistan (Dari) Christmas Mubarak (کرسمس مبارک)
- Albanian Gëzuar Krishtlindjen
- Arabic Eid Milad Majid (عيد ميلاد مجيد) Which means ‘Glorious Birth Feast’
- Aramaic Eedookh Breekha Which means ‘Blessed be your Christmas’
- Armenian Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb Tznund (Շնորհավոր Ամանոր և Սուրբ Ծնունդ) Which means ‘Congratulations for the Holy Birth’
- Azerbaijani Milad bayramınız mübarək
- Belarussian Z Kaljadami (З Калядамі)
- Belgium :
Dutch/Flemish Vrolijk Kerstfeest
French Joyeux Noël
German Frohe Weihnachten
Walloon djoyeus Noyé - Bulgarian Vesela Koleda
- Cambodia (Khmer) Rik-reay Bon Noel (រីករាយ បុណ្យណូអែល)
- China
Mandarin Sheng Dan Kuai Le (圣诞快乐)
Cantonese Seng Dan Fai Lok (聖誕快樂) - Cornish Nadelik Lowen
- Croatian (and Bosnian) Sretan Božić
- Czech Veselé Vánoce
- Danish Glædelig Jul
- Esperanto Feliĉan Kristnaskon
- Estonian Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi
- Faroe Islands (Faroese) Gleðilig jól
- Finnish Hyvää joulua
- France
French Joyeux Noël
Breton Nedeleg Laouen
Corsican Bon Natale
Alsatian E güeti Wïnâchte - German Frohe Weihnachten
- Greek Kala Christouyenna or Καλά Χριστούγεννα
- Georgian gilocav shoba-akhal c’els or გილოცავ შობა-ახალ წელს
- Greenland
Greenlandic Juullimi Pilluarit
Danish (also used in Greenland) Glædelig Jul - Guam (Chamorro) Felis Nabidåt or Felis Påsgua or Magof Nochebuena
- Guernsey (Guernésiais/Guernsey French/patois) bouan Noué
- Haitian Creole Jwaye Nowel
- Hawaiian Mele Kalikimaka
- Hungarian Boldog karácsonyt (Happy Christmas) or Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket (pleasant Christmas holidays)
- Icelandic Gleðileg jól
- India
Bengali (also spoken in Bangladesh) shubho bôṛodin (শুভ বড়দিন)
Gujarati Anandi Natal or Khushi Natal (આનંદી નાતાલ)
Hindi Śubh krisamas (शुभ क्रिसमस) or prabhu ka naya din aapko mubarak ho (Happy Birthday God)
Kannada kris mas habbada shubhaashayagalu (ಕ್ರಿಸ್ ಮಸ್ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು)
Konkani Khushal Borit Natala
Malayalam Christmas inte mangalaashamsakal
Marathi Śubh Nātāḷ (शुभ नाताळ) or Natal Chya shubhechha
Mizo Krismas Chibai
Punjabi karisama te nawāṃ sāla khušayāṃwālā hewe (ਕਰਿਸਮ ਤੇ ਨਵਾੰ ਸਾਲ ਖੁਸ਼ਿਯਾੰਵਾਲਾ ਹੋਵੇ)
Sanskrit Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa
Shindi Christmas jun wadhayun
Tamil kiṟistumas vāḻttukkaḷ (கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள்)
Telugu Christmas Subhakankshalu
Urdu krismas mubarak (کرسمس) - Indonesian Selamat Natal
- Iran
Farsi Christmas MobArak - Kurdish (Kumanji) Kirîsmes pîroz be
- Irish – Gaelic Nollaig Shona Dhuit
- Israel – Hebrew Chag Molad Sameach (חג מולד שמח) meaning ‘Happy festival of the Birth’
- Italy
Italian Buon Natale
Sicilian Bon Natali
Piedmontese Bon Natal
Ladin Bon/Bun Nadèl - Jamaican Creole/Patois Merri Crissmuss
- Japanese Meri Kurisumasu (or ‘Meri Kuri’ for short!)
Hiragana: めりーくりすます
Katakana: メリークリスマス - Jersey (Jèrriais/Jersey French) bouan Noué
- Kazahk Rojdestvo quttı bolsın (Рождество құтты болсын)
- Korean ‘Meri krismas’ (메리 크리스마스) or ‘seongtanjeol jal bonaeyo’ (성탄절 잘 보내요) or ‘Jeulgaeun krismas doeseyo’ (즐거운 크리스마스 되세요)
- Latin Felicem Diem Nativitatis (Merry Day of the Nativity)
- Latvian Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus
- Lithuanian Linksmų Kalėdų
- Macedonian Streken Bozhik or Среќен Божик
- Madagascar (Malagasy) Tratra ny Noely
- Maltese Il-Milied it-Tajjeb
- Malaysia (Malay) Selamat Hari Krismas or Selamat Hari Natal
- Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) Nollick Ghennal
- Mexico (Spanish is main language)
Nahuatl (spoken by the Aztecs)
Cualli netlācatilizpan
Yucatec Maya Ki’imak “navidad” - Montenegrin Hristos se rodi (Христос се роди) – Christ is born
- Vaistinu se rodi (Ваистину се роди) – truly born (reply)
- Native American / First Nation Languages
Apache (Western) Gozhqq Keshmish
Cherokee Danistayohihv &Aliheli’sdi Itse Udetiyvasadisv
Inuit Quvianagli Anaiyyuniqpaliqsi
Navajo Nizhonigo Keshmish
Yupik Alussistuakeggtaarmek - Nepali Kreesmasko shubhkaamnaa (क्रस्मसको शुभकामना)
- The Netherlands
Dutch Prettige Kerst (Happy Christmas), Zalig Kerstfeest or Zalig Kerstmis (both mean Merry Christmas) or Vrolijk Kerstfeest (Cheerful Christmas)
West-Frisian (or Frysk) Noflike Krystdagen (Comfortable Christmas days)
Bildts Noflike Korsttydsdagen (Comfortable Christmastide days) - New Zealand (Māori) Meri Kirihimete
- Norwegian God Jul or Gledelig Jul
- Philippines
Tagalog Maligayang Pasko
Ilocano Naragsak nga Paskua
Ilonggo Malipayon nga Pascua
Sugbuhanon or Cebuano Maayong Pasko
Bicolano Maugmang Pasko
Pangalatok or Pangasinense Maabig ya pasko or Magayagan inkianac
Waray Maupay Nga Pasko - Papiamentu – spoken in the Lesser Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire) Bon Pascu
- Polish Wesołych Świąt
- Portuguese Feliz Natal
- Romanian Crăciun Fericit
- Russian s rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM (C рождеством!) or
s-schah-st-lee-vah-vah rah-zh dee-st-vah (Счастливого рождества!) - Sami (North-Sami) – spoken in parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia Buorit Juovllat
- Samoan Manuia Le Kerisimasi
- Scotland
Scots Blithe Yule
Gaelic Nollaig Chridheil - Serbian Hristos se rodi (Христос се роди) – Christ is born
Vaistinu se rodi (Ваистину се роди) – truly born (reply) - Slovakian Veselé Vianoce
- Slovene or Slovenian Vesel Božič
- Somali Kirismas Wacan
- Spain
Spanish (Españo) Feliz Navidad or Nochebuena (which means ‘Holy Night’ – Christmas Eve)
Catalan / Asturian / Occitan Bon Nadal
Aragonese Feliz Nadal
Galician Bo Nadal
Basque (Euskara) Eguberri on (which means ‘Happy New Day’)
Sranantongo (spoken in Suriname) Swit’ Kresneti - Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka) Suba Naththalak Wewa (සුබ නත්තලක් වේවා)
- Swedish God Jul
- Switzerland
Swiss German Schöni Wiehnachte
French Joyeux Noël
Italian Buon Natale
Romansh Bellas festas da Nadal - Thai Suk sarn warn Christmas
- Turkish Mutlu Noeller
- Ukranian ‘Веселого Різдва’ Veseloho Rizdva (Merry Christmas) or ‘Христос Рождається’ Khrystos Rozhdayetsia (Christ is Born)
- Vietnamese Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh
- Welsh Nadolig Llawen