Alsatian - E gueti Wïnâchte & E glecklichs Nej Johr!
Apache (Western) - Gozhqq Keshmish
Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bhojpuri: Naya Sal Mubarak Ho
Blackfoot: I'Taamomohkatoyiiksistsikomi
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat

Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Cherokee: Danistayohihv & Aliheli'sdi Itse Udetiyvsadisv
Cheyenne: Hoesenestotse & Aa'e Emona'e
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Creole/Seychelles: Bonn e Erez Ane

Dutch: Prettig Kerstfeest

Egyptian: Colo sana wintom tiebeen
Eskimo: (Inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!

Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic (Irish): Nolag mhaith Dhuit Agus Bliain Nua Fe Mhaise
Gaelic (Scots): Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
Greenlandic: Juullimi Ukiortaassamilu Pilluarit

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal (same for Malaysia)
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Japanese: メーリクリスマス　(Me-ri kurisumasu)
Javanese: Sugeng Natal lan warsa enggal

Kashmiri: Christmas Id Mubarak
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Luxembourgeois: Schéi Krëschtdeeg an e Schéint Néi Joer

Maltese: LL Milied Lt-tajjeb
Mandarin: Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Mongolian: Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye

Nepali: krist Yesu Ko Shuva Janma Utsav Ko Upalaxhma Hardik Shuva & Naya Barsa Ko harkik Shuvakamana
Norweigan/Nynorsk: Eg ynskjer hermed Dykk alle ein God Jul og Godt Nyttår
Norweigan/Bokmål: God Jul og Godt Nyttår

Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Punjabi: Nave sal di mubaraka

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Sicilian - Bon Natali e Prosperu Annu Novu !
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Sinhala: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Somali: ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican.
Swahili: ºKrismas Njema Na Heri Za Mwaka Mpyaº
Swedish: God Jul och Gott Nytt År

Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tahitian: Ia ora i te Noere e ia ora na i te matahiti 'api
Tamil: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Thai: Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai
Tongan: Kilisimasi Fiefia & Ta'u fo'ou monu ia
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho

Valencian: Bon Nadal i millor any nou
Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh

Welsh: Nadolig Llawen

Yiddish: Gute Vaynakhtn un a Gut Nay Yor

Zulu: Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo

by lauren6
(if there are any errors, please forgive and correct me!!)

~~~

Teaser:
Who sung the lyric, "...Eskimo, Arapaho..."?
(Should be easy for anyone over 35.)

maai mai mai mai mai ไม้ใหมไม่ไหม้มยั้ "New wood doesn't burn, does it?"

I'm sure many will be Christmas-weary by now, but it reminds me of the past times when I was on the other sideof the world over the festive time, once in Philippines, once in Thailand, and once in Japan.
Here are a few oriental Christmas customs which I've put together. (If I've made any errors, please let me know.)

Christmas in Philippines

The only nation in the whole of Asia in which Christianity is the first religion. Christmas celebrations start a good nine days before the 25th, with a mass called Misa de Gallo. This mass retells the birth of Christ as read from the Bible.
The Panunuluyan pageant is held each Eve at this time, with a couple chosen to re-enact Joseph and Mary's search for shelter.

On Christmas Day mass is held hourly, enabling everyone to attend. (I have been to these, and the fiercely religious Filipinos really pack their churches, so much so, the congregation sprawl outside too.) Religious services include pastore, (or play), based upon the myth of the birth of the Christ Child. The pastore closes with a star from the upper part of the church sliding down a wire and coming to rest over the church's Nativity scene.

Christmas celebrations perhaps evolved from old tribal customs whilst incorporating other outside influences. Serenading cumbancheros, end their performances by singing Maligayang Pasko to the tune of "Happy Birthday".

Christmas in Vietnam

Traditional Vietnamese religions are Buddhism and the Chinese philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. Under French rule, however, many people became Christians.
Christmas is one of the four most important festivals within the Vietnamese year, they being the birthday of Buddha, the New Year and the mid-autumn festival. Although the Christians observed the religious rituals of Christmas.

On Christmas Eve people would attend a midnight Mass, and afterwards they would return home for the all important meal, the Christmas supper. The dinner usually consisted of chicken soup, and wealthier people ate turkey and Christmas Pudding.

The European customs of Santa Claus and the decorated Christmas tree are observed and popular here, with children leaving their shoes outside on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in India

Christians in India will decorate banana or mango trees, and also light small oil-burning lamps as Christmas decorations, filling their churches with red flowers.

They give presents to family members and baksheesh, or charity, to the poorer people in the locality.

In India, the poinsettia is in flower at this time of year, and so the churches are decorated with this brilliant bloom for the Christmas Midnight Mass.

In South India, Christians put small clay lamps on the rooftops and walls of their houses over the festive period, just as the Hindus do during their own lovely festival called Diwali.

Christmas in Japan

It's very interesting to note the rise of Christmas in Japan, a nation which contains just 1% of it's population as Catholic. However, Christmas is observed right acorss the country, from malls, stores, streets, railway stations, (I remember Kyoto railway station last year had the most terrific Christmas tree display, the best I've ever seen), to people's own homes.

The exchange of gifts is of course popular too, and has become a part of Japanese life, to a lesser degree than western countries, but increasing with every year.

Japan has a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho, acting as a kind of Santa Claus, bringing gifts to every house, for the children. Some believe he has eyes in the back of his head, therefore children behave accordingly, believing he is ever-watchful.

However, among the Christian fraternity in Japan, Christmas is not especially a family day, nor one for turkey or Christmas pudding, but rather a time to help others, for example, visiting the sick in hospital.

On Christmas Eve or Christmas night, the children in Sunday schools will feel happiest, as they put on programs that last for many hours, singing, reciting and they putting on dramas of the day Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Most children may not see Hotei-osho so their presents will appear from Santa who goes around with a red-nosed reindeer, as in the west.

Christmas in Iran (Persia)

Christmas in Iran is known as the Little Feast. For the first 25 days of December, a great fast is observed, during which no meat, eggs, milk, or cheese can be consumed. This is known as a time of peace and meditation; a time for attending services at the church, and upon the completion of the fast, the feast is begun, for an abundance of meat is prepared for the Christmas dinner.

Christmas Eve marks the final day of the fast, and just prior to the dawn of Christmas Day, people attend Mass, receive Communion and it is not until they have received this Communion that they are permitted to break fast.

Most Iranian boys and girls have never heard of Santa Claus, therefore the Christmas exchange of gifts is not observed. But they do receive new clothes, which they will wear with pride throughout the Christmas week.

A dish eaten for Christmas day is a kind of chicken stew, which is cooked in large quantities and lasts several days.

by lauren6