mele Kalikimaka
/ˈme.le kaˌli.kiˈma.ka/
mele Kalikimaka is the Hawaiian way to say Merry Christmas.
This phrase is used to express good wishes during the Christmas season. Although the first word has a literal meaning related to music or poetry, in this specific context it functions to mean 'Merry' or 'celebration of'.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
mele means a song, chant or poem, while Kalikimaka is a Hawaiian transliteration of the English word 'Christmas'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈme.le kaˌli.kiˈma.ka/. It has 6 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, mele were not just songs but essential records used to preserve genealogy and history.
- Because Hawaiian phonotactics require every syllable to end in a vowel, the English word 'Christmas' was transformed into the five-syllable Kalikimaka to fit the language's structure.
- The term mele may be derived from the word meli, which means 'honey'.
Examples in context
- Hauʻoli Lā Kalikimaka iā ʻoe a me kou ʻohana!Merry Christmas to you and your family!
- Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou iā ʻoe!Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!
- Mele Kalikimaka iā ʻoe!Merry Christmas to you!
- Mele Kalikimaka iā kākou!Merry Christmas to us all!
Example conversation
Leilani and Koa meet at a neighborhood party in December.
- LeilaniAloha, Koa! Mele Kalikimaka!Aloha, Koa! Merry Christmas!
- KoaMele Kalikimaka iā ʻoe, Leilani!Merry Christmas to you, Leilani!
- LeilaniʻAe, e nanea i kēia lā.Yes, enjoy this day.
- KoaMahalo, e nanea pū ʻoe.Thank you, you enjoy it too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries mele Kalikimaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Kalikimaka, mele, mele Kalikimaka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
