Meri Kirihimete
/ˈmeri kiˈrihimete/
Meri Kirihimete is the Māori way to say Merry Christmas.
This phrase is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Meri Kirihimete is a transliteration of the English phrase 'Merry Christmas' adapted to Māori phonology.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmeri kiˈrihimete/
Did you know?
- In New Zealand, many Māori people celebrate Christmas in the height of summer, meaning a 'Merry Christmas' is often accompanied by heat and beach outings rather than snow.
- The word Kirihimete demonstrates a linguistic rule where Māori cannot have two consonants together, forcing the addition of vowels to break up the English 'st' and 'chr' sounds.
- Māori speakers often pair Meri Kirihimete with Ngā mihi nui, which translates to 'big thanks' or 'warm regards', to add traditional Māori warmth to the English-based greeting.
Examples in context
- Meri Kirihimete ki a koe!Merry Christmas to you!
- Meri Kirihimete!Merry Christmas!
- Meri Kirihimete katoa!Merry Christmas everyone!
- Meri Kirihimete, e hoa.Merry Christmas, friend.
Example conversation
Anahera and Rawiri meet at a community holiday gathering.
- AnaheraMeri Kirihimete, Rawiri!Merry Christmas, Rawiri!
- RawiriMeri Kirihimete ki a koe, Anahera.Merry Christmas to you, Anahera.
- AnaheraKei te pai te hui?Is the gathering good?
- RawiriAe, he tino pai!Yes, it is very good!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries Meri Kirihimete, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
