Many Ways to Say
"Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"

Merry Christmas is spoken in many languages around the world. In Rome, and throughout the greater part of Latin Christendom, it was "The Feast of the Nativity"; and in Greece Genethlia, having the same meaning. The French Noel offers a variety of explainations. Some say it came through the Provencal Nadal, from the Latin Natalis, with which the Italian Natale and the Welsh Nadolig (probably also Gaelic Nollaig) are compared. Others perceive it through the form Nowell to Nouvelles, which means news. Both could be right. Noel and Nowell may be words of distinct origin, almost identical in sound and meaning. The Italians also give us Nativita, which is evidently the parent of the Spanish Navidad. Germany's Weihnacht means "the holy or consecrated night", though some interpret it to come from Wein-nacht or "wine night."
Our own Christmas follows the pattern of adding the syllable -mas to the name of the person being celebrated. But opinions differ as to the origin of the syallable. Hebrew applies is to means "tribute" or "offering". The French change "mass" messe and Latin missa.




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Some languages may be shown more than once and in a slightly different way.
Also, special characters are missing due to keyboard differences.
Some say "Merry Christmas" and some add "Happy New Year".