Quick Answer
"Mele Kalikimaka" (pronounced "MEH-leh kah-lee-kee-MAH-kah") means "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian. First printed in a Honolulu Hawaiian-language newspaper in 1904 and immortalized by Bing Crosby's 1950 holiday hit, it isn't a literal translation — it is the English phrase "Merry Christmas" reshaped through the musical rules of the 13-letter Hawaiian alphabet.
Syllable-by-Syllable Breakdown:
- "Me-le" (MEH-leh) — short "eh" vowels like "met" and "let" (never "MEE-lee"!). Note that Hawaiian also has an unrelated native noun mele meaning "song" or "chant," pronounced the exact same way.
- "Ka-li-ki" (kah-lee-kee) — crisp, even Hawaiian syllables: "kah" (father) + "lee" (see) + "kee" (key).
- "MA-ka" (MAH-kah) — primary stress lands warmly on MAH, followed by a soft "kah".
Bonus Holiday Pairing: To say "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" in Hawaii, add "me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!" (meh kah how-OH-lee mah-kah-HEE-kee hoh).
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi uses just 13 letters (5 vowels: A, E, I, O, U; 8 consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W, and ʻokina). Two strict Hawaiian sound rules explain every single letter of Mele Kalikimaka: consonants can never cluster together, and every word must end in a vowel.
| English Sound | Hawaiian Adaptation | Linguistic Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Merry | Mele | Hawaiian has no R sound, so English R becomes L, and final "-y" softens to "-e". |
| Chri- | Kali- | Hard Ch/K stays K, R shifts to L, and an "a" vowel separates the consonant cluster. |
| -st- | -ki- | Hawaiian has neither S nor T — both map to K, smoothed out with an "i" vowel. |
| -mas | -maka | Final S becomes K, plus a closing "-a" so the word ends on an open Hawaiian vowel. |
1904 First Print & 1949 Song
Hawaiian speakers began exchanging Mele Kalikimaka in the late 1800s, with the earliest surviving newspaper print appearing in Ka Nupepa Kuokoa in December 1904. In 1949, Honolulu composer R. Alex Anderson penned "Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas day," which Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters took global in 1950.
How Hawaii Celebrates Today
In Hawaii, December means Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele outside Honolulu Hale, outrigger canoe Santa arriving on Waikīkī Beach, trays of ono grindz and mochi at ʻohana potlucks, and telling everyone from the cashier to your neighbors a warm "Mele Kalikimaka!"
"Mele Kalikimaka to you and your ʻohana!"
Translation: "Merry Christmas to you and your family!"
"Eh brah, Mele Kalikimaka! Come inside grab one plate — Aunty made kalua pig and butter mochi."
Translation: "Hey bro, Merry Christmas! Come inside and fix a plate — Aunty made kalua pork and butter mochi."
"We taking da keiki go town tonight see Shaka Santa — Mele Kalikimaka!"
Translation: "We're taking the kids downtown tonight to see Honolulu City Lights and Shaka Santa — Merry Christmas!"
"Mahalo for all your kokua dis year — Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!"
Translation: "Thank you for all your help this year — Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"
Aloha
Love, warmth, compassion, and Hawaii's timeless greeting
ʻOhana
Family — blood relatives, hanai family, and close friends
Mahalo Nui Loa
"Thank you very much" — heartfelt Hawaiian gratitude
E Komo Mai
"Welcome, come on in!" — warm island hospitality
Shaka
Hawaii's iconic thumb-and-pinky gesture (like Shaka Santa!)
Tūtū
Grandparent / grandmother (as in Hawaii's "Tutu Mele")
What does Mele Kalikimaka mean in English?
Mele Kalikimaka means "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi). Rather than a word-for-word translation, it is a phonetic adaptation of the English greeting into Hawaiian sounds, first recorded in print in Honolulu in 1904.
How do you pronounce Mele Kalikimaka?
Say MEH-leh kah-lee-kee-MAH-kah — with short "eh" sounds in Mele (never "MEE-lee") and gentle stress on MAH.
Why does "Merry Christmas" become "Mele Kalikimaka" in Hawaiian?
Hawaiian has no R, S, or T, forbids consonant clusters, and ends every syllable in a vowel — so R shifts to L, S/T/C shift to K, and vowels smooth out every syllable into Mele Kalikimaka.
How do you say "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" in Hawaiian?
Say "Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!" (MEH-leh kah-lee-kee-MAH-kah meh kah how-OH-lee mah-kah-HEE-kee hoh).
Who wrote the famous "Mele Kalikimaka" Christmas song?
Honolulu songwriter R. Alex Anderson composed it in 1949, and Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters recorded the hit version in 1950.
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