How to say ‘Merry Christmas’ in 26 different languages

Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. Buon natale.

There are a lot of ways to say “Merry Christmas,” something Utahns are surely aware of, since the state is known for having an expertise in foreign languages.

In total, about 120 different languages are spoken in Utah, according to The Associated Press. About 14 percent of residents speak something other than English. Spanish proves to be the most popular language (246,000 Utahns speak it) while Tongan and Samoan are also popular (13,000 speakers). Meanwhile, 8,000 people speak Navajo.

So it’s not unlikely Utahns will hear Merry Christmas pronounced in different languages this holiday season.

Thankfully, Ampersand’s Travel blog put together a video that shows how to say “Merry Christmas” in 26 different languages, from English to Romanian to Ukrainian and many others.

“The seasonal wish is a globally recognised message for spreading Christmas cheer, but of course each country has their own variation of how to say it,” according to Ampersand Travel. “So we’ve asked people from around the world to send us their festive greetings showing us how to say Merry Christmas in over 20 different languages from around the world.”

You can watch below.

Utah’s foreign language success stems from school children to adults. As PRI reported, Utah passed a bill in 2008 that encourages foreign language to be taught in Utah public schools. Languages from Mandarin Chinese to Spanish are taught far and wide throughout the Beehive State.

Utah senior research economist Pam Perlich told the AP that the multitude of languages help lawmakers solve problems in the state.

“It gives us a much greater ability to see and address problems, to come up with the great, creative solutions that you don’t get if everyone is just the same,” Perlich said.

In general, Utah’s population may not be overly diverse, but there are plenty of representatives from a number of races and ethnicities, according to recent U.S. Census data.

About 79.5 percent of Utah’s population identifies as white and 13.4 percent are Hispanic or Latino. About 1 percent identify as black and 1.8 as American Indian or Alaskan Native, while 2.2 percent of the population is Asian. Utah also has some Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders within the country.

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