Seeing as how 95% of people are Buddhists, Christmas isn’t exactly a huge holiday in Thailand. That being said, shopping malls across the country have decked the halls with plenty of Christmas fare, Christmas trees can easily be found, and “Jingle Bells” is played and sang many times throughout the month. Buddhism is a very tolerant religion, so people in Thailand welcome Christmas and the celebrations associated with the holiday with open arms. If you’ve ever been to Thailand, you know that Thai people will take any excuse for a party. Everything in Thailand has to be สนุก (sà-nùk), a word which means “fun” or “enjoyable.” Since Christmas is another occasion to celebrate and have a good time, Thailand is all for it.

Image by empty007 from www.flickr.com

Don’t be a กรินช์ (grín) this Christmas season by not knowing any holiday vocabulary. To help you get in the Christmas spirit in Thailand, here are 20 Christmas related vocabulary words:

• Christmas Eve (วันคริสต์มาสอีฟ – krít-mâat ee-faa)

• Christmas (วันคริสต์มาส – wan krít-mâat)

• Merry Christmas (สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส – sùk-kà-săn wan krít-mâat)

• Christmas tree (ต้นคริสต์มาส – dtôn krít-mâat)

• Christian (คริสเตียน – krít-dtian)

• Jesus Christ (พระเยซูคริสต์ – prá-yay-soo krít)

• midnight mass (มวลเที่ยงคืน – muan tîang keun)

• Santa Claus (ซานตาคลอส – saan-dtaa-klôt)

• sleigh (เลื่อน – lêuan)

• reindeer (กวางขนาดใหญ่ – gwaang kà-nàat yài)

• Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (รูดอล์ฟกวางจมูกแดง)

• Christmas elf (ภูติคริสต์มาส – poo-dtì krít-mâat)

• gift/present (ของขวัญ – kŏng kwăn)

• stocking (ถุงเท้ายาว – tŭng táo yaao)

• Christmas carols (เพลงคริสต์มาส – playng krít-mâat)

• 12 Days of Christmas (12 วันในเทศกาลคริสต์มาส – 12 wan nai tâyt-sà-gaan krít-mâat)

• gingerbread man (มนุษย์ขนมปังขิง – má-nút kà-nŏm bpang kĭng)

• candy cane (อ้อยขนม – ôi kà-nŏm)

• snowman (รูปปั้น มนุษย์ หิมะ – rôop bpân má-nút hì-má)

• white Christmas (คริสมาสต์สีขาว – krít-mâat sĕe kăao)

Learn how to say “Merry Christmas” as well as “Happy New Year” in Thai with this short video:

While you’re at it, learn how to sing the 12 Days of Christmas in Thai. You should also check out this article for a bit more information about Christmas in Thailand. To all of our readers, we’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, in Thai of course!!

สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส!!