"Merry Christmas in Chamorro" from Pale' Eric
So many people ask me this each year, I decided to post a
reply from Pale' Eric
Forbes from his blog four years ago to save me time. One of these
days, I'll make a post of my own and add some other options to the list.
********************
http://paleric.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-do-you-say-merry-christmas-in.html
Thursday, December 22, 2011
SHORT ANSWER
Felis Påsgua
or
Felis Påsguan Nochebuena
or
Magof Nochebuena
LONG ANSWER
First of all, not all cultures have an old custom of
using specific greetings for special occasions. The phrase "Merry
Christmas" is an American/British custom. The phrase appeared in
some English writings many hundreds of years back, but didn't become
popularized till Christmas cards started using them in the early 1800s.
In times past, "merry" meant "pleasant" or "agreeable."
But it also can be understood to mean "tipsy" or "drunk,"
and that is why, it is believed, many in England prefer the phrase "Happy
Christmas." This is what you hear a bit more in the United Kingdom
and Ireland.
"Christmas" itself comes from the phrase
"Christ's Mass." Back when England was Catholic, some feast
days were named after the Mass of that day's feast. So, on the feast of
Saint Michael, they celebrated Michaelmas. On the feast of the
Purification, when candles were blessed, it was Candlemas. On the day of
Christ's birth, it was Christmas.
Now the Marianas were influenced by Spain and its customs,
and the Catholic religion. What we call Christmas in English is called
the feast of the Nativity of the Lord in the Catholic Church.
"Nativity" is a fancy word for "birth."
"Nativity" in Spanish is Natividad. Applied
to Christmas, it is simply Navidad. Thus you have heard of Jose
Feliciano's famous song Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas). Feliz means
"happy" or "merry."
But an older name for the feast of the Birth of Jesus is Pascua.
Pascua is the term for one of three great events in the religious calendar :
the Birth of Jesus, the Resurrection of Jesus and finally the coming of the
Holy Spirit or Pentecost. All three feasts are considered pascua.
In order to distinguish these three, Christmas became known
as Pascua de Nochebuena; Easter as Pascua Florida (or, "Flowery
Pascua" on account of the Easter flowers that come out in spring) and
Pentecost as Pascua de Pentecostés.
Nochebuena literally means "good night" and refers
to December 24th, Christmas Eve, when the Birth of Jesus is first celebrated in
church.
Believe it or not, despite all this linguistic technicality
that may have you scratching your head, if indeed you are still reading, many man
åmko' knew all of this! They were well-trained.
OK, now pascua became påsgua in Chamorro. So what is
Feliz Pascua in Spanish becomes Felis Påsgua in Chamorro. You can add Nochebuena
in there, too, to make it clear (remember, for the Spanish and the man åmko'
Chamorro, there are three pascuas). So, Felis Påsguan Nochebuena.
As an alternative to all this, I lean toward Magof
Nochebuena. This phrase keeps Nochebuena to denote Christmas, but uses magof
instead of felis. Magof is pure Chamorro and means the same thing as felis,
which is "happy." One could also say I suppose Magof Påsguan
Nochebuena, but I think the shorter version accomplishes the same task.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Don't even ask me to translate that (to me)
unsavory surrogate, else I will ask you to what holiday you are referring.
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