Grad Betlehem, u kojem je tipično živahno proslavljanje Badnje večeri, izgledalo je pusto danas, 24. decembra. Betlehem se nalazi 10 kilometara južno od grada Jerusalima, u plodnoj krečnjačkoj brdskoj zemlji Svete zemlje. Najmanje od 2. veka nove ere ljudi veruju da je mesto gde je crkva Hristovog rođenja, Vitlejem, sada stoji, je mjesto gdje je Isus rođen.
Uobičajena svečana dekoracija i praznični duh izostali su na Trgu jaslica, uz primjetan izostanak stranih turista koji se obično okupljaju da obilježe tu priliku. Palestinske snage sigurnosti viđene su kako patroliraju praznim trgom, a neke suvenirnice otvorene su kasnije uveče nakon što je kiša popustila.
Uprkos teškoj situaciji, u Betlehemu je viđeno vrlo malo turista. Ove godine Isusovo rodno mjesto je bez božićne jelke i božićnih lampica nakon otkazivanja božićnih svečanosti.
Božić bi trebao biti najljepše doba godine za više od 2.38 milijardi kršćana.
Ima toliko lijepih božićnih pjesama, ali možda Wonderful World Louisa Armstronga prenosi ovaj duh svima, nakon čega slijede božićne čestitke na više od 100 jezika.
To je divan svijet
Vidim drveće zeleno – I ruže crvene – vidim ih kako cvjetaju – Za mene i tebe – I mislim u sebi Kakav divan svijet
Vidim nebo plavo – I oblake bele – Svetli blagosloveni dan – Tamnu svetu noć – I mislim u sebi – Kakav divan svet
Dugine boje – Tako lijepe na nebu – Također su na licima – Ljudi koji prolaze – Vidim prijatelje kako se rukuju – Govore: „Kako si?“ – Zaista govore – volim te
Čujem bebe kako plaču – gledam ih kako rastu – Naučit će mnogo više – nego što ću ikada znati
I mislim u sebi – Kakav divan svet – Da, mislim u sebi – Kakav divan svet – O, da
Christmas Greetings from Afrika:
- Afrikaans (South Africa, Namibia) Geseënde Kersfees
- Akan (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin) Afishapa
- Amharic (Ethiopia) Melikam Gena! (መልካም ገና!)
- Ashanti/Asante/Asante Twi (Ghana) afehyia pa
- Chewa/Chichewa (Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)
- Moni Wa Chikondwelero Cha Kristmasi or Christmas yabwino
- Dagbani (Ghana) Ni ti Burunya Chou
- Edo (Nigeria) Iselogbe
- Ewe (Ghana, Togo) Blunya na wo
- Efik (Nigeria) Usoro emana Christ
- Fula/Fulani (Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Togo, Guinea, Sierra Leone) Jabbama be salla Kirismati
- Hausa (Niger, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo) barka dà Kirsìmatì
- Ibibio (Nigeria) Idara ukapade isua
- Igbo/Igo (Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea) E keresimesi Oma
- Kinyarwanda (Rwanda, Uganda, DR Congo) Noheli nziza
- Lingala (DR Congo, Rep Congo, Central African Republic, Angola) Mbotama Malamu
- Luganda (Uganda) Seku Kulu
- Maasai/Maa/Kimaasai (Kenya, Tanzania) Enchipai e KirismasNdebele (Zimbabwe, South Africa) Izilokotho Ezihle Zamaholdeni
- Shona (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana) Muve neKisimusi
- Soga/Lasoga (Uganda) Mwisuka Sekukulu
- Somali (Somalia, Djibouti) Kirismas Wacan
- Sotho (Lesotho, South Africa) Le be le keresemese e monate
- Swahili (Tanzania, Kenya, DR Congo, Uganda) Krismasi Njema / Heri ya Krismasi
- Tigrinya (Ethiopia and Eritreia) Ruhus Beal Lidet
- Xhosa/isiXhosa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho)
- Krismesi emnandi
- Yoruba (Nigeria, Benin) E ku odun, e ku iye’dun
- Zulu (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland) uKhisimusi oMuhle
Božićne čestitke iz cijelog svijeta
- Afganistan (Dari) Christmas Mubarak (کرسمس مبارک)
- Albanian Gëzuar Krishtlindjen
- Arabic Eid Milad Majid (عيد ميلاد مجيد) Which means ‘Glorious Birth Feast’
- Aramaic Eedookh Breekha Which means ‘Blessed be your Christmas’
- Armenian Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb Tznund (Շնորհավոր Ամանոր և Սուրբ Ծնունդ) Which means ‘Congratulations for the Holy Birth’
- Azerbaijani Milad bayramınız mübarək
- Belarussian Z Kaljadami (З Калядамі)
- Belgija :
Dutch/Flemish Vrolijk Kerstfeest
French Joyeux Noël
German Frohe Weihnachten
Walloon djoyeus Noyé - Bulgarian Vesela Koleda
- Cambodia (Khmer) Rik-reay Bon Noel (រីករាយ បុណ្យណូអែល)
- Kina
Mandarin Sheng Dan Kuai Le (圣诞快乐)
Cantonese Seng Dan Fai Lok (聖誕快樂) - Cornish Nadelik Lowen
- Croatian (and Bosnian) Sretan Božić
- Czech Veselé Vánoce
- Danish Glædelig Jul
- Esperanto Feliĉan Kristnaskon
- Estonian Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi
- Faroe Islands (Faroese) Gleðilig jól
- Finnish Hyvää joulua
- Francuska
French Joyeux Noël
Breton Nedeleg Laouen
Corsican Bon Natale
Alsatian E güeti Wïnâchte - German Frohe Weihnachten
- Greek Kala Christouyenna or Καλά Χριστούγεννα
- Georgian gilocav shoba-akhal c’els or გილოცავ შობა-ახალ წელს
- Grenland
Greenlandic Juullimi Pilluarit
Danish (also used in Greenland) Glædelig Jul - Guam (Chamorro) Felis Nabidåt or Felis Påsgua or Magof Nochebuena
- Guernsey (Guernésiais/Guernsey French/patois) bouan Noué
- Haitian Creole Jwaye Nowel
- Hawaiian Mele Kalikimaka
- Hungarian Boldog karácsonyt (Happy Christmas) or Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket (pleasant Christmas holidays)
- Icelandic Gleðileg jól
- Indija
Bengali (also spoken in Bangladesh) shubho bôṛodin (শুভ বড়দিন)
Gujarati Anandi Natal or Khushi Natal (આનંદી નાતાલ)
Hindi Śubh krisamas (शुभ क्रिसमस) or prabhu ka naya din aapko mubarak ho (Happy Birthday God)
Kannada kris mas habbada shubhaashayagalu (ಕ್ರಿಸ್ ಮಸ್ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು)
Konkani Khushal Borit Natala
Malayalam Christmas inte mangalaashamsakal
Marathi Śubh Nātāḷ (शुभ नाताळ) or Natal Chya shubhechha
Mizo Krismas Chibai
Punjabi karisama te nawāṃ sāla khušayāṃwālā hewe (ਕਰਿਸਮ ਤੇ ਨਵਾੰ ਸਾਲ ਖੁਸ਼ਿਯਾੰਵਾਲਾ ਹੋਵੇ)
Sanskrit Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa
Shindi Christmas jun wadhayun
Tamil kiṟistumas vāḻttukkaḷ (கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள்)
Telugu Christmas Subhakankshalu
Urdu krismas mubarak (کرسمس) - Indonesian Selamat Natal
- Iran
Farsi Christmas MobArak - Kurdish (Kumanji) Kirîsmes pîroz be
- Irish – Gaelic Nollaig Shona Dhuit
- Israel – Hebrew Chag Molad Sameach (חג מולד שמח) meaning ‘Happy festival of the Birth’
- Italija
Italian Buon Natale
Sicilian Bon Natali
Piedmontese Bon Natal
Ladin Bon/Bun Nadèl - Jamaican Creole/Patois Merri Crissmuss
- Japanese Meri Kurisumasu (or ‘Meri Kuri’ for short!)
Hiragana: めりーくりすます
Katakana: メリークリスマス - Jersey (Jèrriais/Jersey French) bouan Noué
- Kazahk Rojdestvo quttı bolsın (Рождество құтты болсын)
- Korean ‘Meri krismas’ (메리 크리스마스) or ‘seongtanjeol jal bonaeyo’ (성탄절 잘 보내요) or ‘Jeulgaeun krismas doeseyo’ (즐거운 크리스마스 되세요)
- Latin Felicem Diem Nativitatis (Merry Day of the Nativity)
- Latvian Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus
- Lithuanian Linksmų Kalėdų
- Macedonian Streken Bozhik or Среќен Божик
- Madagascar (Malagasy) Tratra ny Noely
- Maltese Il-Milied it-Tajjeb
- Malaysia (Malay) Selamat Hari Krismas or Selamat Hari Natal
- Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) Nollick Ghennal
- Mexico (Spanish is main language)
Nahuatl (spoken by the Aztecs)
Cualli netlācatilizpan
Yucatec Maya Ki’imak “navidad” - Montenegrin Hristos se rodi (Христос се роди) – Christ is born
- Vaistinu se rodi (Ваистину се роди) – truly born (reply)
- Native American / First Nation Languages
Apache (Western) Gozhqq Keshmish
Cherokee Danistayohihv &Aliheli’sdi Itse Udetiyvasadisv
Inuit Quvianagli Anaiyyuniqpaliqsi
Navajo Nizhonigo Keshmish
Yupik Alussistuakeggtaarmek - Nepali Kreesmasko shubhkaamnaa (क्रस्मसको शुभकामना)
- Holandija
Dutch Prettige Kerst (Happy Christmas), Zalig Kerstfeest or Zalig Kerstmis (both mean Merry Christmas) or Vrolijk Kerstfeest (Cheerful Christmas)
West-Frisian (or Frysk) Noflike Krystdagen (Comfortable Christmas days)
Bildts Noflike Korsttydsdagen (Comfortable Christmastide days) - New Zealand (Māori) Meri Kirihimete
- Norwegian God Jul or Gledelig Jul
- Filipini
Tagalog Maligayang Pasko
Ilocano Naragsak nga Paskua
Ilonggo Malipayon nga Pascua
Sugbuhanon or Cebuano Maayong Pasko
Bicolano Maugmang Pasko
Pangalatok or Pangasinense Maabig ya pasko or Magayagan inkianac
Waray Maupay Nga Pasko - Papiamentu – spoken in the Lesser Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire) Bon Pascu
- Polish Wesołych Świąt
- Portuguese Feliz Natal
- Romanian Crăciun Fericit
- Russian s rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM (C рождеством!) or
s-schah-st-lee-vah-vah rah-zh dee-st-vah (Счастливого рождества!) - Sami (North-Sami) – spoken in parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia Buorit Juovllat
- Samoan Manuia Le Kerisimasi
- Škotska
Scots Blithe Yule
Gaelic Nollaig Chridheil - Serbian Hristos se rodi (Христос се роди) – Christ is born
Vaistinu se rodi (Ваистину се роди) – truly born (reply) - Slovakian Veselé Vianoce
- Slovene or Slovenian Vesel Božič
- Somali Kirismas Wacan
- Španija
Spanish (Españo) Feliz Navidad or Nochebuena (which means ‘Holy Night’ – Christmas Eve)
Catalan / Asturian / Occitan Bon Nadal
Aragonese Feliz Nadal
Galician Bo Nadal
Basque (Euskara) Eguberri on (which means ‘Happy New Day’)
Sranantongo (spoken in Suriname) Swit’ Kresneti - Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka) Suba Naththalak Wewa (සුබ නත්තලක් වේවා)
- Swedish God Jul
- Švajcarska
Swiss German Schöni Wiehnachte
French Joyeux Noël
Italian Buon Natale
Romansh Bellas festas da Nadal - Thai Suk sarn warn Christmas
- Turkish Mutlu Noeller
- Ukranian ‘Веселого Різдва’ Veseloho Rizdva (Merry Christmas) or ‘Христос Рождається’ Khrystos Rozhdayetsia (Christ is Born)
- Vietnamese Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh
- Welsh Nadolig Llawen
