How long does the Christmas Eve service last in Madagascar?

Q: What do they call Santa in Madagascar?

In Madagascar, Santa Claus is called Dadabe Noely.

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How long Madagascar celebrate Christmas?
What do they do in Madagascar for Christmas?
What do they call Santa in Madagascar?
How long does the celebration of Christmas last in South Africa?

The official language of Madagascar is Malagasy. 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year' in Malagasy is 'Mirary Krismasy sambatra sy Taona vaovao tonga lafatra ho anao'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Most Malagasy's only exchange small presents. In Madagascar, Santa Claus is called 'Dadabe Noely'.

Most people go to Church on Christmas Eve in Madagascar. The services start about 5.00pm and last until after midnight! Different groups in the Church, especially children, perform songs and plays celebrating the birth of Jesus. People also go to Church on Christmas Day as well. After the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service, churches give out sweets or biscuits to the people in the Church.

On Christmas Day people (even strangers) greet each by saying 'Arahaba tratry ny Noely' which means 'Merry Christmas'.

Malagasy families like to eat Christmas dinner together in large groups and dress up in the best (or new) clothes. The meal is normally Chicken or Pork with rice followed by a special cake. Some rich people go to restaurants for Christmas dinner, but most people stay at home with their families. Here are some recipes from Madagascar.

A special Christmas food in Madagascar are fresh lychees, which are bought from shops and street sellers, fresh from the trees. The streets get covered in lychee skins!

Poinsettias also grow as large outdoor shrubs in Madagascar and don't just flower at Christmas! They are also the national emblem of Madagascar.

December 14, 2021

Many people in Madagascar are Christians and view the birthday of Jesus as a great day. Madagascar was colonized by the French, who brought both Christianity and the French language with them. Many people in Madagascar celebrate Christmas or Noël in French, but it is spread out through several months. On Christmas Day they will eat chicken or pork with rice along with some type of cake. Some write their own poems to present on Christmas Day, a Sunday, or a special afternoon. Christmas celebrations can last from December to March: some shorter and some longer. Some churches will have as many as twenty celebrations where everyone is welcome to come and celebrate. One tradition is that they will have a big pine tree decorated and the people will walk around the tree singing. It can sometimes take up to four to five hours for these celebrations. The weather is very hot and humid, yet decorations include snow and holly. Many spend several hours at Church on Christmas Eve. The services start at 5:00 pm and usually last long after midnight. More time is spent in church on Christmas day, as well. Sweets and biscuits are handed out while everyone joins in on songs and dances. Picnics are the common gathering to exchange small gifts. The figure of Santa Claus, or Dadabe Noely, is still big in this country.

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Fr. Pete Kohler, M.S.
La Salette News Worldwide

For most of us, Christmas is a word that is loaded with

Santa Claus, called "Dadabe Noely", speaks with the younger Malagasy childrentremendous meaning. No doubt our minds are flooded with all sorts of wonderful images and memories. All our senses are jammed with a myriad of sights, sounds, smells and messages. Many of these are shaped and formed as much by our culture as by scripture.

For example, the first time I spent Christmas alone in the bush country of Madagascar, I suffered from a massive dose of cultural shock. Since Christmas is in the rainy season I had to go on foot and canoe rather than take the Jeep. It was hot, humid and very muddy – no snow! Mosquitoes and other “little nasties” did not readily put me into a Christmas mood.

I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in a small, isolated village. I slept on the mud floor in the sacristy of our tiny dilapidated doorless church. This was a predominately pagan village with only a handful of Catholics.

The people insisted that we have a Midnight Mass. But, as it their custom, they began singing Christmas carols around 9:00 PM. The children had made a crib made out of local clay. There was Mary and Joseph and naturally Jesus. These figures were surrounded not only by an ox, donkey and a few cows but also by a myriad of ombies (malgasy cattle) – a sign of wealth, riches and royalty.

After Mass I went to bed but the people continued singing and recounting the Nativity and other bible stories.

At 6:00AM I got up to celebrate Mass once more with the people before they had to go to work in their rice fields. Christmas occurs in the middle of their planting season and, as all farmers know, you must plant when Mother Nature says so.

Looking back I have to admit that that Christmas was one of my best Christmases ever.
Ingredients for a Madagascar Christmas (l to r): fresh lychees, families with their children gathered around the Christmas tree, a home-made Christmas creche (this one of hand-carved native wood).

Ingredients for Madagascar Christmas (l&r): fresh lychees, families with their children gathered around the Christmas tree, a home-made Christmas creche (this one of hand carved native wood)

“Christmas in Madagascar means a time of festivities for the people of the island. The day of Christmas is celebrated by the Christian population of Madagascar. Christmas in Madagascar is during the summer months, so picnics and parties are arranged on this day. A common tradition of Christmas in Madagascar is that people visit their elders and other respectable people of the area.

“The figure of Santa Claus is a big part of Christmas. There Santa Claus is called 'Dadabe Noely'. The name means Grandfather Christmas and signifies the spirit of the festival. On Christmas day everyone (as well as strangers) greets each other by saying 'Arahaba tratry ny Noely' which means 'Merry Christmas'.

“One of special Christmas foods in Madagascar are fresh lychees, which are bought from shops and street sellers, fresh from the trees. The streets get covered in lychee skin” (last two paragraphs from a recent blog).

How long Madagascar celebrate Christmas?

Christmas celebrations start at midnight on 24 December and last till 30 December. Christmas time is very much a time when families get together, visit each other or go to church together. Food is usually better than the everyday meal.

What do they do in Madagascar for Christmas?

Most people will go to Midnight Mass where people, especially children, perform songs and plays to celebrate the Jesus' birth. Going to church on Christmas Day is also quite common.