6 Easy Ways To Greet Happy Birthday In Tagalog

Interested to know exactly how the locals say happy birthday in Tagalog and how they usually celebrate it? Find out more about their traditions and what to expect if ever you get invited to one of their salu-salos in this post today! To help you get started, this post is divided into four parts including comprehensive information about Filipino birthdays, greetings, authentic Tagalog songs, and other related concepts.

Filipino celebrations are one of the largest in the world, and it remains to have that distinction up to this date. In fact, even OFWs from across countries gather around to do their potlucks and celebrate special occasions in the most Filipino ways.  And if there is one thing you should always expect, celebrations involve a lot of food- not finger food and wine but buffet style that is enough to feed the whole neighborhood! Interested to know more? Read on about this below.

How Do Filipinos Celebrate Birthdays?

No one parties like Filipinos do. Aside from the fact that they are one of the countries known to have the longest celebration for the holidays, there is also one extremely special occasion that Filipinos look forward to… the epic birthday celebration! For most locals, birthdays are not just symbols that you are aging every year. For real Pinoys (adjective related to Filipino descent) out there, birthdays are perfect for celebrating life with family and friends over some mouth-watering dishes and fizzy drinks.

Basically, there are also four major birthday milestones being celebrated such as the first birthday, the seventh, 18^th (for girls) or what is fondly called the debut, and 21^st (for boys). In each of these, do note that it is also a tradition to give a small gift especially if you were personally invited. However, if you are like a family member or are actually part of the family, you can never go wrong with monetary gifts!

Given that the Philippines is a Roman Catholic country, it is common for family members to start the celebration with a mass. After the mass, you will instantly be invited to a salu-salo (the Tagalog term referring to a banquet or feast) where you will get to fight your way for some lumpiang shanghai, birthday cakes from famous brands in the Philippines like Goldilocks and Red Ribbon) and pancit canton (which is believed to be a symbol of long life)!

What makes this part even more special is the fact that during this special feast, it’s highly possible for you to meet the rest of the clan because Filipino parties include the whole family: friends (and sometimes even the friends of the friends), relatives, co-workers, and even some kapitbahays (or local neighbors in English).

More importantly, be ready to belt out a few Karaoke songs because every Filipino gathering always involves singing karaoke. As a tip to wow and impress your Filipino friends, start by practicing some famous classic karaoke pieces like Ang Huling El Bimbo by Eraserheads and Narda by Kamikaze.

And as a hallmark of a true Filipino epic celebration, most of the closest family members and guests are usually allowed to pack leftover food once the party ends.  Understandably, since the locals love preparing dishes, there is usually so much food left which is why the host usually passes around the plastic containers so that guests can choose which food they want to take home.

How To Say Happy Birthday In Tagalog

Technically, Filipinos combine two major terms when sharing their joyful greetings and these are the Tagalog words “maligaya” (which is directly translated in English as “happy or merry’”) and “kaarawan” (which refers to anniversaries or birthdays!) Make sure to take note of the list below so that you go beyond the traditional greetings and create a more meaningful interaction.

The Birthday Songs In The Tagalog Language

There are basically two major songs that you can typically hear during birthday celebrations this includes the traditional birthday song and the funny and informal song entitled Hapi Bertday. However, please note that Filipinos also use the English version frequently especially if you are dining in restaurants.

Other Related Birthday Phrases And Terms In The Tagalog Language

Here are some other related words and statements that you might hear during Filipino birthday celebrations. Take note of these 10 entries below so that you know exactly what it means.

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it online through your social platforms to help us reach out to other Asian language enthusiasts out there. Also, please do not miss out and read our previous posts, vocabulary collections, and more Tagalog-related information, such as the common funny phrases, expressing flavors like a real Pinoy, and the secrets to Tagalog writing.

Learn The Tagalog Language Today And Speak Like A Native!

Looking forward to adding a few more words and phrases while learning Tagalog? Other than saying happy birthday in Tagalog related to this Asian language, you should learn even just the basic phrases. It is time for you to download the Ling app. Tailored for total beginners, this application is like a full-blown language course right in your pocket! It will teach you the basics and the easiest tricks while ensuring that you progress every day so long as you practice for at least 10 minutes.

From the native conversational phrases, language features, tricky grammar points, and the culture of the Philippines, this application got you covered! Install it today and start your journey on the right foot with an easy-to-navigate learning buddy, the Ling app.

If you’re super excited to learn more about the Tagalog language, download the Ling app now on the Play Store or App Store. What are you waiting for?